Foreign man caught using app to attempt car theft in Phuket
CCTV captures foreigner unlocking car with mobile app but failing to steal vehicle
A foreign man attempted to steal a Thai woman’s car in Phuket on August 24. He appeared to have unlocked the vehicle via his mobile phone, as captured by CCTV.
The car owner shared details of the attempted theft with the Phuket Times Facebook page to warn other motorists. She explained that she parked her vehicle on the roadside near Limelight Avenue, Phuket, on Dibuk Road in Mueang district.
The woman said she was certain she had locked the car before leaving, but upon her return, she noticed that one of the doors was not properly shut.
Feeling suspicious, she asked a local for CCTV footage from the area and was shocked to discover the attempted theft.
The video showed a foreign man in a blue T-shirt walking near her white sedan. After ensuring no one was around, he used his mobile phone to unlock the car door and sat in the driver’s seat.
The victim reported that the suspect was unable to drive her car away. However, she did not confirm whether any valuables had been taken from the vehicle, nor did she disclose details about any legal complaint filed against him.
The local news outlet suggested that the suspect may have used a specialised scam application to unlock the vehicle, warning that such methods posed a serious risk to car owners across the province.
In the comments section, one netizen claimed she had almost fallen victim to a similar crime while parking at a supermarket in Phuket. She explained that when she tried to lock her car with a remote control, it failed to work.
She suspected that a criminal gang had used an electronic signal jammer to interfere with the locking system. After several attempts, she eventually managed to lock her car, with no suspicious activity detected at the time.
A similar incident was reported last year at a motorway rest stop in Chachoengsao province. Police arrested two Chinese nationals for using a signal jammer to prevent motorists from locking their cars, allowing them to steal valuables. The suspects were particularly targeting victims’ credit cards.
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