:usaflag:Warning!!Car Thieves Can Easily Get In Your Car If This Is True!!

[Cupajo]

This floated in on the E-Mail River and if it is true I felt I must share with my hunter friends!! (Not my story!!)

Wednesday, I approached my truck from the passenger side to place
my computer bag (aka my man purse) in the front passenger seat.

As I reached to open the door I noticed there was a hole right
under my door handle.

My first thought was, "someone has shot my truck !"

I began to think about it and inspect it a little closer and
the "light" slowly began to come on.

I phoned my friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had any
vehicles with damage to the doors that looked like a bullet hole.

"Yes, I see it all the time. Thieves have a punch and place it
right under the door handle, knock a hole through, reach in and
unlock it, just as if they have a key. No alarms, broken glass,
or anything."

I then placed a call to my insurance agent and explained it to
him. I was puzzled that they left my GPS and all other belongings.

Here is where it gets scary !

"Oh no, he said, they want the break-in to be so subtle that you
don't even realize it. They look at your GPS to see where "home"
is. Or check your address from Insurance and Registration in your glove box. Now, they know what you drive, go to your home, and if your
vehicle isn't there they assume you aren't and break into your home."

He said they will even leave a purse or wallet and only take one
or two credit cards. By the time you realize there has been a
theft, they may have already had a couple of days or more to
use them.

(I didn't realize my situation for two full days!)

They even give you the courtesy of re-locking your doors for you.

Periodically, walk around your car, especially after you park
in a shopping center or other large parking area.

Report thefts immediately....your bank w/missing check numbers,
your credit card agencies, police, and insurance companies, etc.

Below is picture of what the hole looks like.

[attachment 254405 securedownload.jpg]

One would have to look pretty darn close to notice a hole like that. If the hole was on the passenger side I would never see.

!!

 

[Cupajo]

"Snoping" this story reveals that it has been around for some time and that it has elements of truth, but isn't entirely plausible.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/handle.asp

Thieves have used this method and watchful awareness is a good idea since most of us carry our valuable equipment around in our cars.


CJ

 

[mudpuppy]

Thanks...never heard of this before, makes complete sense...I never walk around the passenger side of my truck...once the wife took it and lost control on the ice, went off through the ditch, wiped out a barb wire fence, tore out the entire passenger side from stem to stern, and it was nearly a year before I noticed it!
I guess a guy should leave some dummy expired credit cards, and fake address info in there just in case? Whats a feller to do?
Mud

 

[Cupajo]

Mud, a Hunter Friend Craig PI had his truck broken into this way and he has not been able to use the door handle since!

 

[PowerDetecting]

I know people who used to boost cars yes this is real.

 

[KinTN]

If you are required by your state to have your registration in the vehicle and dont want to carry it in your wallet/purse, then cut out the address so they cant find where you live from the registration. The cops understand if you have to show them the registration later.

 

[Finderskeeper]

Just remember this......SNOPES is for DOPES. Don't rely on them for factual information. Just my opinion but it should be everyone's

 

[Cupajo]

-- moved topic --

 

[fongu]

Shame on dirty, low-down thieves who take advantage of honest people. About 20 years ago a woman was taking her pet to the vet and stopped at a 7-11 store for some cigarettes and left the car running. When she came out of the store a few minutes later, her brand new Mercedes was gone along with her beloved pet. The people at the store called the police for her and the officer said there's not much chance of finding your car, but we will keep an eye out for it. A call came in a few minutes later about an abandoned Mercedes setting in the middle of the road with the motor running and all four doors wide open. When the officer came to pick her up she asked him if he had seen her pet and sadly, he had not. When they reached the car the officer stratched his head and just could not figure out why the thieves had abandoned this luxury vehicle. Until she reached under the seat and removed her pet python. Justice......?

 

[SE-5]

Just remember this......SNOPES is for DOPES. Don't rely on them for factual information. Just my opinion but it should be everyone's

 

[Critterhunter]

Several years ago a guy related to me a story...Don't know if it's true or just a common urban legend that gets re-told often. But here it is...He said his friend had his brand new gas grill stolen off his patio in his backyard, and then about a week later he came home and was surprised to see the grill back! He opened it up and found a note that said something like "Sorry I stole your grill. My conscience got the best of me, so I've returned it along with two tickets to a major league baseball game in the city the home owner lived in.

So the guy and his wife go to that game, and when they returned home later they found their house had been cleaned out.

True? I ain't googled to see if it's a common myth, or perhaps even a common tactic that really is used, but one thing for sure...Snopes have very different motivations than always telling the "facts" on certain issues. Here's a hint- just because a website says they are a fact checker, is a handy way to push agendas without people suspecting your blowing smoke up their dress...

 

[nge]

First off, I NEVER trust a story that has a "Snopes" link attached to it! If you want a better place to check it out for yourself, go to http://www.truthorfiction.com Secondly I did auto body and frame repair for 46 years. When I was doing theft repairs on Chryslers, Jeeps, Dodges this is the method thieves used to get into your vehicle to steal radios and amps. But they would punch the hole below the lock cylinder and manipulate the lock rod to unlock the door and the "punched" hole would be even smaller. On Grand Cherokee's, they would put a piece of broom handle against the lock and give it a quick push or hit with a rubber mallet and push the whole cylinder into the door, then reach in a grab the cylinder and give it a twist and voila the door would be unlocked also, because the alarm thinks the door was opened with a key, it will not go off. On Ford cars and trucks that have flush mounted door handles, like on the older Mustangs 1984 to 1986's. A long thin bladed screwdriver inserted through the handle where one of the hinge pivots is (there is enough room there to slip you screwdriver into), the side closest to the "up & down" style door lock button, the lock knob is screwed down onto the rod, and it doesn't screw down as far as there are threads on the rod, so that when you fish around in there with your screwdriver, you can snag that threaded rod and push it up and unlock the door. I am not a thief, but I do own a set of lock out tools as part of my former job. I retired in 2007 and occaisionally get a call from friends or relatives who have locked themselves out of their vehicles.........nge