In a news release from York Regional Police, investigators have identified a new method being used by thieves to track down and steal high-end vehicles that takes advantage of the AirTag’s location-tracking capabilities.
While the method of stealing the cars is largely conventional, the purpose of the AirTag is to track a high-end car back to a victim’s residence where it can be stolen from the driveway.
Since September 2021, police officers in York Region alone have investigated five incidents where suspects used AirTags in thefts of high-end vehicles. Thieves target any particularly valuable vehicles they find in public places and parking lots, placing an AirTag in an out-of-sight area, such as in the tow hitch or fuel cap, in the hope that it will not be discovered by the car’s owner.
The tow hitch connector appears to be a popular spot for car thieves to hide an AirTag which is used to track and then steal expensive trucks or cars (Images: York Regional Police)
Apple’s anti-stalking function is designed to prevent this from happening, because it notifies iPhone users should an unknown AirTag constantly remain in their immediate proximity.
Not every car owner uses iPhone to get notified of unknown Airtag constantly following them, if the car owner using an iPhone even though they simply ignore the notification who will expect this type of danger.
So far The York Regional Police has recorded five incidents of stolen cars in which the thieves used Apple AirTags.
