Bluetooth trackers like the Apple AirTags are being used across Canada to steal high-end, and high-value vehicles. Apple includes a special anti-tracking feature that lets victims know if they are being tracked by an AirTag, but the notification can easily be ignored, and it won’t notify those who use Android devices.
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According to a Canadian Police report, the AirTags can transmit location data to the thieves’ iPhones, which can help locate where a particular vehicle is parked. Once the thieves discover the cars, they’re often stolen from the owner’s driveway. The criminals look out for high-end vehicles in public spaces like carparks, shopping centres and so on, and hide trackers in places like the fuel cap or the towing hitch.
Apple includes anti-tracking features within AirTags that can help notify victims with an iPhone that they are being tracked, but not all victims have iPhones and not everyone pays enough attention to all of the notifications that could help prevent some of these incidents.
The police recommend car owners park their vehicles in private garages if at all possible and inspect their vehicles before moving off. It’s also worth checking the devices, they said, especially if it’s an iPhone, to see if there are any unusual notifications before and after moving off, which can trigger the AirTag and notify the victim.
While only five thefts have been directly linked to AirTags so far, more than 2,000 vehicles have been stolen across the region in the past year, and the problem is likely to extend to other localities and countries around the world. The police expect to see AirTags used on a wider scale in an increasing number of vehicle thefts in the future.
The criminals always seem to find a way to use technology against us.
