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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Drivers are only just realising little-known 99p household item can stop car thieves from accessing their vehicle
Car theft is on the increase – here's how to prevent it WHEELY USEFUL Drivers are only just realising little-known 99p household item can stop car thieves from accessing their vehicle MOTORISTS are being urged to use a little-known household item costing less than ONE POUND to stop car thieves stealing their vehicle. It comes as the Office of National Statistics reports there were 133,708 recorded motor vehicle theft offences in England and Wales between April 2023 and March 2024. 1 Car theft is on the rise in the UK This is a 12% increase compared to the same period in 2019-20. While the numbers are lower compared to the early 2000s, the recent increase tracks with the overall increase of crime figures in the UK. But to prevent thieves stealing a car, all drivers need is an inexpensive roll of tinfoil. This can be purchased for as little as 99p at a local supermarket. Driver Lucy Lewis started the tin foil trend after she took to TikTok to share her straightforward hack for preventing thieves from gaining access to her car. "I can't be the only one that goes to sleep with the [car] key wrapped in tinfoil," Lucy said at the start of the video, showing how her key was indeed wrapped in foil. She went on to explain: "I've got a stop start button, whatever, and I've seen loads of videos on Facebook of people's cars getting stolen because they've got that kind of car with the button. "If I wake up and my car is stolen, and I didn't wrap my key in tinfoil, there's gonna be trouble." Lucy then urged other people to say if they do a similar thing. She added: "Please tell me I'm not the only one, because I feel like a psycho and I have to wrap my key – it's like I have to put it to bed and wrap it in tinfoil and it just feels a bit pathetic." Watch as thieves use high-tech trick to swipe Mercedes in under 20 secs - as devices used in 40% of thefts to be BANNED Should you wrap your car key in tin foil? Some security experts have claimed wrapping or covering your car key with metal, such as tin foil, can help prevent cars with start and stop buttons from being key hacked and stolen. Key hacking is when thieves attack built-in systems that can unlock a car when the key is nearby, without having to press a button on the fob or put a key in the lock. To help prevent car and key hacking, RAC recommends getting a car key signal blocker to keep your car key in. They are metal-lined key wallets or special bags designed to keep your keys safe. However, just using tin foil or a metal bin with a lid will also work to prevent the electronic signals from passing through to your car. According to RAC, while tin foil can help prevent the electronic signals from your car key from pass through the metal, it's not the ideal solution seeing as it's usually difficult to recycle. Instead, they recommend using a reusable metal tin or a car signal blocker.


The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Drivers are only just realising little-known 99p household item can stop car thieves from accessing their vehicle
MOTORISTS are being urged to use a little-known household item costing less than ONE POUND to stop car thieves stealing their vehicle. It comes as the Office of National Statistics reports there were 133,708 recorded motor 1 Car theft is on the rise in the UK This is a 12% increase compared to the same period in 2019-20. While the numbers are lower compared to the early 2000s, the recent increase tracks with the overall increase of crime figures in the UK. But to prevent thieves stealing a car, all drivers need is an inexpensive roll of tinfoil. This can be purchased for as little as 99p at a local supermarket. Driver Lucy Lewis started the tin foil trend after she took to TikTok to share her straightforward hack for preventing thieves from gaining access to her car. "I can't be the only one that goes to sleep with the [car] key wrapped in tinfoil," Lucy said at the start of the video, showing how her key was indeed wrapped in foil. She went on to explain: "I've got a stop start button, whatever, and I've seen loads of videos on Facebook of people's cars getting stolen because they've got that kind of car with the button. "If I wake up and my car is stolen, and I didn't wrap my key in tinfoil, there's gonna be trouble." Most read in Motors Lucy then urged other people to say if they do a similar thing. She added: "Please tell me I'm not the only one, because I feel like a psycho and I have to wrap my key – it's like I have to put it to bed and wrap it in tinfoil and it just feels a bit pathetic." Watch as thieves use high-tech trick to swipe Mercedes in under 20 secs - as devices used in 40% of thefts to be BANNED Should you wrap your car key in tin foil? Some security experts have claimed wrapping or covering your Key hacking is when thieves attack built-in systems that can unlock a car when the key is nearby, without having to press a button on the fob or put a key in the lock. To help prevent They are metal-lined key wallets or special bags designed to keep your keys safe. However, just using tin foil or a metal bin with a lid will also work to prevent the electronic signals from passing through to your car. According to RAC, while tin foil can help prevent the electronic signals from your car key from pass through the metal, it's not the ideal solution seeing as it's usually difficult to recycle. Instead, they recommend using a reusable metal tin or a car signal blocker. How to protect your car from thieves Wheel clamps are another great option that can prevent your car from being driven away. Again, they are highly visible as they are often sold in bright colours, and may deter opportunistic thieves looking for a quick and easy target. Traditional security measures are also considered when calculating insurance premiums. Rich Morley at Lancaster Insurance explains that, no matter what car you drive, classic or modern, traditional-style security measures can provide extra peace of mind and security for your vehicle, helping to deter thieves in the process. He added: 'When considering a risk profile, we will establish with customers any security measures they have in place to prevent potential theft."


Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
UK inflation eases by less than anticipated ahead of Bank of England rate decision
Inflation in the UK dropped modestly in May as a drop in air fares and transport costs were largely offset by rising food prices , particularly chocolate, official figures showed Wednesday. The Office of National Statistics said consumer prices rose by 3.4% in the year to May, down from 3.5% the previous month. That means inflation remains substantially above the Bank of England 's target rate of 2%. The bank's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee is due to announce its latest interest rate decision on Thursday. Most economists expect the nine-member panel, which has cut borrowing rates on a quarterly basis since last August, to keep its main interest rate at 4.25%. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The decline was less than expected. Most economists were expecting the rate to come in at 3.3% for May as price rises cooled, following a raft of bill increases the previous month that pushed inflation to the highest level in more than a year. The higher-than-anticipated outcome was largely due to a 4.4% increase in food and non-alcoholic drink prices. Larder items like sugar, jam and chocolate, as well as ice cream, saw the biggest monthly price hikes, while meat costs also rose. Live Events Economists, including those at the Bank of England, expect inflation to remain above target over the rest of the year. Uncertainty over US President Donald Trump 's tariff agenda and the unrest in the Middle East make it difficult to forecast economic developments and the path of interest rates. "We are sticking with our call for the Bank of England to continue to reduce rates at a quarterly cadence," said Felix Feather, economist at asset management firm Aberdeen. "But geopolitical uncertainty and risks from US trade policy raise both upside and downside risks to this forecast."

Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
UK inflation eases by less than anticipated ahead of Bank of England rate decision
LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. dropped modestly in May as a drop in air fares and transport costs were largely offset by rising food prices, particularly chocolate, official figures showed Wednesday. The Office of National Statistics said consumer prices rose by 3.4% in the year to May, down from 3.5% the previous month. That means inflation remains substantially above the Bank of England's target rate of 2%. The bank's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee is due to announce its latest interest rate decision on Thursday. Most economists expect the nine-member panel, which has cut borrowing rates on a quarterly basis since last August, to keep its main interest rate at 4.25%. The decline was less than expected. Most economists were expecting the rate to come in at 3.3% for May as price rises cooled, following a raft of bill increases the previous month that pushed inflation to the highest level in more than a year. The higher-than-anticipated outcome was largely due to a 4.4% increase in food and non-alcoholic drink prices. Larder items like sugar, jam and chocolate, as well as ice cream, saw the biggest monthly price hikes, while meat costs also rose. Economists, including those at the Bank of England, expect inflation to remain above target over the rest of the year. Uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff agenda and the unrest in the Middle East make it difficult to forecast economic developments and the path of interest rates. 'We are sticking with our call for the Bank of England to continue to reduce rates at a quarterly cadence,' said Felix Feather, economist at asset management firm Aberdeen. 'But geopolitical uncertainty and risks from U.S. trade policy raise both upside and downside risks to this forecast.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fraud is evolving, and so must we
With fraud now the most prevalent crime in the UK, and attempts continuing to increase, as reported by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) with a 19% surge over the last year, the urgency for immediate action is apparent. Yet, despite UK Finance recording 3.31 million instances of fraud in 2024, the UK remains a global leader in reducing fraud losses. The industry prevented £1.14bn of unauthorised fraud last year, equivalent to stopping 67p for every £1 a fraudster tried to steal, and reimbursed customers for 98% of all unauthorised fraud. There is no time for complacency, however. Criminals are always among the first to embrace new technologies, ceaselessly innovating, and evolving their tactics. The industry must act now, collaborating on preventive strategies to protect consumers proactively. Success in preventing Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud – with case volumes dropping in 2024 to their lowest level since 2021 – has led fraudsters to seek fertile new grounds for attack. Remote purchase fraud, for example, has surged, while pressure for the Single European Payment Area to adopt real-time cross-border payments presents a significant opportunity for criminals to abuse. The UK's success in mitigating fraud and reimbursing customers is no reason to stop adapting. Fraud is often just as emotionally damaging as it is financially draining, with a Lloyds Banking Group survey last year finding more than two-thirds of fraud victims suffered negative psychological impacts from the experience. To protect victims from trauma and prevent fraudsters from realising any profits, continuous adaptation and early intervention, not just reimbursement, is needed. Behavioural and device intelligence – including keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behaviour, and physical device attributes – empowers banks to recognise and stop fraud in real-time, before any money leaves a would-be-victim's account. Banks cannot do this alone, however. They are often the last line of defence. Fraud typically begins upstream, with phishing, fake ads, and scam calls occurring on social media and other online channels. Other sectors need to bear some responsibility for the origins of these attacks and adopt the same commitment to fraud prevention as their financial services counterparts. Regulators must also hold those other sectors accountable. The Online Safety Act, while a step in the right direction, has fallen short of enforcing responsibility among tech giants. The government's future strategy must provide direction and incentives to ensure collaboration between the tech, telecoms and banking sectors. International examples provide a blueprint. In Australia, for example, banks are now working together as part of the world's first behaviour-based financial crime intelligence-sharing network, discussing fraud prevention strategies, new intelligence, and potential risks. With well-designed regulations and the motivation to collaborate across sectors, we as a society can better innovate and devote more resources to the fight against fraud. Public awareness also plays a crucial role. Australian banks, through their financial crime intelligence network, are supporting customers in actively identifying risks, and the National Australia Bank (NAB) alone has reportedly stopped around $50m of payments by customers within just two months. This outcome highlights the importance of public awareness in preventing fraud and encourages more proactive customer behaviour. While public awareness is crucial, it's equally important to strike a balance in educating people about the risks of fraud without discouraging them from using digital services. Reduced reliance on technology can lead to lower efficiency and productivity, as well as higher costs, ultimately harming innovation, investment, and economic growth. Getting this balance right is essential. Even with collective action, we cannot eliminate fraud, but we can disrupt, deter, and make it unprofitable for criminals. By fostering collaboration across the financial services sector, technology, telecoms, government, and society, we can transition from a reactive to a proactive approach, creating friction for fraudsters while reducing friction for consumers. Jonathan Frost is Director of Global Advisory for EMEA at BioCatch "Fraud is evolving, and so must we" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤