Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Like all good things in life, it doesn't take long before people with nefarious purposes ruin them. This recently happened with the AirTag, a fantastic device for tracking car keys, wallets, and even cats.
While Apple launched the AirTag with this good goal in mind, thieves rapidly turned it into a double-edged sword, using the trackers to track the vehicles they planned to steal.
After a concerning increase in car thefts involving AirTags, Toronto Police issued a public warning for vehicle owners, explaining that a growing number of criminals turn to the little device to track their targets.
A video shared by officer Marco Ricciardi explains that thieves install the AirTag in places where you could hardly find it, such as behind the license plate or in wheel wells. Once the device is in place, the thief can track the vehicle's location using their iPhone.
AirTags communicate with their owners using nearby iPhones. They don't sport built-in Internet access but connect to iPhones in proximity using Bluetooth and transmit their coordinates using the smartphone's Internet connection. The owner can see the AirTag location in the Find My app nearly in real-time when a connection with an iPhone allows permanent location sharing.
Ricciardi explains that thieves use AirTag to see where you live, typically trying to steal cars when you sleep in the middle of the night.
The officer says iPhone users should use the notification appearing on their iPhones to find and disable the tracker, while Android owners must install an application from the Google Play Store to scan for nearby trackers and locate them. More recently, Android has also received native detection of nearby trackers.
Ricciardi says that car owners can also use AirTags for their benefit by installing the tracker in the vehicle. The device can offer location information if the car gets stolen, helping police recover it.
However, the most worrying part is that thieves increasingly use AirTags to track and steal cars. Given their small form factor, AirTags can be planted virtually anywhere, making it difficult for the car owner to find it. It's also important to know that AirTags don't come with a power-on button, and the only way to disable it is to remove its battery. This involves finding the device, so when you receive an alert of an AirTag traveling with you, making sure you discover where it's hiding.
You can also contact local police, as investigators can contact Apple and find the AirTag owner based on the device ID and the associated account. Ricciardi says that the AirTag could also have fingerprints that could help find the owner.
If you believe you're in danger when you discover the AirTag, dialing 911 should be the first option, especially if you previously spotted someone around your car.
After a concerning increase in car thefts involving AirTags, Toronto Police issued a public warning for vehicle owners, explaining that a growing number of criminals turn to the little device to track their targets.
A video shared by officer Marco Ricciardi explains that thieves install the AirTag in places where you could hardly find it, such as behind the license plate or in wheel wells. Once the device is in place, the thief can track the vehicle's location using their iPhone.
AirTags communicate with their owners using nearby iPhones. They don't sport built-in Internet access but connect to iPhones in proximity using Bluetooth and transmit their coordinates using the smartphone's Internet connection. The owner can see the AirTag location in the Find My app nearly in real-time when a connection with an iPhone allows permanent location sharing.
Ricciardi explains that thieves use AirTag to see where you live, typically trying to steal cars when you sleep in the middle of the night.
The officer says iPhone users should use the notification appearing on their iPhones to find and disable the tracker, while Android owners must install an application from the Google Play Store to scan for nearby trackers and locate them. More recently, Android has also received native detection of nearby trackers.
Ricciardi says that car owners can also use AirTags for their benefit by installing the tracker in the vehicle. The device can offer location information if the car gets stolen, helping police recover it.
However, the most worrying part is that thieves increasingly use AirTags to track and steal cars. Given their small form factor, AirTags can be planted virtually anywhere, making it difficult for the car owner to find it. It's also important to know that AirTags don't come with a power-on button, and the only way to disable it is to remove its battery. This involves finding the device, so when you receive an alert of an AirTag traveling with you, making sure you discover where it's hiding.
You can also contact local police, as investigators can contact Apple and find the AirTag owner based on the device ID and the associated account. Ricciardi says that the AirTag could also have fingerprints that could help find the owner.
If you believe you're in danger when you discover the AirTag, dialing 911 should be the first option, especially if you previously spotted someone around your car.
@sabanoorr ♬ original sound - Saba noor
Google News