Disclaimer: DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID. Your safety is very important, and criminals should be considered dangerous. This article is for informational purposes only. We strongly recommend AGAINST trying to recover your vehicle yourself. Only assist actual Law Enforcement officers by providing them with useful information. Cartheftprevention.com is not responsible for any actions you may take after reading this article, and before all else PLEASE STAY SAFE AND ACT RESPONSIBLY!!! PLEASE READ OUR FULL DISCLAIMER BEFORE PROCEEDING (HERE).
So, you walk out the store to where you thought you parked your car… and the spot is empty. You then look around to the next row over, thinking you’re just an idiot and can’t remember where you parked, hitting the panic button on your key fob a few times until it finally sinks in… you’ve been robbed. It’s a horrible feeling, but we’re going to provide you with some helpful tips to increase your chances of recovery. According to NICB 85% of stolen vehicles are recovered- 34% on the same day as the theft. So yes, there is hope!
CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY
THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. Don’t wait to call 911, you need to report the theft as soon as you realize it happened. This will greatly increase the likelihood of recovery. Give them as much information as you possibly can, even small clues can help. Try to remember as many details about your car, what was in it, and what happened before/during/after the theft as you can. Be nice and respectful to the officer- they are people too and nobody wants to do much to help a rude person. The helpfulness of the officers will vary, but it is still an important step that should not be skipped or delayed. Law enforcement has resources that civilians do not have access to that can help find your vehicle, will report it stolen in the nationwide NCIC database, and it is crucial to involve them so you don’t put yourself in danger.
Is There Some Type of Tracking Device in Your Car?
Tracking devices are by far the easiest way to help police find your vehicle, and they will be much quicker to take action if you can tell them where the vehicle is right away. Even if you did not deliberately place a GPS tracker in your vehicle, there may be other ways of tracking that you may not realize at first, such as:
- Built in GPS– many late model cars are capable of being tracked via built in GPS systems. Consult your dealer/ auto manufacturer to see if your model is equipped with such a feature, and how you can use it. Many experienced thieves will disable these features, but they may not, and if you act quickly you may get their location before they get the chance to.
- OnStar– Even many older GM vehicles are equipped with OnStar and can be tracked by the OnStar team. If you do not pay for the service, it may or may not be possible, but it’s worth a shot to give them a call if your vehicle is equipped with the little blue OnStar button.
- Airtags or Tiles– Did you maybe leave a backpack or suitcase in your car with an Apple Airtag? Hopefully they haven’t tossed your bag yet, but either way it can provide helpful clues for police. Watch the location closely and record where it has been.
- Phones/tablets/smart watches/AirPods, etc.- leaving expensive electronics in your car is a bad idea, but if you did there is a possibility it can be tracked. Most apple products can be tracked via the “Find My” app, and many other brands have a similar way to track. Police may also be able to track your phone by contacting your cellular carrier, so be sure to let them know your phone was inside the car if it was. Like with the Airtags, be sure to closely monitor the location, and record where it goes in case they ditch the item later on.
- Lender/Dealership– Is your car financed? Or did you recently pay it off? Many loan companies install tracking devices in vehicles they finance, especially if your credit isn’t perfect. But even if your credit is good, call and ask right away. They should be more than willing to help you recover their collateral.
Retrace Your Steps to Remember Details
It may seem obvious, but it is a crucial step to helping police locate your vehicle. Take some time to think back to the events immediately proceeding the theft of your vehicle and try to remember as many details as possible, and write them down so you remember. Sometimes little clues can spark big results. If you are able to view security footage of the theft it can help jog your memory and narrow down what details may be important. You may have seen the thief or the vehicle they drove up in and not even known it. Try to think back to any suspicious activity you may have saw, better descriptions of thieves/vehicles spotted on camera, other potential witnesses, or items you may have left in the car. Report any potentially helpful information to the officer or detective handling your case.
Use Community Social Media Pages
Get more eyes on the lookout for your vehicle by sharing on a “town talks” or similar Facebook page for your area. Also consider posting on apps like Nextdoor and the Neighbors section of the Ring app. It helps if you have pictures.
Put up Posters With a Cash Reward
This step can play a big role in helping the police find your vehicle. Putting up posters around town with a cash reward will really grab people’s attention. Obviously, this won’t work in every case, and won’t be as effective if you’re dealing with professional thieves who intend to ship your car overseas. But more often than you would think, especially with cars that are an easy target, thieves will actually use your car for awhile. Maybe even in your own town. Or they will trade them for drugs or a little bit of cash and someone else will be driving your car in the area. If you get the word out in the community, and have lots of people looking, you can get some good tips. A drug addict will absolutely snitch on his buddy for $500-$1,000, or you might get the attention of a neighbor who is already suspicious of them. The potential downside is that in certain situations, the thieves could see your posters too and offload the vehicle quicker, or get your contact information and try to trick you somehow. So it is important to use your best judgement, and above all, stay safe. Only pay out an reward after the vehicle has been recovered by police, and consider using Cashapp/Venmo/ApplePay, etc. to avoid having to meet up in person.
Ask People in Your Community for Help
Spread the word. The smaller the town, the better this works, but try it anywhere. Whether you’re going around town looking for surveillance footage or putting up posters, or talking to friends or neighbors, talk to people about what happened and you will get more eyes on the lookout for your vehicle, and you may be able to gather other helpful information as well.
Gather Surveillance Footage
The police will likely get any surveillance footage from where the theft occurred, but they usually don’t have the resources to go around looking for better footage, or to trace where the suspects went. Ask local businesses or neighbors with cameras along the route the thieves took to see surveillance footage and gather information such as what car the thieves drove up in, what direction they went, and if other cameras got a better look at the thieves. Typically most larger businesses and big-chains have policies that will not allow you to see the footage, but many smaller and locally owned businesses will be willing to help. Many homeowners have cameras nowadays so don’t forget to ask them too.
Ask Your Local Repo Company for Help
Who’s better at finding cars than a good repo man? You can find a company in your area using Google or on repo.org. Talk to them and give them flyers with a cash reward to give to their drivers. They are always driving around and are skilled at identifying cars, so if they are willing, they could be a big help. This likely won’t be as effective for high-dollar cars that are likely to be shipped overseas.
Talk to Potential Witnesses
Try to identify people who may have been around when your car was stolen, and talk to them about what happened. They may be able to provide some helpful clues.
Stay in Contact With the Officer or Detective
Staying in contact and providing updates to the officer or detective who is handling your case can motivate them to pursue the case more aggressively, but try not to annoy or pester them unnecessarily. Just stay in contact and provide any useful clues that you may find or details you didn’t think of before. Chances are they have a pretty heft workload, so don’t be pushy or disrespectful, if you come off as a likeable, respectful person who cares, they are far more likely to do more to help you.
Monitor Online Listings
Don’t underestimate the stupidity of a thief, it may not be likely, but there is a possibility that your car (or parts from it) will end up on apps like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or OfferUp. So it can be a good idea to check these regularly, and report to police if you think you see your vehicle or its’ parts on there.
Stay Safe
Please, during this whole process, remember to not put yourself in any dangerous situations. As tempting as it may be to go take matters into your own hands- IT IS A HORRIBLE IDEA. Not only are you putting yourself and others in physical danger, but you are putting yourself in legal jeopardy by trying to recover your vehicle on your own or inflicting violence on potential thieves. Leave the dangerous stuff to the police, and only aid them with helpful information that was gathered in a safe manner. Any actions you take are at your own risk, and it’s important to err on the side of caution.
