Why police are telling drivers with keyless entry to take extra precautions

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning drivers with proximity key fobs to take extra precautions after four locked pickup trucks were stolen in the space of an hour in Fergus, Ont.

The vehicles targeted were Dodge Ram 1500s and in each case, the keys weren’t taken, police said.

The thefts happened between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Sunday.

Police said a “person of interest” with a thin build wearing all black with a reddish hat was seen in the area.

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Earlier this month three Dodge Ram pickups were stolen in Kitchener, Ont.

In those cases, police said the thieves used relay and reprogramming technology to get inside the vehicles and program blank key fobs.

On Sunday, OPP said owners of vehicles with proximity keys “need to take extra steps to protect [their] vehicles.”

These include parking in the garage and storing the keys in a protective pouch or as far away from the outside of the home as possible.