Security Tip for Nuvi Owners

I did just that, I went to a differnt location to set my password so that I was not my my home .. If I left the unit in my car at home and add it set to unlock there , what good is that?!?

I did this at a place that I do go to but dont need my Unit to get to. no fafortes or anything to go to.

someone could just use your favortes and go to location to location within your home. Then they could unlock it .

I guess I'm paranoid... I’m very careful about someone getting there hands on my Nuvi and using it find my home. I have my home set around the corner from where I live. I figure that I just need it to get me relatively close to home and if I can't find it from there I have no business owning a car or I’m to intoxicated to drive. I also have my security set other than my home or favorites. In addition I use my business address for everything that comes to me via mail.

Good point about the security issue, but that defeats, and makes useless, the feature that allows me to not have to enter the PIN when I fire up the GPS in the morning.

I've heard, anyone can look in the window and retrieve the VIN, go to a dealer, tell them they lost the key and the dealer will make another. I've covered my VIN with a piece of tape to prevent this. I don't know if what I heard is true, but I don't like advertising any number that's connected to my name.
bfk

Yes, it is true. Last winter my Son went the local Chevy dealer and got a key to my '96 model GMC so he could use it while I was in Texas, all using only the VIN number.

RT

as easy as it may sound, i know there's got to be some type of verification before they just hand out a key. i've never done it but i would think so.

I would hope they would not just give a key to any Tom, Dick or Harry who showed up with a VIN wanting a key - I would think they would at least check & verify the identity of the person wanting a key with the vehicle's owner.

You never know what a good BS artist can get some 20 year old working in a dealership to do... Probably just as easy to cover your VIN with a piece of tape.
bfk

I just never leave my GPS in my vehicle. It's so small, I put it in my pocket wherever I go. Problem solved.

Leaving the mount on the window is a good indicator for would-be-thieves of possibilities of a GPS unit in the car. Thieves also look out for the small stick-on disk that the units come with. Good enough to get you glass broken!

I'm not disputing what you're saying and I've read the comments about this in other discussions here at poi-factory, but has anyone actually produced documented instances of this happening?

I've seen enough vehicles in restaurant parking lots with actual GPSs stuck to their windshields and an empty suction cup, or worse, the outline of one on the windshield as others have stated would be a long shot for a thief unless he/she doesn't care if someone catches him/her popping a window and rummaging through the glove compartment on the off chance there's a GPS in there. Either that, or absolutely everyone with a GPS (everyone but me, that is) leaves them in the glove compartment rather than their pocket when they leave the car.

Sorry for the doubting tone, but in science and engineering we constantly hear arguments that SOUND logical, but after all the shouting, end up being totally unfounded. I'd like to hear about actual break-ins where the thief was looking for a "possible" GPS (For example, unless the thief was caught and admitted it, how would anyone know that a break-in was initiated by the suction cup on the window and not the christmas packages in the back seat or the fact that the car was a rare Ferrari Berlinetta? A bit over the top I know, but you get my point)

bfk

I have to edit this and add that other than retiredtechnitian's post, I've never seen proof of anyone having their car broken into or stolen with a dealer's key either. If it did happen, I'd imagine the dealer would be liable for any damage. Still, better safe than sorry, eh? bfk

If they get ahold of your GPS unit, they'll have access to whatever addresses you have stored anyways. Best thing to do is to use the security features on the unit. As somebody probably stated before me, the Nuvi has a security feature where you have to be in a certain coordinate to unlock it and if you're not in that locale, then you have to enter the PIN. It won't even connect to the PC without the PIN... I've tried.

As for those of you who leave your registration papers in the car... that's a personal preference issue.

Unless I'm missing something, how would a potential thief know if the GPS in your car is locked or not? I don't imagine a thief would take the time to turn it on to see if it's locked with a security feature, and if it is, leave it behind.

Either way, your GPS would be gone. Even if the thief discovers every B&B, museum, restaurant and business we've been to, who cares? I don't keep friend's addresses on my units because I already know where they live.

Even if I had friend's places listed, will that lead some thief to think "Gee, here's Harry VonSwartz's place... Must be an easy hit." Or would it be more likely a thief would want to eliminate any information off the unit that could possibly lead to him/her after he/she fences it?

I do have "Home" listed on my favorites page, and maybe I could understand a thief wanting to harass me because he likes my truck and thinks maybe he'd like other things I own, but I don't have my actual home listed. Not because of possible theft, but because after a long trip, I only need to know how to get within a dozen miles of my actual house. I hate the GPS telling me how to drive all the way home, like I'm too incompetent to know where I live... That's my wife's job.

bfk

Anyone who breaks into my vehicle can easily get my address from the registration that's required to be in the car. They don't need my nuvi, which would be locked anyway, unless it is in my driveway.

Covering the address on the registration is tampering, and voids the document.

As for covering up the VIN, I'm pretty sure that is illegal also.

If you're in a high crime area, hide the GPS. If not, enjoy life and stop worrying. That is what insurance is for.

Since I don't know where you live, laws for you may be different, but here in SC, and I believe, the rest of the U.S., covering up your VIN number is not illegal. If covering it up makes you nervous, just leave a piece of paper lying on your dash over the number. They can't arrest you for that.

I don't actually use tape to cover the VIN on our cars, I fashioned a bit of velcro (because it was black and stiff) allowing me (read me, not the police) to be able to remove it easily in case I need to get to it for whatever reason (like getting a key made).

I'd be interested in hearing if retiredtechnitian's son was able to have a key made without showing copious amounts of personal identification, or if, as kch50428 suggested, the dealership knows you.

bfk

Except nowadays, whenever you make an insurance claim, the insurance company drops you:)
bfk

The Chevy dealer employee knew my Son, but didn't know me ... and I was 800 miles away. My Son showed show no ID. I have no idea what the dealer did, could have ran a check on the VIN. If he didn't, he had no idea if the VIN belonged to me, my Son, or some car in a parking lot!

I was just showing that bfk was correct in stating that a VIN will get you a key. I also agree with bfk that a good BS artist can talk his way into getting almost anything (like a bank password from an unsuspecting employee). If it was this easy to get a key under consensual circumstances, imagine what a crooked BS artist could do with a little cash and a VIN?

RT

Good thinking, however a nuvi, stolen from someone is perfectly good for the thief if he/she resets the unit (do master reset)! This way everything put by the owner inside is lost, but it is a brand new unit for the thief to use. So what is the point of having protections if you have the master reset option?

Oops... I checked with an attorney friend of mine who was connected to the auto industry and owe gdfaini an apology. My friend told me that it IS a federal rule that the VIN number needs to be in view. He also told me it's one of those laws that are never enforced and provided instances to prove it.

I was wrong about the legality of it, but stand firm (especially in light of retiredtechnitian's latest post) in my right to hide it. It certainly would make an interesting case if an agressive prosecutor decided to enforce it. I'm no lawyer, but I'd think the flood of lawsuits claiming the government was endangering the welfare of the citizenry would quelsh any argument to the contrary rather quickly.

bfk

At least on the c530, the master reset does not remove the password.

Thief 1: Breaks your window, grabs whatever is in arms reach and moves on. Your Nuvi and radar detector are sold before you get back to your car.
This guy doesn't care about your favorites or your home. He knows car electronics sell cheap and very fast! He tosses it if he finds out it's locked.

Thief 2: This guy wants more. Car/Home are not off limits. This is the guy you CAN'T STOP. If he wants your car he'll get it. Most of the time just calling "a friend" with your plate number gives him all the information he needs.
Make, model, VIN, registered owners name, registered owners address, and all your bank account numbers (alright, I made that one up!).
He applies for a duplicate registration, he applies for credit cards, (both forms of required I.D.) he has a key made and your car is gone! Thats if the key doesn't need to be programmed to the veh.
If it does, and he wants it bad enough, he'll just car jack it.

Point being is that we can't cover ALL of our identity tracks and I'm sure most of you know when and where it's MOST LIKELY to happen.
I never take the mount down. It's just to much work if your constantly in and out of your car all day long.
If it's gonna happen...... it's gonna happen.

So if you can't take it with you then put it in the trunk. (inside trunk opener locked)
If you don't have a trunk, put it in the pocket behind your seat. It's a tough reach around from the broken window.

And everyone should remove their license plates:)

p.s. I do NOT steal cars or Nuvi's for a living,...it's just a hobby!

It is amazing that we have to think of counter-measures to prevent illicit behavior. I think the security feature on the nuvis is a great idea. The small time contraint to tap in the security digits is well worth the peace of mind.

I use the security feature on the nuvi (and have the anti theft garmin stickers on my windows - would like to order more of them).

Does this help? No, probably not, a thief would just take everything they could get their hands on, run home or to an alley, etc. and see what they have. If it comes up locked the would most likely throw it away, along with the cd's/dvd's they didn't like and the cell phone that gets canceled an hour or so later.

I would expect the window sticker to be a bigger deterant. Hmmmm... but that would probably only be a deterant to someone focusing their thievery on GPS units.

From everything I've read & heard, thieves scurrying round prefer "easy" targets. Warning labels present the thief with a choice and a gamble... "Is the label real or only a ploy?" I would think if there's a warning label on your car, a thief may be more likely to pass it up and look for something less risky. As the price of GPS units drop, they should also become less desireable and less likely to be stolen. Also, your new unit will be outdated in about 18 months, so unless you replace it with a new one, having your car broken into won't be as likely as the guy next to you with the new Garmin i-Nuvi 19900SVX (I want one of those:). I like warning lables because they don't interfere too much with my freedom.

There's an unchalengeable rule... Everytime we add a level of security, or perceived security, we take away a bit of our own freedom. It all comes down to how much we're willing to give up to feel secure and I'm certainly willing to give up a square inch of window space:)
bfk

I think I am going to put a sticker on my window that says...."My Nuvi maps are only CN NT V8. That oughtta do it.....they will leave me alone .
I kind of agree with what another poster said. I don't know if the suction cup in the window is enough to have them bust your window "hoping" that it is just in the glovebox. I haven't seen anyone on any of these boards say that their vehicle was broken into because they left the mount on the window.
So where did this idea come from? We have all heard it in the media somewhere. The more I think about all the media stories that I hear the more I question them and their motives. The media LOVES to take anything that is extremely popular (i.e. GPS ownership) and twist it somehow.......anyway to turn it into panic. And because of the widespread popularity of GPS's now days there will be widespread panic (read.....more listeners, viewers and readers).
Any news station just has to say "And tonight....you know the suction cups that hold your GPS on the windshield??!.....your car might be just the thing a thief is looking for......more after this".......... You can bet your bippy that EVERYONE on this board would sit through 2 hours of commercials to see what they have to say about that. Just think how many viewers they just hooked by saying that.
I really question the ethics of our media today........it's almost as if creating panic is fun for them. Create it out of any household item used daily......pets......kids......your car......your health....your family's safety........anything.........just create it!

My friend had both his cars broken into because he had the stickers "warning" the thieves that the GPS was locked. The stickers were left on by the previous owners from whom my friend bought the car. The breakins happened in two different places too...

snopes.com debunked that scam a while back. its easy enough to place a piece of tape over the VIN in any case.

If your vehicle has a state 'registration' sticker prominently displayed in the windshield then covering your VIN with tape is useless.

The sticker usually has the VIN printed on it - that's the case in the state of NY.

ML

Several issues come into my head as I read the comments. I live in Staten Island, and do not have off street parking at my house. Over the years I have had several cars broken into and I have learned some things.
First the best way to protect your stuff is not to leave it in the car if you can avoid it. The nuvi is small enough to just slip into your pocket ( one of the reasons I bought it)
That doesn't mean that your car won't be vandalized, some jerks just like to do damage. But it means that you wont give them the satisfaction of getting anything of value that can be sold.
Another option is to put a car vault into your vehicle. I just purchased one. It slips into the center console and screws in with some long screws.
It is made of very heavy steel with a pick proof lock. Now anything that I have to leave in the truck (papers,nuvi etc) are safe from the theives, but I still remove the nuvi each night even with the vault.

Another thing about having keys made for a car, it may depend on where you live as to how easy it is to get a key. Keep in mind that many cars today have chips in the key which prevents a phoney key from working. I wanted to get a duplicate key made for my truck, so I went on ebay and purchased the chip key blank. Then went to the local locksmith to get the key cut. He wanted to see the registration and picture Id.

With this, the only thing left is 2 strip of plastic on your dashboard. Easier to use and thief proof.

http://i19.tinypic.com/6cs0jtc.jpg
http://i8.tinypic.com/53im3cw.jpg

When I am out of the car so is my GPS so what does it manner.

in South Carolina... Of course, the state deep sixed the required yearly inspection years ago, which was the only sticker the state required on the window.

Like that old Carly Simon song, I'm sure this is the way it's "supposed" to work and it sure would be comforting if things worked the way they were supposed to, but as with too many thngs today, it's way too easy to get around the way things are supposed to work. Personally, I don't blindly trust anything that has the capability of doing me harm... Especially if I'm told it won't harm me as long as it works the way it's supposed to. Kind of like that old cartoon where the robot says "Nothing can go wrong.. go wrong... go wrong..."

I like the vault idea.

I'm hesitant to post to an already long-winded topic, but here goes...

A couple of friends of mine have had replacement keys cut by their car dealers. In both cases, the dealer required them to bring in their car titles to verify ownership. (Not just the registration...they're separate documents in MI.)

This seems like it should be common practice. The dealer can't be making much money off a couple of key blanks...not enough to warrant being an accomplice to grand theft!

Thanks for your security tips.