COVID-19 also affects car thefts:

POINTER's operational system

Summarizing the third quarter of 2020

In the third quarter of 2020, one-fifth of thefts were by an authorized user – an increase of 46% compared to the previous quarter

 

The coronavirus pandemic in Israel also does not skip the mix of car thefts, which has changed dramatically and encompasses immediate economic elements that are affected by the situation. Ilan Goldstein, CEO of Poynter ofPowerFleet Group, notes that "the difficult economic situation and the increase in the unemployment rate have apparently led many people to 'realize assets.'

 

During this period, it seems that more and more car owners are turning to cooperation with car thieves and staging their car theft. In doing so, they hope to defraud the insurance company by activating the policy on the one hand and at the same time enjoying the consideration for the car they received from the thief on the other.

 

In the third quarter of 2020, one-fifth (19%) of thefts were by an authorized user – an increase of 46% compared to the previous quarter (13%)," Goldstein added.

Pointer's operational system of PowerFleet Group, the company that locates and recovers stolen vehicles, summarizes the third quarter of 2020 (the COVID-19 period) in car thefts and reports that in parallel with the phenomenon of cooperation with car thieves, another new phenomenon arises of switching to theft in daylight instead of at night. As a result of the closure, traffic on the roads stopped. The night hours, which until now were convenient for committing theft, have become problematic. There is no traffic on the streets and roads and every vehicle or person is visible

Suspects and the target of a police investigation. Therefore, most of the activity shifted to daylight hours. The trend shows that there is an increase of about 50% in daytime thefts compared to the corresponding quarter last year.

The most popular theft hours in the previous quarter as well as the rest of the year were at night between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. In the current quarter, many of the thefts moved to dusk and early evening before darkness fell so as not to arouse suspicion.

The summary of the quarter was published in all news outlets, Ilan Goldstein, CEO of the company, was invited to be interviewed: