Unlocked by a Phone? Bizarre Attempted Car Theft Caught on CCTV in Phuket
Phuket residents woke up to one of those “did that really happen?” news bites on August 24 when CCTV footage shared with the Phuket Times Facebook page revealed a foreign man apparently unlocking a parked car with nothing more than his mobile phone.
The car owner parked her white sedan along Dibuk Road near Limelight Avenue in Mueang district and says she is certain she locked the vehicle before walking away. When she returned, however, one door was not properly shut — and her curiosity (thankfully) tipped her off to ask a neighbour for CCTV footage.
What the video showed was unnerving and weirdly cinematic: a man in a blue T‑shirt strolling near the parked sedan, pausing to make sure no one was watching, then using his phone beside the door handle. The lock clicked. He opened the door, slid behind the wheel, and sat there for a moment — apparently unable to drive the car away — before leaving empty‑handed.
Photos and video stills posted to the Phuket Times page prompted two immediate reactions: alarm among local motorists, and speculation about how a phone could possibly unlock a modern car. The outlet suggested the suspect may have used a specialised scam app — or other electronic trickery — to defeat the car’s locking system. That means this isn’t just an odd one‑off; it’s a potential threat to drivers across the province.
Is this a new kind of car hack?
Technology is a double‑edged sword. Keyless entry systems and smart locks are built for convenience, but criminal ingenuity sometimes keeps up. Locals in the comments shared unnerving experiences: one reader said she nearly fell victim to a similar attempt while parking at a Phuket supermarket. Her remote key suddenly stopped working — she suspects an electronic signal jammer may have been used to block the locking signal. After several tries she finally locked the car, but the memory of that failed remote lingered.
The worrying thing is there are precedents. In Chachoengsao last year police arrested two Chinese nationals for using a signal jammer at a motorway rest stop to prevent motorists from locking their cars, then stealing valuables — especially credit cards. The technique is not new, but reports like the one in Phuket show it might be spreading or evolving.
What you can do — practical tips that actually help
Fearmongering doesn’t help anyone. What does help is a few practical habits to reduce your risk and make you less attractive to opportunist thieves:
- Always check your car doors are fully closed and locked before walking away. Don’t assume a single beep means “all good.”
- Use a visible mechanical deterrent like a steering wheel lock for long parking spells. These are annoying for thieves and comforting for owners.
- Avoid leaving valuables, bags, or wallets in plain sight. Put them in the boot or take them with you.
- If your key fob fails to lock the car, press the lock button multiple times, walk back to the car and try again, or lock it manually where possible. That failed remote may be the first sign of an interference attempt.
- Park under CCTV when you can — and if you notice suspicious behaviour, ask nearby shops or residents for footage. It’s how this incident was exposed.
- Report odd incidents to local police. Even if nothing was stolen, your report helps them spot patterns and act.
What authorities and owners should watch for
Car manufacturers, police and insurers will need to keep an eye on any rise in electronic unlocking scams. For owners, keeping firmware and software up to date (yes, cars need updates these days) and using a mix of electronic and mechanical safeguards is sensible. If new tools or apps can emulate keys, then layered protection becomes essential.
For now, the Phuket case did not end in a dramatic car chase — the stranger couldn’t drive away with the sedan and the owner hasn’t confirmed if anything was taken or whether a formal complaint was made. But the footage and the comments that followed are a timely reminder: modern convenience sometimes brings modern risks.
If you park in Phuket — or anywhere with lots of tourists and busy streets — take a minute to double‑check your locks and stash your valuables. And if your phone won’t lock your car for you, don’t shrug it off. Ask for CCTV, check the footage, and let the police know. Sharing what you see could save someone’s headspace — and their wallet.
Have you had a close call or seen something strange while parking in Phuket? Let the community know and, if you can, share CCTV clips with local authorities — sometimes a grainy camera is the best witness you’ll get.
This is terrifying and oddly cinematic, like a tech noir short film on Dibuk Road. Cars are basically computers now and people forget that convenience opens new attack surfaces. We should treat keyless as potentially vulnerable until proven otherwise.
Technically plausible: relay attacks and signal emulators have been demonstrated for years, and cheap SDRs (software defined radios) put this within reach of non‑expert criminals. Firmware updates and manufacturer fixes are necessary, but they rarely roll out fast enough to stop opportunists.
Exactly — and while we wait for manufacturers to patch things, drivers need practical habits like steering locks and checking doors. I asked my neighbours to archive CCTV and it helped catch the guy on my street last month.
Patch culture in cars is a joke; consumers expect phones to update but treat cars like appliances. Until manufacturers bake in better crypto and authenticated entry, these stories will keep coming.
I knew those scam apps would be used for something nasty. Phones emulating keys? We always warned about mixing tech and trust.
Not all phones can do that; it’s usually a device spoofing the fob signal or a jammer letting them open doors manually afterwards. But to people it looks like magic, and panic spreads.
Police have seen both jammers and relay tools. We encourage victims to file reports so patterns show up; CCTV footage is invaluable and we can often tie incidents together when residents share clips.
Good — more reporting would at least make the cops notice hotspots. But frankly, people shouldn’t leave valuables visible in tourist cities; opportunists love a tempting window.
This is why tourists make everywhere worse, they attract thieves and chaos. Locals suffer when cops are busy with visitors.
Blaming tourists is lazy. Locals face crime too and technology gaps are the real problem; pointing fingers at visitors avoids the hard fixes like better policing and car security standards.
Maybe, but tourists bring cash and make street crime profitable. If officials actually enforced parking rules and patrols, we’d see less of this.
I’ve lived here 10 years and crime affects everyone; tourists aren’t the root cause. Wealth and lax enforcement are the bigger issues than a transient crowd.
From a cryptographic standpoint, many keyless systems use weak challenge‑response schemes or predictable nonces. Until automotive manufacturers adopt modern authenticated protocols, relay/emulation will remain a vulnerability.
Couldn’t agree more. And consumers should demand proof of secure enrollment and OTA updates from car makers before buying ‘smart’ locks.
Also insurers should require documented security hardening to justify covering keyless thefts; economic incentives usually speed up adoption of better tech.
Insurance companies will just raise premiums instead of forcing manufacturers to act, sadly. Owners end up paying for corporate sluggishness.
So a guy used a phone like a magic key? That’s scary, I don’t want my PlayStation stolen too.
Keep consoles with you or locked away, kiddo. Also teach parents to use steering locks and hide valuables; thieves watch and test signals in parking lots.
Okay I’ll tell Mum. Steering locks look like a dragon with a wheel, right?
A CCTV clip won’t change the fact that manufacturers rushed keyless tech for marketing, not security. We need recalls and audits, not just homeowner tips.
Recalls are expensive and slow, but public pressure helps. If people threaten class actions, companies sometimes fix things faster than regulators.
True — litigation has moved mountains before. But first, owners must document incidents and keep receipts for anything suspicious.
From the enforcement side, we do recommend documenting and reporting. Evidence like CCTV and timestamps make investigations feasible instead of anecdotal.
I drive an old pickup with a manual lock and laugh at these stories. Simpler machines, simpler problems.
Old cars have their own vulnerabilities, but yes, mechanical simplicity avoids electronic hacks. Still, nobody wants a stereo ripped out of their dash.
As a traveller I always felt paranoid about parking, now I’m officially terrified. Any tips for someone renting a car for a week?
Park under CCTV or visible lights, use the boot for bags, and lock manually if possible. If your remote doesn’t lock, check and report immediately — that failed beep could mean interference.
Why would someone pretend to open a car and then leave? Maybe they were testing if it was safe or trying to swipe something small without getting caught.
They might have been interrupted, or realized the model needs the real key to start. I’ve seen people give up when they can’t hotwire modern cars quickly.
This story should be a wakeup call to local authorities to run awareness campaigns. People need to know what jammers and relays look like so they can respond.
Agreed — community education is part of our approach. We encourage shops and residents to share footage and report suspicious behaviour immediately.
Not to be paranoid, but could this be the start of organized car theft rings using cheap tech? One incident becomes many fast if profitable.
Organized crime leverages technological trends quickly. Cheap SDRs and open‑source code lower barriers to entry, so yes, scaling is a real risk without deterrence.
Steering locks and habit changes help, but they don’t fix systemic issues. We need better design reviews and third‑party security audits for automotive systems.
Third‑party audits are expensive but effective. Maybe governments should mandate security certifications for connected vehicles like they do for aircraft.
I’m tired of reading ‘technology is a double‑edged sword’ pieces without concrete policy suggestions. Who will actually regulate this?
Regulation is messy and slow, but consumer pressure and insurers forcing standards could be faster. Market incentives matter when governments lag.
If you see someone testing doors with a phone, call the local line; don’t confront them. Our priority is evidence collection and catching patterns before incidents escalate.
I rent bikes instead now. Less to steal and I can keep it with me — problem solved and I get exercise.
Some of you are too chill about this; imagine losing passports, cards, or sentimental items because of a beep. The panic is real and justified.
Quick note for anyone doubting: if your remote fails sometimes, do not assume it’s a battery. Test locking, walk away, and recheck. That little hesitation is often the first sign of interference.
We should normalize mechanical backups: a hidden physical key or manual lock option that is hardwired and not reliant on radio signals.
Hidden keys are fine until someone finds your fake rock key case. Security theatre can backfire if people get sloppy.
This thread shows a good mix of tech caution and practical advice. Share CCTV, report incidents, and push for better product security — it’s how small changes accumulate.
I’ve seen thieves test handles and move on when a steering lock is visible. Visibility of a deterrent can be as effective as the deterrent itself.
Thanks everyone for tips — I feel less helpless. Will take pictures of my rental and avoid leaving anything on seats.
Why don’t cars have thumbprint locks yet? Seems obvious and cooler than keys.
Biometrics bring their own problems like spoofing, privacy, and recovery when sensors fail. They’re promising as part of multi‑factor schemes but aren’t silver bullets.
Also remember to update your car’s software if applicable; like phones, updates patch vulnerabilities. Users often ignore vehicle update notifications.
I’ll keep my old car for as long as possible. Modern ‘smart’ features add convenience but also hand criminals new tools.
We shouldn’t stigmatize tech — instead demand safer implementations. Voting with wallets and supporting brands that prioritize security will help.