CARS could be being ‘hacked’ in a northern carpark at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City.
A man who called 6PR this morning said he had phoned Lakeside after his wife’s car was immobilised yesterday in a small area near Chemist Warehouse, Ultra Tune and The Reject Shop.
“They said it had been handed over to police because it was a police matter,” he said.
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READ NOW“And this is their words ‘there’s a hacking device in the car park’.
“I spoke to the guy at Ultra Tune and – I thought this was just something in the movies – he said if this happened in the UK, you look out for a dodgy van around trying to steal credentials. I’m like ‘really, this really happens’.”
His wife, who’s car is completely wireless and is opened and started with the push of a button, sought help from Ultra Tune. A staff member was able to get into the car and told her he had helped about 100 people recently open or start their car.
Lakeside centre manager Gemma Hannigan apologised to customers and told Community News police had advised there was nothing suspicious.
“We sincerely apologise to all our customers for the inconvenience this has caused,” she said.
“We too are frustrated by this issue. We are working as hard as we can to locate the source of the disruption so we can rectify the matter as soon as possible.
“Also we have placed a security officer in the carpark and we have an arrangement with Ultra Tune to have people referred to them.”
Lakeside has liaised with the Australian Communications and Media Authority and also organised experts on to the site.
It has also visited shops to see if they recently installed any new devices – which they have not.
The radio caller said cars were being immobilised in a 50m circle of the carpark.
The RAC had also been called out to help people get going.
“There is something either emitting a signal that’s cutting people’s connection or something more sinister like a device that’s blocking things,” the radio caller said.
He also said Chemist Warehouse had told him they were having trouble with their buzzers for letting people know when their prescriptions were ready.
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