Thieves Using Bluetooth Scanners To Target Vehicles At Hiking Trailheads

Thieves are using a simple Bluetooth exploit to figure out which vehicles hold devices like smartphones/laptops, and they are using this technology to target vehicles parked at trailheads knowing their owners are off on a hike.

Bluetooth scanners are simply apps you download legally. Choose from one of the dozen or so options, download, turn it on and it displays the signal strengths detected.

You can gauge distance from the device using the signal strength meter. To make it super simple for the discriminating thief, some apps even display what type of device is detected and include a picture with the model description.

The part of this new epidemic that would most interest hikers is the occurrence of these types of break-ins at parking areas near trailheads. One can imagine a thief lying in wait as we head out for the day and pulling up a Bluetooth scanner to know exactly which vehicle to break into.

If you’re leaving a device in your car make sure to put it on airplane mode or even better… turn it off completely. Simple as that, once you cut off your Bluetooth signal your device will be invisible to potential thieves.

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