Protecting Dealerships From Key Fob Cloning & Relay Theft With iDter

As vehicle technology advances, so do the methods used by criminals. Today, keyless entry systems have become a prime target for sophisticated thieves. Dealerships and auto repair shops, often housing dozens or even hundreds of high-value vehicles, are especially vulnerable.

Relay attacks and key fob cloning are two of the most common techniques used to steal vehicles without ever touching a key. Let’s break down how these attacks work, the rising statistics behind them, and how iDter’s smart security system can stop them before they start.

What Is Key Fob Cloning & Relay Theft?

Understanding Relay Attacks

Relay theft involves two criminals working together to trick a car into unlocking and starting without the actual key fob:

• One thief stands near a building, where auto keys are stored, using a device that captures the signal from a key fob (even if it’s inside).

• The second thief stands near the vehicle with a relay receiver, which transmits the fob signal to unlock and start the car.

  
  

This process can take under 2 minutes, often without triggering alarms or drawing attention.

How Key Fob Cloning Works

In key fob cloning, thieves intercept and copy the wireless signal emitted by a fob. Once cloned, they can reproduce a working duplicate of the fob and use it to access the vehicle at any time. This is especially dangerous in environments like dealership lots or service bays where key fobs are frequently used to open, move or demo vehicles.

Why Auto Dealerships Are Prime Targets

Retail car lots, service centers, and auto shops are often filled with:

• Unlocked vehicles being serviced or inspected

• Key fobs stored nearby or inside the building

• Sales personnel showing vehicles to clients using the fob

• Service personnel using fobs when moving vehicles into the service bays

• Minimal overnight staff presence

All of this makes them a high-reward, low-risk opportunity for criminals. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB):

• Over 1 million vehicles were stolen in the U.S. in 2023—a 41% increase from 2019.

• A significant number of thefts involved keyless entry systems and relay attacks.

• Thefts occurring on dealership properties accounted for nearly 40% of all stolen vehicles in some regions.

The Limitations Of Traditional Surveillance Systems

Many dealerships rely on basic remote video monitoring (RVM)—a system that depends on human operators to spot suspicious activity across hundreds of live feeds.

This setup is prone to:

• Missed detections due to human fatigue or distraction

• Delayed responses, with alerts often sent after a 20+ second video clip has recorded

• Zero real-time deterrence, allowing thieves to strike and escape quickly

With key fob theft occurring in seconds, these delays make RVM ineffective against high-tech intruders.

How iDter Deters Key Fob Theft Before It Happens

iDter’s Automated Video Monitoring (AVM) system goes beyond human surveillance. It automatically and actively detects and deters intruders in seconds with real-time precision—especially effective in dealership environments.

Smart Detection With Niō Guardian Nodes

iDter’s Niō devices are installed throughout the property to cover every square foot of inventory—on light poles and on building exteriors. These AI-powered 4K cameras instantly detect suspicious behavior (like trespassers near parked vehicles or someone lingering too close to service bays), then take immediate deterrence action and record the event in 4K resolution. The Niō Guardians automatically escalate deterrence reactions when intruders loiter near a vehicle. In addition, our monitoring personnel are immediately notified upon the first detection and respond to suspicious behaviors using voice down capability through the Niō Guardians while they dispatch the police.

Instant Deterrence To Stop The Crime In Progress

Once an intrusion is detected, iDter’s system immediately responds with:

• Blinding LED strobe lights

• 120 dB audio warnings

• Escalating sirens and alerts

• Live monitoring with optional police dispatch

This immediate action disrupts the thief’s timeline, often before they can complete a relay or cloning attempt.

Proven Results From Real-World Installations

In a recent case study involving over 1,000 iDter Niō Guardians:

• Trespassing events were reduced by 64%

• Deterrence success rate reached 98.1%

• Police dispatches dropped by 47% within the first six months

These numbers show how proactive security dramatically outperforms passive video monitoring.

Added Benefits For Dealerships & Auto Shops

With iDter, dealerships don’t just gain protection, they gain peace of mind:

• Lower insurance costs due to fewer claims

• Increased customer trust and asset protection

• No dependency on human monitoring

Securing Key Access With KEYper Systems

While iDter safeguards the lot and surrounding property, KEYper® Systems secures one of the most vulnerable assets inside the dealership: the keys themselves.

KEYper provides advanced key management solutions that help auto businesses:

• Securely store and track every key fob

• Restrict access to authorized users only

• Generate audit trails to monitor who removed which keys and when

• Prevent internal misuse or external access to keys through theft or negligence

By using electronic key control systems, dealerships significantly reduce the risk of misplaced, stolen, or unauthorized access to key fobs. Every key removal requires authentication—such as PIN codes, biometric access, or keycards—adding a powerful internal layer of accountability.

KEYper Systems + iDter: A Powerful Theft Prevention Partnership

When KEYper Systems and iDter Security are used together, auto dealerships benefit from a dual-layered approach to theft prevention:

• iDter protects the perimeter and lot, detecting and deterring intruders before they reach the vehicles or building.

• KEYper Systems protects key access and inventory control inside the building, ensuring that fobs are not left vulnerable to theft or misuse.

This combined strategy helps dealerships address both external and internal security threats, ensuring that criminals are stopped before they can get to the vehicle or the key that starts it.

Dealerships that implement both solutions benefit from improved operational oversight, fewer incidents of lost or misused keys, and a dramatically reduced risk of theft tied to relay attacks or fob cloning.

Trust iDter To Stop High-Tech Theft At Your Property

Key fob cloning and relay attacks are becoming more common, more efficient, and harder to detect. But with iDter’s intelligent deterrence system, you can stop theft before it starts—protecting your vehicles, your reputation, and your bottom line. Ready to protect your lot, your keys, and your reputation? Contact iDter and KEYper Systems today for a smarter, layered approach to dealership security.