In the car rental and the automotive industry, GPS spoofing is perhaps the most worrisome of the spoofing types. With GPS spoofing, the spoofer sends out fake GPS signals or genuine signals that have been captured in a different location at a different time. The aim is to deceive the GPS receiver so that it estimates its location to be at a place that the spoofer wants it to estimate, not where it is actually located. Another possibility is that the location of the receiver is genuine, but the time-frame is fake. Either way, GPS spoofing helps criminals to steal vehicles and hide them.
Another area where GPS spoofing can be profitable is the transportation sector. For example, there have been cases where Uber drivers have deceived the receiver, making it look as if they are somewhere they are not, such as at an airport parking lot. This allows them to make money somewhere else using a different ride-sharing platform, such as Lyft.
Because of developments in technology, GPS spoofing can be done quite easily. There are even apps that can override a smartphone’s legitimate location data. Nevertheless, there are also different ways to protect oneself from GPS spoofing. The easiest method is to use an anti-spoofing software. In essence, it is similar to anti-virus software as it prevents the effects of spoofing attacks just as anti-virus software helps to protect your computer from malware. However, it is advisable to combine this with other methods, such as obscuring your car antenna or using a blocking antenna.
