Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Apple
Apple’s AirTags are supposed to make tracking small stuff, such as car keys, more convenient. By attaching the trackers to your belongings, you can easily see where they are at any given time by pulling the data from the Find My app on the iPhone.
It didn’t take long for AirTags to become everybody’s favorite tracker. A BMW SUV owner from Southeast D.C. knew Apple’s little gadget could come in handy in emergencies, so he bought two. One was attached to the car key, while the second was hidden in the car. You know, just in case the worst happens.
And it did. A car thief approached owner Sean Setter in front of his house when unloading the vehicle. The carjacker was holding a gun and asked for the vehicle keys. Seconds later, he was driving away in the BMW.
This is the moment when the AirTag came into play. Most car thieves don’t typically search for trackers, be they GPS or the likes of AirTags, but this time, the carjacker knew precisely what he was doing. Minutes later, he tossed the AirTag attached to the car keys, as well as the owner’s iPhone still sitting on the passenger seat.
By design, iPhones can be tracked from the Find My app installed on another Apple device with the same user account. The thief apparently knew this very well, so he threw the phone and the AirTag to block the owner from locating him.
Little did he know that a second AirTag was planted in the vehicle. Thinking he was now “invisible,” the thief was enjoying his time in the stolen car when he was located by the police. It didn’t take law enforcement more than one hour to determine his location based on the AirTag data, so finding him was a piece of cake. Unfortunately, the car had already been totaled by the time they arrived at the provided location. As it turns out, the thief was involved in a shootout, eventually driving through yards and causing massive vehicle damage.
The police officers still found the vehicle thanks to the AirTag, but the insurance company labeled it as totaled. As such, the owner was given a replacement SUV.
Law enforcement continued the investigation and eventually arrested someone allegedly connected with the carjacking the next day.
Given their small dimensions, AirTags can be placed virtually anywhere. This ended up becoming a double-edged sword, as bad actors also turned to AirTags for more nefarious purposes, including stalking. People around the world have found the tracker hidden behind license plates or in wheel wells, as criminals tried to track their location. By default, AirTags generate warnings on nearby iPhones to prevent stalking. On Android, users must install a dedicated app from the Google Play Store to scan for trackers in proximity.
And it did. A car thief approached owner Sean Setter in front of his house when unloading the vehicle. The carjacker was holding a gun and asked for the vehicle keys. Seconds later, he was driving away in the BMW.
This is the moment when the AirTag came into play. Most car thieves don’t typically search for trackers, be they GPS or the likes of AirTags, but this time, the carjacker knew precisely what he was doing. Minutes later, he tossed the AirTag attached to the car keys, as well as the owner’s iPhone still sitting on the passenger seat.
By design, iPhones can be tracked from the Find My app installed on another Apple device with the same user account. The thief apparently knew this very well, so he threw the phone and the AirTag to block the owner from locating him.
Little did he know that a second AirTag was planted in the vehicle. Thinking he was now “invisible,” the thief was enjoying his time in the stolen car when he was located by the police. It didn’t take law enforcement more than one hour to determine his location based on the AirTag data, so finding him was a piece of cake. Unfortunately, the car had already been totaled by the time they arrived at the provided location. As it turns out, the thief was involved in a shootout, eventually driving through yards and causing massive vehicle damage.
The police officers still found the vehicle thanks to the AirTag, but the insurance company labeled it as totaled. As such, the owner was given a replacement SUV.
Law enforcement continued the investigation and eventually arrested someone allegedly connected with the carjacking the next day.
Given their small dimensions, AirTags can be placed virtually anywhere. This ended up becoming a double-edged sword, as bad actors also turned to AirTags for more nefarious purposes, including stalking. People around the world have found the tracker hidden behind license plates or in wheel wells, as criminals tried to track their location. By default, AirTags generate warnings on nearby iPhones to prevent stalking. On Android, users must install a dedicated app from the Google Play Store to scan for trackers in proximity.
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