Get All Access for $5/mo

Tech-Savvy Thieves Are Using Bluetooth to Steal Pricey Devices from Cars in New Burglary Trend Thieves employ Bluetooth scanners to gauge signal strength and identify target vehicles with high-value electronics.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Key Takeaways

  • Car thieves are using Bluetooth technology to detect devices in vehicles.
  • Police advise disabling Bluetooth and turning off devices to deter theft, noting that sleep mode can still emit detectable signals, making devices vulnerable.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In the Bay Area, a prevailing concern about car burglaries is rising as criminals are capitalizing on Bluetooth technology to locate electronics in vehicles, essentially determining whether it's worth breaking in, CBS reported.

In the first week of August alone, there were a staggering 240 reported burglaries throughout the Bay Area, a staggering 42% increase from the previous year, per CBS. The trend has caught on around the state and has prompted police officials in California to issue a collective public warning.

The tech-savvy thieves use Bluetooth scanners and locator apps—which are normally used to find lost gadgets like AirPods—to detect variations in signal strength. By approaching a vehicle, they can discern the signal strengths of Bluetooth devices, enabling them to find the approximate location of the device within the car.

Related: San Francisco Launches $6 Million Ad-Campaign to Lure Tourists Amid Retail Exodus and Drug Crisis

Sgt. Tim Lendman of the Bay Area's Livermore Police Department highlighted to CBS the criminals' ability to differentiate between various vehicles and select the one with the most appealing electronic devices.

"A thief would take a Bluetooth scanner, much like this, and walk up towards a vehicle," he told the outlet. "And we can see changing signal strength on Bluetooth devices. And by walking around a vehicle, I can often target where that device might be located and its approximate signal strength, to know I'm going to steal from this vehicle, not another vehicle."

The police advisory is straightforward: to prevent potential theft, individuals should either turn off Bluetooth functionality or power off their electronic devices entirely, as even when laptops are in sleep mode they continue to emit detectable signals.

"As these products age, the technology to breach them exceeds the technology that protects them and they become vulnerable," Rob Enderle, a technology analyst and consultant, told The San Francisco Chronicle.

The trend has popped up elsewhere, too. In late 2022, Houston police noticed Bluetooth being used to break into vehicles during the hectic holiday season, prompting signs to be put up in the Galleria shopping center warning shoppers not to leave any electronics in their cars or turn them off completely, KHou reported.

Related: 'Never Going Back to the Way It Was': Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Has a Grim Outlook on a Once Bustling Downtown

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Thought Leaders

6 Tips From a Clean Beauty Entrepreneur

Sarah Biggers went from a newbie in the natural beauty space to a pro in just a few years. Here are six things she wishes she'd known at the beginning.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Franchise 500 Annual Ranking

50 Franchise CMOs Who Are Changing the Game

Get to know the industry's most influential marketing power players.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.