Cape Town – Messages warning of car-jamming have been flooding our inboxes and phones, and most of us assumed it was a hoax. But the nightmare is a reality.

What happens is that criminals who spot a driver walking away from their parked car quickly interfere with the remote’s automatic locking button, using a household remote to block the vehicle remote sensor from reaching and locking the car.

Through causing interruptions in the signal by the criminal’s household remote, the driver’s car is prevented from being locked, unknown to the driver.

The head of claims and claims support at Momentum Short-Term Insurance, Vickey Swanevelder, said: “The only way to protect yourselves from car jamming is to make sure that you personally check and double-check your vehicle, to make sure it is properly locked and to remove valuables from it”.

When it comes to claims, car-jamming theft can be quite controversial. Momentum Short-term Insurance, however, works to treat all clients fairly.

Swanevelder offered some tips:

• Remove valuables from your vehicle or keep them out of sight.
• Park in a busy area with security nearby.
• Have a working alarm.
• Don’t keep your vehicle registration papers in it.
• Remove all house keys and access cards.

“Car jamming is a scary truth and it can happen to anyone. Be vigilant and make sure you are aware of your surroundings and your vehicle,” said Swanevelder.

Article credit: http://bit.ly/1Fg9xsw