Thieves are now hiding $29 Apple AirTags on luxury vehicles at parking lots and then tracking them with iPhones back to their homes before stealing them with keys from the house
- A new technical carjacking method has been reported in the York region of Ontario, Canada, with thieves using AirTags to track and steal vehicles
- The York Regional Police have reported five such incidents since September
- Thieves place the small device in hidden areas of vehicles parked in public spaces to later track it to the owner’s home and steal it from their driveway
- The $29 AirTag device, launched in April, is designed to help track down lost items using an iPhone
Thieves are turning to increasingly technical methods in their attempts to steal cars – by using Apple AirTags to track high-end vehicles.
Cops in the York region of Ontario, Canada, have recorded at least five incidents in a matter of weeks where the devices have been used to track cars.
Thieves first target cars in public places and parking lots by hiding the $29 coin-sized AirTags next to gas caps, behind trailer hitches and under bumpers.
They then use iPhones to track the car to the owner’s home before picking the ideal time to steal them from the driveway with keys taken from the house.
York Regional cops have reported a spate of such thefts – and have warned the technique could soon become more widespread.
High-end vehicles such as Lexus S350s, Ford F150s, Toyota Highlanders and Honda C-RVs have been among targets, the York Regional cops said.
Apple Air Tags, released for sale by Apple in April, can be attached to items such as keys, backpacks and purses. The circular devices are equipped with Bluetooth connectivity to pair with an iPhone or iPad or third party device.
The location of the AirTag is sent to iCloud and then it can be seen on a map, according to Apple’s website. Using the ‘Find My’ app, the system provides step-by-step directions to locate the tag and the missing product.
Video footage revealed carjacking thieves stealing a vehicle at a residence after tracking it using a AirTag device
The $29 AirTag device, launched in April, are now being used by carjackers in Canada to track vehicles and later steal them
Thieves have been placing the device in hidden areas of the vehicle including trailer hitches, bumpers and gas cap areas
The York Regional Police department has since advised vehicle owners on how to keep their cars safe to avoid instances of future theft.
The measures include parking cars garages, rather than driveways and using steering wheel locks.
Apple has also rolled out security measures, including notifying iPhone users if an AirTag is in their vehicle.
An alarm will also go off about eight to 12 hours after it has been in the vehicle if the owner does not have an iPhone.
Members of the York Regional Police, such as Detective Jeff McKercher, have advised vehicle owners to park their car in a garage rather than a parking lost and using steering wheel locks
What are Apple Air Tags and how are they being used to steal vehicles?
The Apple Air Tags were launched on April 30 primarily to be used for attaching everyday items such as keys, backpacks and purses and later track them using an iPhone or iPad in the event that they go missing or get stolen.
Using Bluetooth connectivity, these items can be paired with a device that features the ‘Find My’ app which can provide step-by-step directions to locate the tag and the missing product to which it’s attached.
Due to the size of the device, these AirTags can easily be placed in hard-to-find areas and has recently been used in carjacking crimes in Canada.
Thieves have placed the coin-sized item in high-priced vehicles and hidden them in areas such as trailer hitches, bumpers and gas cap areas.
They later use the device to track the vehicle and steal them from the driveway of the owners.
Vehicle owners have since been advised to park their car in a garage, rather than their driveway, as well as using steering wheel locks to avoid having it stolen
If an AirTag is found in a vehicle, owners are advised to alert the police.
Despite mainly being reported in Canada, American vehicle owners have also taken note of the new use of AirTags.
‘These AirTags are getting used to track other people and that’s a big problem,’ Dr. Brendan Saltaformaggio told Fox11.
‘The tag knows if it’s following someone other than the owner of the tag. The tag can either make a noise. Or if you have a newer iPhone, it can send a message to your iPhone and alert you that the tag is nearby.’
In an August report, Fox stated that the tracking device could be used to steal vehicles due to location features.
Fox News Autos completed a test run of the product as a stolen vehicle locator as they placed them in different vehicles across various locations.
The test run proved to be successful because it effectively pinned the location of all the vehicles.
The use of the AirTag as a vehicle tracker was also used to find a man’s stolen $800 scooter in Brooklyn over the summer.
Dan Guido, the CEO of company Trail of Bits, had used two Air Tags on his scooter with one in the wheel well as a decoy and the other within the handlebar stem which were both covered in heavy black duct tape.
He had enlisted the use of the device as well as with help of police to find the stolen vehicle which was later found at a used electric scooter store.
Guido said he found damage to the vehicle as the thieves had probably looked for the device to shut off the alarm.
The device, which went on sale on April 30, is equipped with BlueTooth connectivity to pair with an iPhone or iPad which can be personalized with a very short message or an emoji.
The device, which can be attached to items such as backpacks, keys and purses, have been used to track lost items using an iPhone
Similar to the popular Tile tag, AirTag can be attached to non-techy items like keys or wallets and provides notifications when you become separated from the item.
The ‘Find My’ app provides step-by-step directions to locate the tag and the missing product to which it’s attached.
Find My lets people track the whereabouts of their Apple devices, such as iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods, in case they get lost – but AirTag extends this to other everyday, non-electronic items.
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