License Plates….I just have to know!
05-18-2024, 11:06 AM
#41
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I wonder if GM would have a record of a fob made for the stolen car's vin. If they do, then it could be traced to the person who made it and from there to the thieves.
Mine lives in the garage, locked and alarmed with cameras around the house.
Mine lives in the garage, locked and alarmed with cameras around the house.
05-18-2024, 11:09 AM
#42
That way you not only catch the actual thieves but also the thieves in the dealership which i'm sure get a cut from doing this risky business.
Everything should be recorded with signatures from both parties. Crazy how something so simple can lead to something major and nothing is recorded in the middle.
05-18-2024, 11:13 AM
#43
Drifting
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Idk about looking at online photos but that's how thieves do it when they're local.
If they see a car they like that's the first step. After they get your info they scope out your neighborhood to see where you park the car. So they know how easy, or not, it would be to get it. If they really want it, they'll just wait for you to slip up in public and you'll be at a store, walmart, going to get mcdonalds and come out and the car is gone.
That's how it was in the BMW community. Thieves were getting VIN numbers by showing up to a persons house (i suppose from getting the plate), then using that VIN to create a secondary FOB with someone they know that works at a dealership. Then just showing up at later date and just getting into the car and driving off like they're the owner. Neighbors won't know because no alarm was set off. They would just think it's the owner leaving with his car in the middle of the night.
If they see a car they like that's the first step. After they get your info they scope out your neighborhood to see where you park the car. So they know how easy, or not, it would be to get it. If they really want it, they'll just wait for you to slip up in public and you'll be at a store, walmart, going to get mcdonalds and come out and the car is gone.
That's how it was in the BMW community. Thieves were getting VIN numbers by showing up to a persons house (i suppose from getting the plate), then using that VIN to create a secondary FOB with someone they know that works at a dealership. Then just showing up at later date and just getting into the car and driving off like they're the owner. Neighbors won't know because no alarm was set off. They would just think it's the owner leaving with his car in the middle of the night.
But for the reason above, my VIN stays covered when in my garage or if I'm out driving around!
I've also heard of theives taking photos of a car, including the VIN, and basically pre-selling it to someone. If they had a buyer lined up, then they'd go steal it! Possibly, sometimes the buyer may not even know it's stolen because a VIN was provided, and it seemed legit.
Last edited by /Bear/; 05-18-2024 at 11:19 AM.
05-18-2024, 11:55 AM
#46
I don't cover my plate because it's advertising the URL to my website.
But for the reason above, my VIN stays covered when in my garage or if I'm out driving around!
I've also heard of theives taking photos of a car, including the VIN, and basically pre-selling it to someone. If they had a buyer lined up, then they'd go steal it! Possibly, sometimes the buyer may not even know it's stolen because a VIN was provided, and it seemed legit.
But for the reason above, my VIN stays covered when in my garage or if I'm out driving around!
I've also heard of theives taking photos of a car, including the VIN, and basically pre-selling it to someone. If they had a buyer lined up, then they'd go steal it! Possibly, sometimes the buyer may not even know it's stolen because a VIN was provided, and it seemed legit.
There's a video online about a C7 stingray owner actually coming out to the thieves in the process of taking his car and the thieves were yelling at him and said get back in your house you don't want to risk your life for a car. So i assume the thieves were armed.
05-18-2024, 12:38 PM
#47
Melting Slicks
I don't cover my plate because it's advertising the URL to my website.
But for the reason above, my VIN stays covered when in my garage or if I'm out driving around!
I've also heard of theives taking photos of a car, including the VIN, and basically pre-selling it to someone. If they had a buyer lined up, then they'd go steal it! Possibly, sometimes the buyer may not even know it's stolen because a VIN was provided, and it seemed legit.
But for the reason above, my VIN stays covered when in my garage or if I'm out driving around!
I've also heard of theives taking photos of a car, including the VIN, and basically pre-selling it to someone. If they had a buyer lined up, then they'd go steal it! Possibly, sometimes the buyer may not even know it's stolen because a VIN was provided, and it seemed legit.
05-18-2024, 12:48 PM
#48
Drifting
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You post the license plate but hide your VIN? That makes no sense, because getting a VIN from a license plate takes literally 2 seconds, and is perfectly legal. Won't post your VIN to respect your privacy, but to prove how easy it is to get I'll tell you the last 2 digits of you Corvette's VIN are the same.
I saw a video by a police officer and was led to believe that it's a good idea to keep thieves from getting a photo of your VIN (because of the "pre-sale" thing I posted before), which would tend to lend legitimacy to a sale. I could be wrong, but I found a fun way to hide my VIN, so I'll continue to do it anyway. Probably can't hurt, and it's currently serving another purpose altogether.
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z28lt1 (05-18-2024)
05-18-2024, 01:02 PM
#49
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Cumbers (05-21-2024)
05-18-2024, 01:35 PM
#51
Idk about looking at online photos but that's how thieves do it when they're local.
If they see a car they like that's the first step. After they get your info they scope out your neighborhood to see where you park the car. So they know how easy, or not, it would be to get it. If they really want it, they'll just wait for you to slip up in public and you'll be at a store, walmart, going to get mcdonalds and come out and the car is gone.
That's how it was in the BMW community. Thieves were getting VIN numbers by showing up to a persons house (i suppose from getting the plate), then using that VIN to create a secondary FOB with someone they know that works at a dealership. Then just showing up at later date and just getting into the car and driving off like they're the owner. Neighbors won't know because no alarm was set off. They would just think it's the owner leaving with his car in the middle of the night.
If they see a car they like that's the first step. After they get your info they scope out your neighborhood to see where you park the car. So they know how easy, or not, it would be to get it. If they really want it, they'll just wait for you to slip up in public and you'll be at a store, walmart, going to get mcdonalds and come out and the car is gone.
That's how it was in the BMW community. Thieves were getting VIN numbers by showing up to a persons house (i suppose from getting the plate), then using that VIN to create a secondary FOB with someone they know that works at a dealership. Then just showing up at later date and just getting into the car and driving off like they're the owner. Neighbors won't know because no alarm was set off. They would just think it's the owner leaving with his car in the middle of the night.
05-19-2024, 08:26 AM
#53
Especially when you have people who did all the major work for you like getting you a fob. All you had to do was show up to the persons house or wait for him to park it somewhere and just use the fob you have to drive it away.
05-19-2024, 09:00 AM
#54
Burning Brakes
Quantity
It's one of those things that just isn't a thing.
Statistically, you are very unlikely to ever experience car theft. About 1 million thefts out of 280 million vehicles annually, 3.5 tenths of a percent.
A home flooded from deteriorating supply lines is common, but no one worries about it or spends small sums to prevent it. About 5 million losses out of 144 million homes, 3.5 percent. So ten times as likely.
We prefer to worry about "Exciting" losses, however unlikely. By the way, the water damaged home is ten times as common as car theft and can easily be as expensive. As well as far more interruptive to life.
But emotionally, the car is "Our Baby" and the home is just where we live, keep all of our non-car possessions, sleep, eat, etc.
And the inconvenience of living in a hotel room for six months and filing a tedious claim proving the value of everything in your home is NOTHING compared to driving a rental for 30 days while you replace your car! How grueling!
---
Methods
In my experience in law enforcement, agreed in a community of under 50,000, we see three types of auto theft.
50% - Vehicle left unlocked in driveway. Often with keys.
25% - Vehicle left unlocked running at convenience store.
25% - Vehicle reported as one of the two above or "carjacking", but likely was an unofficial "rental" for hours or days, usually in exchange for drugs.
I can't recall a single instance of pros or semi-pros trying to "Get Eleanor" or any other "smart thief" theft in eight years.
Nearly all of the above are recovered when abandoned out of gas, at the scene of another crime, or during a traffic stop. The few that are sold on are sold into the criminal community for drugs or hundreds of dollars. Not exported to add to some dictator's collection.
I FULLY UNDERSTAND A LARGE METRO OR A SOUTHERN BORDER COMMUNITY COULD HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
It's one of those things that just isn't a thing.
Statistically, you are very unlikely to ever experience car theft. About 1 million thefts out of 280 million vehicles annually, 3.5 tenths of a percent.
A home flooded from deteriorating supply lines is common, but no one worries about it or spends small sums to prevent it. About 5 million losses out of 144 million homes, 3.5 percent. So ten times as likely.
We prefer to worry about "Exciting" losses, however unlikely. By the way, the water damaged home is ten times as common as car theft and can easily be as expensive. As well as far more interruptive to life.
But emotionally, the car is "Our Baby" and the home is just where we live, keep all of our non-car possessions, sleep, eat, etc.
And the inconvenience of living in a hotel room for six months and filing a tedious claim proving the value of everything in your home is NOTHING compared to driving a rental for 30 days while you replace your car! How grueling!
---
Methods
In my experience in law enforcement, agreed in a community of under 50,000, we see three types of auto theft.
50% - Vehicle left unlocked in driveway. Often with keys.
25% - Vehicle left unlocked running at convenience store.
25% - Vehicle reported as one of the two above or "carjacking", but likely was an unofficial "rental" for hours or days, usually in exchange for drugs.
I can't recall a single instance of pros or semi-pros trying to "Get Eleanor" or any other "smart thief" theft in eight years.
Nearly all of the above are recovered when abandoned out of gas, at the scene of another crime, or during a traffic stop. The few that are sold on are sold into the criminal community for drugs or hundreds of dollars. Not exported to add to some dictator's collection.
I FULLY UNDERSTAND A LARGE METRO OR A SOUTHERN BORDER COMMUNITY COULD HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
Last edited by sshallen; 05-19-2024 at 06:17 PM.
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/Bear/ (05-19-2024)
05-20-2024, 08:24 AM
#55
Idk where those stats were pulled but they must be old.
Everything is electronic now. If a thief can not steal a car with his own fob, he will use a signal amplifier to locate your fob that's in your house and extend the signal so he can open the car from outside. Not many people use faraday boxes so those chances only go up if a thief goes that route.
I do agree a one on one confrontation where a thief takes it by force is slim to none unless you're asking for trouble going into a bad area at night etc but with how easy it is with electronics, thieves can take your car in less than 30 seconds with simple devices anyone can buy online.
Everything is electronic now. If a thief can not steal a car with his own fob, he will use a signal amplifier to locate your fob that's in your house and extend the signal so he can open the car from outside. Not many people use faraday boxes so those chances only go up if a thief goes that route.
I do agree a one on one confrontation where a thief takes it by force is slim to none unless you're asking for trouble going into a bad area at night etc but with how easy it is with electronics, thieves can take your car in less than 30 seconds with simple devices anyone can buy online.
05-20-2024, 08:48 PM
#56
Burning Brakes
Sounds like "Wow that destroys my fear so I'll ignore it" 
2024 stats here. https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/i...on%20in%202022.
Talking to other LE around the country, the "Methods" I listed are fairly universal. Eleanor is safe.
Another factor.
NHTSA reports 117 traffic crash fatalities PER DAY in the US. Almost no news coverage.
Roughly 50 per year from self-driving cars. Each EXTENSIVELY reported, because the average Rube believes they are a "Great" driver, better than the nannies, and that the robots are taking over.
Once when Rube was showing a cyclist the awesome handling and sound of a C8, it beeped at them so it must be trash.
Family of four killed in the next county? Yawn. Change the channel. One person killed in a crash INVOLVING (caused by? Who cares) a self driving car? I'll stay tuned for extra coverage at eleven.
Same thing. A million cars stolen per year in the US. Mostly keys left in car unlocked, unlocked running, or drug rentals. No news coverage.
1 in 1,000 stolen by RFID geniuses? News upon news upon news.
You can easily verify all of these stats, but you are confusing news coverage with reality.
Headsup. News stories that say "Hey dummy, if you lock your car, it won't be stolen" get clicked off. "Hey, buy this garbage lock" gets some revenue. Sheldon with his rolling code machine is fascinating, so it gets tons of coverage.
Learning to spot the massive distortions in coverage opens your eyes in many ways. Back it up to primary resource statistics and you'll be astonished how ofter you arelied to "misled".
SCENARIO
You are a semi-literate teen who only has a few years of "hey, I'm a juvenile!" left. And you want a fun car tonight, so that you and your buds can joy ride and maybe raid a neighborhood.
That's the typical car thief profile.
Your choices:
1 - Four of you go into a neighborhood at 2am with backpacks, each committed to pull 40 door handles. 10 are unlocked (each, total of 40 unlocked cars). All have "stuff", 20% have firearms, three have keys. THE FUN BEGINS and y'all leave to enjoy the rest of your weekend.
2 - You buy a variety of electronic equipment, learn how to use it, surveil folks (probably from internet license plate photos from what I'm told LOL), and make a snag of a C8 that's worth $58k wholesale. You are able to find someone dumb enough to pay decent money with no title or keys, or you have an intermediary who can export it to Russia. You get $5k.
It's similar to identity theft madness. It's mainly relatives one degree away committing the ID theft, or roommates. But we act like it's Russians monitoring our https Amazon purchases.
Meanwhile, in the sketchiest restaurant in the world, we'll let the odd looking host/hostess take our physical card out of sight for five minutes.
We are not rational unless we work hard to be. Work harder.
2024 stats here. https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/i...on%20in%202022.
Talking to other LE around the country, the "Methods" I listed are fairly universal. Eleanor is safe.
Another factor.
NHTSA reports 117 traffic crash fatalities PER DAY in the US. Almost no news coverage.
Roughly 50 per year from self-driving cars. Each EXTENSIVELY reported, because the average Rube believes they are a "Great" driver, better than the nannies, and that the robots are taking over.
Once when Rube was showing a cyclist the awesome handling and sound of a C8, it beeped at them so it must be trash.
Family of four killed in the next county? Yawn. Change the channel. One person killed in a crash INVOLVING (caused by? Who cares) a self driving car? I'll stay tuned for extra coverage at eleven.
Same thing. A million cars stolen per year in the US. Mostly keys left in car unlocked, unlocked running, or drug rentals. No news coverage.
1 in 1,000 stolen by RFID geniuses? News upon news upon news.
You can easily verify all of these stats, but you are confusing news coverage with reality.
Headsup. News stories that say "Hey dummy, if you lock your car, it won't be stolen" get clicked off. "Hey, buy this garbage lock" gets some revenue. Sheldon with his rolling code machine is fascinating, so it gets tons of coverage.
Learning to spot the massive distortions in coverage opens your eyes in many ways. Back it up to primary resource statistics and you'll be astonished how ofter you are
SCENARIO
You are a semi-literate teen who only has a few years of "hey, I'm a juvenile!" left. And you want a fun car tonight, so that you and your buds can joy ride and maybe raid a neighborhood.
That's the typical car thief profile.
Your choices:
1 - Four of you go into a neighborhood at 2am with backpacks, each committed to pull 40 door handles. 10 are unlocked (each, total of 40 unlocked cars). All have "stuff", 20% have firearms, three have keys. THE FUN BEGINS and y'all leave to enjoy the rest of your weekend.
2 - You buy a variety of electronic equipment, learn how to use it, surveil folks (probably from internet license plate photos from what I'm told LOL), and make a snag of a C8 that's worth $58k wholesale. You are able to find someone dumb enough to pay decent money with no title or keys, or you have an intermediary who can export it to Russia. You get $5k.
It's similar to identity theft madness. It's mainly relatives one degree away committing the ID theft, or roommates. But we act like it's Russians monitoring our https Amazon purchases.
Meanwhile, in the sketchiest restaurant in the world, we'll let the odd looking host/hostess take our physical card out of sight for five minutes.
We are not rational unless we work hard to be. Work harder.
Last edited by sshallen; 05-20-2024 at 09:01 PM.
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Sweetness34 (05-21-2024)
05-21-2024, 06:43 AM
#57
Wait what are you even posting?
The article shows a rise in car thefts? Which is what i'm saying? I don't know what you're arguing now.
Or are you just showing those numbers and claiming it's miniscule that the chances of US, meaning people on this corvette forum, worried about their car stolen will be slim to none? I think that's what you're saying.
But you also forget it's not only about theft, it's also vandalism. Someone walking by and see your dark tints, they wonder what's in the car? Maybe a nice well paid corvette owner left his rolex there, let me smash the window and take a quick 1 minute gander. Maybe i'll score something big maybe not. But it's worth a try. And now the corvette owner comes out to a broken window and who knows what else might be stolen that he now lost. If i was a thief and i checked out your license plate because i saw your awesome corvette on the highway, and i track you down and show up at your house, then i notice all the other nice cars you might have you know what i would think? WHAT'S IN THE HOUSE?
If you're arguing the numbers are so small there is no need to worry is a very weak approach. And if you said you were in LE, that's actually surprising to hear. Isn't the whole avoid confrontation part of the duty? Don't escalate scenarios? etc etc
If i go about my day not having a care in the world, being totally oblivious, you're asking for trouble. Because bad people prey on the weak. Where i'm from, you slip up once, that's when they get you.
The article shows a rise in car thefts? Which is what i'm saying? I don't know what you're arguing now.
Or are you just showing those numbers and claiming it's miniscule that the chances of US, meaning people on this corvette forum, worried about their car stolen will be slim to none? I think that's what you're saying.
But you also forget it's not only about theft, it's also vandalism. Someone walking by and see your dark tints, they wonder what's in the car? Maybe a nice well paid corvette owner left his rolex there, let me smash the window and take a quick 1 minute gander. Maybe i'll score something big maybe not. But it's worth a try. And now the corvette owner comes out to a broken window and who knows what else might be stolen that he now lost. If i was a thief and i checked out your license plate because i saw your awesome corvette on the highway, and i track you down and show up at your house, then i notice all the other nice cars you might have you know what i would think? WHAT'S IN THE HOUSE?
If you're arguing the numbers are so small there is no need to worry is a very weak approach. And if you said you were in LE, that's actually surprising to hear. Isn't the whole avoid confrontation part of the duty? Don't escalate scenarios? etc etc
If i go about my day not having a care in the world, being totally oblivious, you're asking for trouble. Because bad people prey on the weak. Where i'm from, you slip up once, that's when they get you.
05-21-2024, 09:27 AM
#58
Race Director
Ever since joining the forum back in 2015 most members when posting a picture of their C8 that shows their license plate they blur it out. Why do they/you do that?
I am clueless as to why anyone would do that. Do they/you cover your license plate when driving it on public roads?
I just have to know why.
I am clueless as to why anyone would do that. Do they/you cover your license plate when driving it on public roads?
I just have to know why.
Don't forget to included your mom's maiden name, too....
05-21-2024, 05:35 PM
#59
Wait what are you even posting?
The article shows a rise in car thefts? Which is what i'm saying? I don't know what you're arguing now.
Or are you just showing those numbers and claiming it's miniscule that the chances of US, meaning people on this corvette forum, worried about their car stolen will be slim to none? I think that's what you're saying.
But you also forget it's not only about theft, it's also vandalism. Someone walking by and see your dark tints, they wonder what's in the car? Maybe a nice well paid corvette owner left his rolex there, let me smash the window and take a quick 1 minute gander. Maybe i'll score something big maybe not. But it's worth a try. And now the corvette owner comes out to a broken window and who knows what else might be stolen that he now lost. If i was a thief and i checked out your license plate because i saw your awesome corvette on the highway, and i track you down and show up at your house, then i notice all the other nice cars you might have you know what i would think? WHAT'S IN THE HOUSE?
If you're arguing the numbers are so small there is no need to worry is a very weak approach. And if you said you were in LE, that's actually surprising to hear. Isn't the whole avoid confrontation part of the duty? Don't escalate scenarios? etc etc
If i go about my day not having a care in the world, being totally oblivious, you're asking for trouble. Because bad people prey on the weak. Where i'm from, you slip up once, that's when they get you.
The article shows a rise in car thefts? Which is what i'm saying? I don't know what you're arguing now.
Or are you just showing those numbers and claiming it's miniscule that the chances of US, meaning people on this corvette forum, worried about their car stolen will be slim to none? I think that's what you're saying.
But you also forget it's not only about theft, it's also vandalism. Someone walking by and see your dark tints, they wonder what's in the car? Maybe a nice well paid corvette owner left his rolex there, let me smash the window and take a quick 1 minute gander. Maybe i'll score something big maybe not. But it's worth a try. And now the corvette owner comes out to a broken window and who knows what else might be stolen that he now lost. If i was a thief and i checked out your license plate because i saw your awesome corvette on the highway, and i track you down and show up at your house, then i notice all the other nice cars you might have you know what i would think? WHAT'S IN THE HOUSE?
If you're arguing the numbers are so small there is no need to worry is a very weak approach. And if you said you were in LE, that's actually surprising to hear. Isn't the whole avoid confrontation part of the duty? Don't escalate scenarios? etc etc
If i go about my day not having a care in the world, being totally oblivious, you're asking for trouble. Because bad people prey on the weak. Where i'm from, you slip up once, that's when they get you.
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sshallen (05-21-2024)
05-21-2024, 05:39 PM
#60
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
A completely absurd comparison. We are taking about a license plate that everyone on the road see yet somehow if anyone see it on line OMG!
Last edited by Maxie2U; 05-21-2024 at 06:46 PM.