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WATCH: Here's how car-jamming works in SA

<B>DON'T BE A VICTIM:</B> Vehicle specialist Moinuddin Gaibe explains how car-jamming works in South Africa. <i>Image: YouTube</i>
<B>DON'T BE A VICTIM:</B> Vehicle specialist Moinuddin Gaibe explains how car-jamming works in South Africa. <i>Image: YouTube</i>

Johannesburg - Car-jamming is on the rise in South Africa. Criminals in SA are using radio transmitters to interrupt the signal emitted from a car-key and the vehicle's transponder.

Earlier in February Wheels24 reported a SA motoring journalist, Juliet McGuire, editor of motoring site, Women on Wheels, became the latest victim of local remote-jamming, an ordeal captured on CCTV.

Vehicle specialist Moinuddin Gaibe explains exactly how remote-jamming works and how you, as a vehicle owner, can prevent becoming a crime statistic.

Anti-jamming device

Gaibe, who owns Autowhizz in Maitland, Cape Town, has been a vehicle specialist for 21 years. Gaibe says he sells and installs an anti car-jamming device - which warns vehicle owners of car-jamming signals. 

Read - SA car-jamming: Users share their shocking experiences

Gaibe says most drivers double check if their cars are locked - and because of the rise of car-jamming, car-owners are increasingly more protective of their vehicles. Others however, are either too busy, too distracted or believe they can't be victims of car-jamming, says Gaibe.  Perhaps you're not aware of this new method of vehicle crime.

The video below demonstrates how easy it is to remote-jam your vehicle.

Watch the video:

How you can protect yourself

Sanji Security Systems has developed an anti-car-jamming device called ZX Jam Alert. The mobile device is installed below the bonnet of your car and "sniffs" out other RF signals in vicinity of the vehicle.

When the device detects possible car-jamming, which allows criminals to stop owners from locking their vehicles, the device will 'chirp' four times to alert the owner. 

Read - Car-jamming in SA: More victims speak out

Gaibe explains: "They way this device works is whenever they (criminals) depress a remote and they keep it depressed while you're trying to lock your car, the RF signal from the remote - any remote whether its a garage door remote, another car remote (which is not in the area), it then restricts or jams your RF signal from allowing you to lock your vehicle.

"Under normal circumstances a driver would lock their car and just walk away thinking their car is locked when they hit the remote. Unknowingly a criminal has targeted their car and pressed their remote at the same time, blocking their signal.

 Here's how it works

If we keep the garage remote depressed, we try to lock the car but nothing happens. But as soon as the sniffer (jam-alert device) picks up an external remote you'll hear four chirps.


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