She drives to the local supermarket to stock up on groceries.

She spots an open parking bay not too far from the entrance, pulls in, unclips her seatbelt, grabs her handbag and climbs out of the car.

She shops quickly, and is paid up and out the store in minutes.

Then reality strikes – her car is somehow unlocked, and criminals have looted items of value hidden inside the vehicle.

‘She’ could be you, your friend, your family, your child.

Although not a new method of crime, remote jamming is considered one of the easiest for criminals to perpetrate, experts said.

Earlier this month, a resident reported an averted incident in the CBD.

“My van hooter works when locking and unlocking. After I pressed my remote to lock the van the fifth time, it locked. I then got a security guard to stay near the vehicle.”

Incidents of remote jamming were not reported to the police this year. Cluster Spokesman, Shooz Magudulela confirmed major shopping outlets and centres were ground zero for this kind of crime.

He said the targets in many cases were women.

“Ensure that all valuables are locked away in your car and are never clearly visible. Ensure the door is locked before moving away from your vehicle.”

According to insurancegateway.co.za, most insurance claims in the instance of remote jamming would be rejected, owing to a lack of physical evidence of forced entry.

This is dependent on the policy, of course.

Residents should employ constant vigilance to safeguard themselves and possessions – crime is constantly evolving, although sometimes the simplest methods work best.

Article credit: http://newcastleadvertiser.co.za/79478/mixed-signals-from-remote-jamming/