Posted on 12/07/2021 8:17:36 AM PST by Red Badger
In brief: When Apple launched the AirTags earlier this year, they seemed like a helpful tool to avoid losing valuable items like laptops, phones, tablets, or anything else. However, car thieves are now using them to track high-end vehicles, showing them the location of their target in real-time.
From September 2021 until now, the York Regional Police have already encountered five cases where suspects used Apple AirTags to track vehicles they were allegedly planning to steal. Thieves put the trackers on publically parked cars and situate the device in out-of-sight places, including trailer hitches, bumpers, and gas cap area. Thieves can then track the vehicle until they find it in a suitable location to steal, like the victim's residence.
Hiding Apple's AirTags in a car is only possible because of its compact shape and size. Its round shape and small dimension make hiding the tracker easier and quicker than actually stealing the car in a high-risk area. Applying an adhesive magnet to it makes placing it on any out-of-the-way place on the vehicle easy and fast.
To prevent AirTag owners from using Apple's tracker to stalk others, the manufacturer implemented countermeasures to hinder those who try. If your car has a thief's AirTag hidden somewhere and you have an iPhone, you can detect it in your vicinity. Even if you don't own an iPhone, the tracker will start emitting an alarm sound sometime between eight and 24 hours after moving from the owner's vicinity.
This time window is still more than enough time to steal the car, but you can use other measures to prevent thieves from succeeding in their objective. A couple of examples include parking your car in the garage instead of your driveway or using steering wheel locks to prevent them from driving, even if they can start it.
Apple Pingy!.................
Also a great tool for stalkers.
What do you know, more unanticipated consequences from tech.
They try to hold gun manufacturers accountable, how about tech companies too?
Or to see where your spouse went for ‘lunch’?....................
Maybe Apple can now sell a tag detector to see if one is transmitting nearby.
They serve lunch at those cheap motels?
Box lunch..........................
Don’t you all just love this new high tech age?
Signed,
Me
Guy who has no smartphone (uses TracFone minute phone for car emergencies)
and has a landline phone (yes, with a touch tone pad on it).
Better than crab salad, or fish tacos.
The iphone will detect them
Another “mention Apple, get clicks” headline.
A very few cases of perps using tracker tags to follow desired products to a location easier to pilfer.
Good chance the owners ignored their iPhones informing them “someone else’s AirTag is moving with you”.
can do that now with iphones and the follow me app.
Exactly.
“Don’t you all just love this new high tech age?”
Yes. I’m making a good living off it. Significant improvement in society, albeit a few new ways to abuse it (vs, say, highwaymen simply offing anyone coming by and taking their cash).
They don't have to be paired?
But I believe with those you have to explicitly grant permission.
A person could put these on your car and track you without even you being aware of it.
Sounds like an opportunity for someone to manufacture AirTag locators or jammers.
OR
Apple could put an IDENTIFIER CODE into each one’s signal so YOU KNOW WHO BOUGHT IT.............
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.