To provide a theft prevention apparatus that functions to keep any object from moving even in the event of theft at any time under any circumstances, and that can be mounted on a wide variety of objects that operate by electric control, including vehicles, ships, cellphones, and IC cards, to prevent the use of the objects in the event of theft, and a theft prevention method that keeps thieves from obtaining the value of using the objects.

A shutting part is provided in the center part of an electronic control circuit serving as an object, to put the electronic control circuit into a state in which it does not operate normally. The object that does not operate normally in its standard state is created to keep thieves from using the object. When a manager uses the object, the shutting part is connected by means of a time adjusting device using a predetermined signal so that the object operates normally only for a predetermined period of time. Even if the object is stolen, the time adjusting device automatically keeps it from operating normally and keeps it in a stable state to keep thieves from using the object. Information about the fact that it is not usable even if stolen discourages thieves from steeling it.