Selling your car? Beware of thieves asking for test drives

It is, alas, not unheard-of. Car thieves target car sellers, on the grounds that it is one of the few times they can get close to a car owner's keys without raising suspicions.

On one recent occasion, the thieves simply jumped the seller of a BMW M3, grabbed the keys and made off with the car. Another technique is for the thief to ask for a test drive, take the keys and drive off while the seller is still on the pavement, about to get in to the passenger seat. When a prospective buyer asks for a test drive, make sure you are sitting in the car whenever the keys are in his or her hands. That applies at the end of the test drive as well – a thief only needs you outside of the car for one second while they have the keys.