Fountain Gate Shopping Centre has been a hotspot for a string of car thefts over the last few months with many shoppers are now choosing not to park their cars there or attend the shops altogether.
And many more are urging for greater security, such as boom gates and paid parking to ward off or limit recurring car theft.
One recent victim, who does not want to be named, had her car stolen on Sunday 18 January from an underground carpark between 12pm and 2pm.
She told Star News that the “brand new” Mazda had only been purchased in September 2025 and requires a key fob to start.
“When we returned to leave, my car was gone and another car had been parked in its spot. I was shocked and in disbelief,” she said.
“What made the situation even more concerning is that the vehicle requires a key fob to unlock and start, which raises serious questions about how the theft was able to occur.”
Following her endeavours to find the car, she made a social media post urging anyone for information.
This was when she found out that the stolen car was located in Berwick, where another local witnessed the alleged offender stealing a set of number plates from another vehicle.
The Hampton Park woman says she’s been living in the area for 30 years and that the shopping centre has been a “regular place to shop”, she now calls for stronger security measures.
“It would never have crossed my mind that this was happening,” she said.
“They really need to install boom gates and paid parking like other shopping centres, if this keeps happening.”
Nearly a month prior, Amy’s car was also stolen on 22 December, at about 7:10pm at night.
As she walked out of the shopping centre around 12am after watching a movie, she realised her vehicle was gone.
“We walked out at about 10 past 12, and me and my husband both looked at each other, going, where’s the car?
“And it was just gone.”
The car was found a week later, but she still hasn’t been able to see it herself.
She says the event upended her plans to travel over the holidays.
“It stuffed everything up, because we were meant to go away camping and meant to tow a caravan, but we couldn’t do any of that because I didn’t have my car.”
Amy says that the centre has been her local shopping centre for years, and that she did not expect something like this to happen.
“I’m quite scared when I either get the car back or I get a new car about going there,” she said.
Tim’s wife’s car was targeted during a separate event on 18 December near the same parking lot.
Telling Star News, that the car at the time of the theft, was full of Christmas shopping from earlier in the day.
“She noticed as soon as she stepped out of the doors that the car wasn’t there and our daughter started freaking out,” Tim said.
Tim says that they have not been back to their local shopping centre since the theft.
“We haven’t been back yet…. and when we do go back, I’ll drop her off and stay in the car,” he said.
“(My) wife’s still upset, a brand new 100k car just gone. Then a few thousand in presents as well as our daughter’s school bag and toys.
“I can tell it’s eating at them both.”
Similarly to Amy, Tim’s car is being held at a towing yard, and he says they “aren’t allowed to view it or see if there’s anything left inside”.
Casey Police’s Local Area Commander Inspector, Stu Richards, said that their unit are investigating several reported car thefts from the centre over the past two months.
“Police have received reports of vehicles of varying makes and models being taken from different areas of the shopping centre carpark,” said the commander.
“There is no intelligence to suggest any of the thefts are linked.
“Two Nissan Patrols stolen on 18 and 22 December have since been recovered in Sunshine and Doveton respectively, however, their registration plates remain outstanding.
“In some of the incidents, the vehicles were locked and the owner retained the car keys, indicating third-party key-reprogramming devices may have been used to steal the vehicles.
“Police are urging owners to install anti-theft measures such as on-board diagnostic port locks (OBD), while continuing to engage with impacted manufacturers and insurers to help prevent this from occurring.
“Victoria Police reminds vehicle owners to lock their car doors and windows to deter opportunistic thieves, and where possible, park in well-lit areas. For added security consider using steering locks and secure your keys when not in use.
“A full list of anti-theft measures can be found on the Victoria Police website, with a range of auto shops and websites stocking anti-theft products.”
Nathan, owner of Automotive Lighting Customs in Rowville, told Star News that over the last few months, many Casey residents have travelled to his shop to install a small immobiliser that works to inhibit car theft.
The technician also said that often, steering wheel locks or OBD locks doesn’t always prevent theft, giving owners “a false sense of security”.
“The IGLA immobiliser is a very small device, a bit smaller than your pinky finger,” he said.
“It gets wired into the vehicle and communicates to the vehicle’s computers to stop the car from starting.”
By entering a customised pin, set up by the car’s owner, the vehicle can only be started once the pin is entered.
“Its small size means we can hide it in many places in a car and in such a way that someone could pull apart the car and practically be touching it and not know it’s there,” said Nathan.
A Westfield Fountain Gate spokesperson told Star News that ensuring safety of those who attend the centre is their highest priority.
“The safety and security of our customers, business partners and community is our highest priority,” they said.
“Our security approach is designed in close partnership with law enforcement, including police and relevant government agencies.
“We work very closely with local authorities to respond to incidents and collaborate on initiatives that support community safety and vigilance.”Fountain Gate centre management has been contacted for comment, no response has been received at the time of publication.
For the year ending 2025, Crime Statistics Agency recorded 1466 motor vehicles theft in Casey.
As one of the biggest municipality in Victoria, it puts the region as second in the state for total vehicles stolen after the Melbourne CBD.
Anyone with information on any of the car thefts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au.
