New Tool Giving Local Thieves Easy Access To Cars, Homes

An alarming new tool is being used to break into houses and cars, and police believe it might be in the hands of local thieves.

We told you last week that one of our storm trackers had TV equipment stolen out of his truck; now, detectives are saying the hacking device could have been used in the burglary.

When you lock your car, you expect it to be locked, right?

Well, Broken Arrow police are warning of a new, relatively cheap, device that can make a car remote useless.

It’s safe to say that at any given shopping center, the majority of cars are locked with a remote key; but police say you shouldn’t walk away from your car so soon.

A $30 device, called RollJam, can bypass rolling codes - the codes exchanged between a car and remote key every time you lock and unlock.

"All they had to do was walk up to your car, push the button, and it copies the code, unlocks your car and, you know, whatever is in there is theirs,” storm tracker Von Castor said.

12/30/2015 Related Story: Burglar Steals Equipment From News On 6 Storm Truck

Castor knows because Broken Arrow police believe it happened to him.

Detectives investigating the theft of tens-of-thousands-of-dollars of TV equipment from his truck think the thieves used the device for quick, easy access.

Castor said, "They're holding their key to lock their car, and they just copy the code."

The device doesn't only work with cars, but also garage doors, possibly allowing a thief into your home.

Castor said it’s both amazing and infuriating.

The good news is there's an easy fix for your car.

Simply lock your car using the locks inside the car, which do not send the same code as a remote key. Or, use an actual key to lock your doors from the outside.