Ex-con Steve Fuller, who has been convicted six times for stealing
cars, has decided to reveal all to make amends for the hundreds of cars
he stole in the past.
Fuller outlined to ABC News'
20/20 program what car thieves look for, what they know
that we don't, and how you can best protect your beloved vehicle. Here
are five of his tips:
1. Be careful where you park
It
might sound obvious, but Fuller recommends avoiding dark locations,
including carports, underground parking and apartment complexes. Of the
latter, Fuller said that it was easy to steal from an apartment block
because "all I really had to deal with was somebody coming down from
their apartment to get in their vehicle, and at that time in the middle
of night it's not usually that often."
2. Be aware that your car model might be a target
Fuller
used to love stealing Honda, Toyota, Acura, and General Motors vehicles
because "they have good resale value so the parts are in demand. It's
as simple as that."
3. Don't keep spare keys in your car
It sounds so obvious, but people really do it - in fact, Fuller told
20/20 that for 90 per cent of the vehicles he's stolen he used the car's spare keys to do it.
"Glove compartment, center console, door, change tray, you name it, it's there. I found it in all those places," Fuller said.
4. Be aware of secret keys
"A
lot of people don't know that they have a valet key inside their
vehicle," said Fuller of the keys which can unlock the driver's side
door and start the car. Your car manual will advise you of whether you
have a valet key or not.
5. Don't leave your window open when you're not inside
This is the biggest mistake you can make.
"A
window that has enough room for me to stick my fingers in, I can get
out of its track by rocking it back and forth," Fuller explained.
"Then, I can pry the window out of the track enough to where I can get my arm down in there and unlock the vehicle."
