The £160 Gadget That Could Put Your Car at Risk

Picture this: you’ve locked your car, double-checked the doors, and strutted off feeling smug. Then along comes a bloke with what looks like a Tamagotchi from 1998, presses a button, and — poof — your pride and joy is gone before you’ve even ordered your latte.

That toy-looking thing is called the Flipper Zero. Officially, it’s a “multi-tool for pentesters” (translation: a geeky Swiss Army knife for testing security systems). In reality, it’s been making headlines as the pocket-sized device thieves are using to mess with wireless signals from car key fobs. At around £160 ($199), it’s cheaper than your last service bill and a lot more dangerous.

Now, before you panic and start chaining your car to a lamppost, a few facts: the Flipper Zero doesn’t magically unlock every vehicle. Modern motors with rolling-code encryption are harder to crack, but older keyless systems? They’re about as secure as leaving your front door key under the doormat with a neon sign pointing to it.

So, what can you do?

• Don’t leave your keys near doors or windows. Relay attacks love easy pickings.

  
  

• Invest in a signal-blocking pouch. It’s basically a Faraday cage that looks like a wallet — cheap but effective.

  
  

• Old-school steering locks. Yes, they’re ugly. But so is finding an empty driveway.

Car makers will eventually have to step up their security game, but until then, a £10 pouch and a big yellow steering bar might just save you a £30,000 headache.

Because the Flipper Zero isn’t a toy — unless, of course, you enjoy playing “guess where my car’s gone?”