In the second quarter of 2024, there was a 42% increase in attempted vehicle thefts, a rate 2.2 times higher than in the last quarter of 2023, which saw an unusual decrease due to the outbreak of the war and the car thieves' fear of approaching Jewish settlements. This is according to data from the vehicle tracking and recovery company Pointer. Rival company Ituran also reports an increase.
Both companies attribute the rise to a spike in accident rates, which boosts the demand for spare parts. Unlike in the past, when areas close to the seam line, such as the Sharon region and Jerusalem, were hotspots for thefts, the focus has shifted to the Tel Aviv and central regions, which have seen an increase in the number of vehicles due to the evacuation of settlements in the south and north because of the war.
According to Pointer, 39% of attempted vehicle thefts occurred in the central region, with Tel Aviv leading at 18% of attempted thefts—a 28% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. Next is the Shfela region with approximately 26% of total thefts (a 30% increase), the Sharon region with about 12% of total thefts (a 14% decrease), the southern region with about 11% (unchanged), Jerusalem with about 8% (unchanged), and the sparsely populated and bombarded north with 4% (a 70% decrease).
Ituran states, "We see the continuation of the rising trend from 2023, where thief gangs have adapted to the war situation in the south and north, learned the force deployment, routine activities in the field, and evasion techniques. This partly explains the high percentage of thefts, especially in the central region."
Electric vehicles continue to suffer from an unusually high rate of thefts: they accounted for 7% of thefts, while their share of the private car fleet in the country is only about 3.5%.
The same applies to SUVs: Suzuki Jimny, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota Land Cruiser continue to suffer from unusually high theft rates, which is reflected in very high comprehensive insurance prices. "All real SUVs, with ladder frames, currently suffer from high demand among thieves, some of whom keep them for personal use," says Yaniv Baruch, Pointer's VP.
According to him, "We have developed improved tracking systems to help prevent thefts, in accordance with the different requirements of insurance companies. Land Cruiser and Wrangler required such systems in the past due to their price; Jimny usually did not because it is much cheaper, but now it also requires protection." The cost of a tracking system for the Jimny can reach NIS 2,000 before subscription fees.
In almost 9 out of 10 thefts (85%), a cellular jammer is used, creating interference with cellular reception and GPS transmission. This indicates organized and sophisticated gangs with expensive electronic equipment provided by crime families who own car dismantling lots, at the top of the chain and funded by them.
The theft methods are divided as follows:
Key Duplication: The leading theft method is still the duplication of a "dummy" key during the theft process, by connecting to the OBD socket through which they connect to the car's computer or using a smart electronic device. Thieves encode a new key and delete the existing keys. About 47% of the recorded theft attempts relied on this method.
Violent Attack: Violent attack on the vehicle by replacing the car's computer accounted for 23% of total thefts.
Key Theft from the Customer's Home (Double): Where there is a direct connection between a break-in at the customer's home and the vehicle in the adjacent parking lot. This accounted for 13% of the thefts recorded this year.
Theft by Authorized User: Usually carried out by duplicating a key by an authorized user who received keys and a legal code for the vehicle. This theft method accounted for 9% of the thefts carried out this year.
Use of a Wireless Duplicator: 7%. A 22% decrease compared to the previous quarter.
Robbery and Theft of a Running Vehicle: Accounted for 1% of the thefts this year.