stolen gps

"Thefts of GPS units from cars have increased fivefold this month over last January's reports, police said at a news conference in Mineola yesterday. There were 211 reports last month compared to 44 reports in January of last year."

You can read more here ---> http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thurs...

I'm curious what is the statistics for Canada and in particular Montreal... Does anyone know? Any Canadians?

I have a trip coming, so it is good to know if there is a chance to lose it there.

Looks like most people had left the stand on the windshild or dash board, this made for a perfect target.

The thieves also rummaged glove boxes, so best to take your GPS and stand inside. Not a bad idea to keep a box of wipes or tissues to clean off the suction cup mark.

http://blog.brooklinepolice.com/2008_02_01_archive.html

Hi Cheryl,

That should be "required reading" for "all" GPSr owners.

Regards,

Tailspin

Nüvi 670
Mac User

how does one go about setting a password on a garmin c530?

thanks

If you look at page 6 of the user manual, this procedure is detailed.

Go to Settings/Wrench > System > Garmin Lock > Ok > Enter a 4 digit PIN > Yes > Ok > drive to a security location > Set

THANKS MAMA

I read most of the comments with stolen gps and its a very bad thing if it happens to you and its something i know we all don't want to go through but my point is this, a gps is a small device, pocket size at most,and not very heavy,wouldn't it make sense just to TAKE IT OUT AND WALK WITH IT? I have a nuvi250 and i bought a navigon case that i can put it inside.I can understand about leaving the mount in the car somewhere hidden and maybe the power adapter, but i always walk with my gps everywhere i go.If those get stolen i can always replace them, they're not that expensive but the unit itself is expensive to replace.Just put it in your pocket or a small bag or case.To me that makes better sense.Prevention is better than cure.

Have you seen the price of the GTM 20?

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=403

The unit is almost cheaper than the power supply / FM receiver.

I'd love to take mine with me, but my Garmin StreetPilot C340 looks like the older computer monitors; awkwardly wide and deep and heavy.
I bought my daughters each a nuvi650 and they do take theirs with them.
I take mine in the house at night, and in a secret compartment in my Volvo wagon. I'm not tellin' where

Yes, i know those C340's are kinda bulky and not slim like the newer models out now.Yea, better not say where you hide your gps,wouldn't want you to lose it.LOL

For all of you that actually think you can only get updates (both firmware & maps)from garmin, probably have a computer full of virus's and wonder why it runs so slow slow.

Believe me all security and any programs can be and are broke (hacked)as soon as they released.

So don't live with your head in the sand and think a thief can't update your gamin or any other GPS as a matter of fact.

If you can't put your GPS in your shirt pocket because you got a bulky hefty unit, then put it in your trunk.

I've been thinking recently about installing a small steel "lock box" either under the seat or dash with tamper proof bolts and as secure a lock as I can find. Along with my gps it could "secure" a cell phone, pda, extra keys, checkbook etc. when away from the vehicle. Using the trunk is a good idea but I would be concerned that someone may be watching while I store my valuables. I take my unit into the house when home but when out and about it is sometimes undesireable to carry it, especially in the summer months with limited pockets as mentioned in a prior post. The box may not prevent a theft but should slow the low-life down enough to where maybe, just maybe, I'd have time to rush back into wally world and purchase a baseball bat. Ok, I'm kidding about the bat but the lock box sounds (in my mind) to be a viable option.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geynA-JYDHE

Hey Toprudder. Very very funny, thanks for the link and the laugh. I will have to share that video with my friends.

I tried this. Someone broke my window, swiped the hula doll and left my GPS in the console.

Seriously, a four-digit PIN is very weak security for something a thief has unlimited time to work on. As mentioned in another post, there's only 10,000 possible combinations and unless you're the unluckiest thief in the world, it's not likely that it'll take you 10,000 tries to crack. All it takes is some persistence. Heck, I could offer my son ten bucks to crack it while he watches TV. Maybe Garmin could consider a 5-digit PIN (100,000 possibilities) or better yet, a 4-character alphabetical PIN (nearly half a million possible codes). It's unlikely a thief would stumble upon your code by luck in that case. I'm no programmer, but I assume it wouldn't be that difficult a patch.

You'll never stop all theft. Some people will steal your stuff just because you have it. However, for the profit-motivated low-lifes out there, if word gets around that it's a waste of time to steal a locked Garmin, GPS theft might slow down a little. Or not.

I hate thieves.

How do I activate it?

I don't believe that the c3xx series have the "security" feature.

The best you can do with the c3-- series (that I'm aware of) is use x-image to change the start up screen to a personalized one with your choice of contact info. ex: "THIS GPS STOLEN FROM: JIM JACKSON, PLEASE EMAIL; BLAH BLAH" Anyway you get the idea. The info. to do this is on this website- as the c3-- series isn't recognized as a mass storage device by computers, the theif or buyer would have to know about using x-image to change seeing your info. every time it was turned on. That's what I did with my wives. I figure it's better than nothing and should at leaste make it harder to sell for a theif. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on any of the how to of this. And thank you to whomever posted the original post on how to do this to the c3-- series, I appreciate it.

Thanks for the information.

Most thieves know about that trick... in fact, just like the window sticker, it's a signal that there's something worth stealing. IMHO.

LOL... you know, one day I'll notice that I'm reading on page 1 of 3 before I respond. Sorry!

my 760 is now MIA. I ordered another from Amazon. I called Garmin but they did not ask anything about my stolen unit...they are helping me with free maps for my new unit (that I am supposed to get).

I got this in an E-mail. Makes sense:

A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and
specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.
When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then
used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so
they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents..

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know
where you live if your GPS were stolen.

i prefer the local OPP station or Timmie's whichever they(police) frequent the most.

I was parked next to a car at a hotel in NW Atlanta. This car had a gps in the windows - on, all night, and didn't get taken. Pretty amazing.

In Atlanta that is INDEED AMAZING!

"When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then
used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so
they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its "

they don't even need to do that, most people keep their registration in the card and usually it has the home address, the gps just makes it easier.

I carry registration and proof of insurance as required by law. I have been planning to write to my state representatives and have them mandate that the plain text name and address be removed for such documents. In New York, they already carry a PDF417 3D barcode in addition to the plain text so any law enforcement officer with a barcode scanner could read it. That is how many parking tickets are issued now. They scan the barcode that is on the registration sticker located on your windshield and they have the name and address information correctly entered on the ticket.

When my Zumo 550 was stolen Garmin posted a note in the account with the serial number and said they would gather information if and when they called in.

In the mean time, simply magic marker your address on the registration and insurance cards. Easy. What? Is a police officer going to throw you in jail if he stops you for some reason and finds your address blacked out (redacted) [sorry, had to use that word. They use it on CNN and FNN all the time so I thought I better throw it in!]. Uh, no, he won't. He might ask you why it is redacted (uh, blacked out) but he will understand once you explain.

Are you a lawyer to give people such advice? Can you assure 100% (by quoting appropriate laws) that you can just choose what you will show in official documents to police and demand from them understanding? What about DL, can I "edit" what it says too (for "security" reason) and expect understanding from police? And will you take full responsibility with all penalties on yourself if police will not be "understanding"?

If you don't want to leave documents in car then just carry them on you all the time in your wallet.

I was parked next to another car at a hotel in NW Atlanta area, this time Marietta. This Nissan Sentra had a gps in the window - on at night.

I got mine stolen too. sad...

There was one thing I noticed about my nuvi 750 with the Garmin security lock enabled. I had set my destination to HOME but decided to make a stop before I got there. I powered off the GPS and removed it from the vent mount. When I returned, I replaced it back in the mount. When it powered on it asked for the PIN code to unlock. I didn't bother entering it because I was close to home already and did not need it. But because I had NOT cancelled the previous route, the nuvi kept giving me voice prompts to my house while displaying the screen for the pin code.

When I got home, the nuvi automatically unlocked. Now I know to make sure that I cancel a route when I turn it off because a thief could have easily followed the voice prompts to find my house even with the device locked.

One way to avoid it. It was discuss in another thread. Set your GPS unlock GPS function far from away your home. So even if you leave in the house or in the car. The GPS become useless for thief.

The GPS turns off when unplugged after 30 seconds. Unless the car was stolen along with the GPS they wouldn't need the GPS to give them directions, they have an address from the papers in the car.

I always remove my GPS and carry it with me when out of the car. I even remove the windshield mount and put it out of sight. I tuck my connector under the door seal where it's not seen, and wipe off any mark left on the windshield by mount. If a thief sees a mount on the windshield or dash they think there just might find a GPS in the cars glove box, console, etc. Sometime if traveling and stopping to eat or shop in a mall, etc., I will remove the GPS and mount just before driving in to park. Thiefs are lurking around and looking for anything to steal, a GPS is a easy target. That's also a good idea Box Car about setting your unlock function far from you house.

My Garmin Nuvi 760 was stolen from my vehicle, parked in my driveway, by a neighbor (yet to be proven, but it's coming) last Friday. Made the police report. Reported to insurance. Was informed I could call Garmin and have the gps "locked" so the thief wouldnt be able to use it. Nope. Called Garmin up, told them long-story-short, "I HAD a garmin nuvi, it was stolen", could they lock the device? Was told by Garmin rep that the only thing they could do was post a note in their system that device was stolen so if thieves try to update on computer or call Garmin over phone with serial number of "MY" gps, it would immediately flash on computer that device is stolen and that they would then tell the thief that he's a thief and proceed to hang up. In that sense, the gps is locked. It can't be updated. But get real. Like that really matters to a thief? What are the chances that roads are changed around so often that it needs to be updated every week or so? Useless. *Sigh* oh, well. Lesson learned. Security light goes off in driveway at 1:00AM again - get up and go meet it with the shotgun.

Sorry yours got stolen.

And yes, there's no way for Garmin to remotely lock the GPS unit.

Unfortunately they need to understand that the sound of a 12 gauge pump being racked, is the sound of the Grim Reaper tapping you on the shoulder. Sorry about your loss.

the owner neglected to lock the unit? It's not like the information, re: security codes etc is top secret or anything. I have 6 Nuvi's ALL with security codes. Sure it's a pain where you sit, but 'tis quite a bit cheaper in the long run!

I really appreciated seeing the ideat of setting the home location a little away from the actual home address. Wish I had thought of that before. Thanks for the idea.

Please explain how you think using a "security code" on the GPS would prevent it being stolen. In this case, where the owner seems to think he knows who took it, it might be recovered if unlocked, might even be found in the crook's car as proof (although it seems unlikely that he is as clueless about leaving things in his car as the rightful owner), but if it is "locked" it is more likely to be smashed and discarded than recovered.

leaving it in plain sight is just asking for trouble

There have been plenty of posts on this site about stolen GP{S units that were left in the car but "hidden" in the glove box or under a seat. I'm convinced that another downside of Garmin lock is that it lulls people into leaving their GPS in the car. The far better approach is to not leave it in the car,

As one whose car has been broken into, in my own driveway, under a light, I can only tell you that if you value your GPS and want to lessen a thief's loot, do not, ever, leave it in the car when you're not there. As I was making the police report on my break-in, the officer asked what was missing. All I needed to report was my GPS cradle and power cord, Nothing else. Clearly the thief was only looking for the GPS, as $1000's worth of my company's tools were in the trunk and were left untouched. The officer asked about the GPS, and I was pleased to tell him it was still in my coat pocket, where I'd placed it the night before as I exited the car. The officer said it was probably the GPS mount that had attracted the thief in the first place. Unfortunately, I use a permanent mount and can't take it along with the GPS when I leave the car, so perhaps I'll have a "steal me" flag on my car until I change my mount. I'm hoping, that if everyone would adhere to the rule and never leave the GPS unattended in the car, perhaps the GPS would be less of a target for thieves in the first place.

Just take the few extra seconds to secure it.

Everyone says "don't put your home address in the unit" and i don't disagree.

What I've done, and I can't believe I'm the only one to think of this but I just figured I'd share it in this forum where it might do the most good.

All directions, no matter who generates them starts with five or seven (depends on who you ask) steps that are of the like of "Leave your driveway and turn left onto the main street."

So, all I did was take what I'd expect to have for the first set of instructions and chose three or four points that are always going to be in my path. One is a major highway crossroad, one is an instersection about a half mile from my real house, another is on another road a couple of miles away from my house. I then just tagged them as "Home #" and keep them in the system. If I'm going to go somewhere (or need to return "home") I use one of these points.

If my unit gets into someone else's hands, they can come close but it's a major crapshoot to actually find my house. (My name isn't in the system either.)

Just thought I'd share!

Do you have a registration card in your car? An insurance card? Perhaps a receipt for tires or some other auto service that has your name in the glove box? Ever leave any mail with your name and address in the car? If the answer to any of these is yes then I don't see the point of playing games with the GPS and trying to be deceptive.

Consider that there might be a few honest people left in the world. If a thief does get your GPS it is gone anyway (maybe is wasn't so smart "hiding" it in the glove box or under the seat). But occasionally people do legitimately loose things. I've never found a lost GPS, but I have found a couple of lost cell phones. In those cases I managed to return the phone to the owner by simply letting the phone call home and telling the owner that I had found it and he could pick it up at the service counter of the store where he lost it. I would have put no extra effort into contacting the owner if calling home resulted in a call to the police or to "dial-a-prayer".

If I found a GPS and there was a splash screen that identified the owner I would contact him. If not and home was programmed into the unit (and it was reasonably local) I would try to return it. But if I got directed to a police station or some cornfield in the middle of nowhere, or the splash screen tried to con me with "stolen GPS - you are being tracked by satellite" nonsense, the owner would be out a GPS.

And this is the case even though I know enough to enable the nuvi track log and see where the GPS has been going. It would be pretty easy, on an unlocked nuvi, to look at the track log and see where the GPS thinks is home, no matter what lie is programmed in. But if someone wants to play games and try to keep me from returning a lost device, I'll respect their wishes and keep the GPS. Might also be easy even on a locked nuvi if you access the memory by USB.

So put whatever foolishness you want in your GPS. Personally I like having mine give me the precise time I'll arrive home, not a mile away. But if a thief breaks into your car and steals your garage remote, he's likely to get your location information from paperwork in your car rather than from a GPS. And if you left the GPS in the car then you didn't really care if it was taken or not anyway. But if you do legitimately lose your GPS, an honest person might try to return it. If you make that difficult, then shame on you.