The boss of a luxury car dealership is warning some of the flashest vehicles on Kiwi roads could be targeted in a hacking scam similar to one sweeping Europe.
Dozens of upmarket car models, including BMW, Audi and Range Rover can be remotely unlocked and started using a simple hack with an easily constructed radio amplifier.
Called the "amplifier attack", the hack involves altering the radio frequency in the cars to trick the keyless sensor technology into thinking the vehicle's owner is nearby with the key. The method has been used in a growing number of thefts in Europe where 95 per cent of car brands use keyless entry.
Alex Beacham, general manager of the Beacham Independent Jaguar and Range Rover dealership in Penrose, Auckland, said he expects it is only a matter of time before the scam shows up in New Zealand.
"If someone brought this here they could do exactly the same thing," he said. "The security technology in the cars is the same so it could easily be done."