Where do you usually leave your car keys when you come into the house?
If it’s on a table near a door, you might want to rethink your routine.
An Garda Siochana have issued a warning on their Twitter page after a car was stolen when thieves pulled the keys out through a letter box.
Gardaí included a picture of the car, which has since been recovered, and said that people should think twice about leaving their keys in open view on kitchen tables, hall tables, window sills, counter tops, or wall hooks.
They added that this would be particularly dangerous if any of these places were near a front door.
Op Waste recover stolen car. Keys were phished through the letterbox. pic.twitter.com/q7oa8VEdwA
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) July 28, 2017
Dont leave keys in open view on kitchen/hall tables, window sills, counter tops or on wall hooks etc particularly within reach of frontdoor
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) July 28, 2017
It has been widely reported in recent years that car thieves are becoming far more crafty with their techniques.
The Irish Times reported in 2015 that criminal gangs were using electronic devices to take over the computer systems protecting high-end vehicles.
Although the letter box method is not as high-tech, it’s still making car thefts easier for criminals.
We’ll think twice before throwing our car keys down on a hallway table as soon as we come home now.