Watch out thieves about using AppleAirTags to track your car

[614-HSO]

I doubt this is new, but a automotive content creator I watch Emelia Hartford just posted from Japan about her friend's R34 GTR, where someone has put a Apple AirTag underneath the car so they can track it and likely steal it!

If this is going on in Japan, what about everywhere else!!!!!

For normal people this is a huge issue, but could also be very problematic for creators/well known people/celebrities as their cars and plates are going to be known.

I have put the link to the post below, you should be able to just click on it to watch, you don't need to be logged into to Instagram to watch it either.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2GUMuvS0Xk/?hl=en

[simon_harris]

don't you get notifications on your phone about unknown airtags?


given how cheap a bog standard stand alone GPS tracker is I can't see why someone would try this with airtags

[Krikkit]

simon_harris said:

don't you get notifications on your phone about unknown airtags?

Yep

[vikingaero]

simon_harris said:

don't you get notifications on your phone about unknown airtags?


given how cheap a bog standard stand alone GPS tracker is I can't see why someone would try this with airtags

Eggsactly. There have been many reports in the news of operators of cash rich businesses such as corner shops having GPS trackers attached to their private cars, so that thieves can find out where they live.

[Fckitdriveon]

simon_harris said:

don't you get notifications on your phone about unknown airtags?


given how cheap a bog standard stand alone GPS tracker is I can't see why someone would try this with airtags

AirTags are easier to conceal, however Any form of hostile tracking no matter what is used, isn’t ideal.

Lumping up a target car is quite a common method in the uk now.

[Fckitdriveon]

vikingaero said:

simon_harris said:

don't you get notifications on your phone about unknown airtags?


given how cheap a bog standard stand alone GPS tracker is I can't see why someone would try this with airtags

Eggsactly. There have been many reports in the news of operators of cash rich businesses such as corner shops having GPS trackers attached to their private cars, so that thieves can find out where they live.

This also true.

[anonymous-user]

Trying to generate some clicks !

[DaveCWK]

Probably a made up clickbait story. Surely a real criminal will just use a very basic very cheap GPS tracker so the occupants aren't alerted to the airtag.

[toon10]

Krikkit said:

simon_harris said:

don't you get notifications on your phone about unknown airtags?

Yep

Yeah, Mrs. Toon has one of mine in her car in case it gets pinched. She gets alerts on her phone to say that an airtag not assigned to her is tracking her. We're an Apple household so not sure if we would get any alerts if someone put a Samsung tag on our car though?

[distinctivedesign]

As I understand it, you are only alerted to Airtags (hostile or otherwise) if you have an Apple phone/device.

The same applies to the Android equivalent. It is not a given that you would be alerted.

Someone secreted an Airtag on my van and I had no idea (I use an Android phone). A colleague told me as it showed on his iPhone.

[Fckitdriveon]

DaveCWK said:

Probably a made up clickbait story. Surely a real criminal will just use a very basic very cheap GPS tracker so the occupants aren't alerted to the airtag.

Not made up at all. Seen both scenarios (hostile AirTags and gps trackers ) play out in the uk last year .

[Jamescrs]

I have one hidden in my own car.

I find it ridiculous that BMW do fit GPS tracking as standard but they can be switched off in the I-Drive with no security pin or password

[Krikkit]

toon10 said:

Krikkit said:

simon_harris said:

don't you get notifications on your phone about unknown airtags?

Yep

Yeah, Mrs. Toon has one of mine in her car in case it gets pinched. She gets alerts on her phone to say that an airtag not assigned to her is tracking her. We're an Apple household so not sure if we would get any alerts if someone put a Samsung tag on our car though?

I'm not 100% sure, but on my Android phone I get notified of airtags. My Mrs uses one in her car to keep an eye on it.

[garypotter]

I am also aware of two high value cars that had 2 trackers and a cat1 stolen but found due to the £35 air tag they planted in the car!! works both ways

[TheAngryDog]

To those who put air tags in their cars, surely if the car thief steals the car and has an iPhone then they will know it has one and will likely have a quick look around the car and find it and throw it away?

[SuperPav]

TheAngryDog said:

To those who put air tags in their cars, surely if the car thief steals the car and has an iPhone then they will know it has one and will likely have a quick look around the car and find it and throw it away?

Not if you drop it into the bellhousing or sill section or similar - granted it's a one shot deal, but still

[MB140]

Jamescrs said:

I have one hidden in my own car.

I find it ridiculous that BMW do fit GPS tracking as standard but they can be switched off in the I-Drive with no security pin or password

They can also remote turn it on after the criminals have turned it off but it doesn’t show up in the IDrive screen when it has been turned back on.

Operation Cundall..

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Nurburgsingh]

SuperPav said:

TheAngryDog said:

To those who put air tags in their cars, surely if the car thief steals the car and has an iPhone then they will know it has one and will likely have a quick look around the car and find it and throw it away?

Not if you drop it into the bellhousing or sill section or similar - granted it's a one shot deal, but still

I suppose they'll get pinged before they steal it too so it might just be enough to make them nick your neighbours car instead

[p4cks]

James6112 said:

Trying to generate some clicks !

This.

[0a]

Nurburgsingh said:

I suppose they'll get pinged before they steal it too so it might just be enough to make them nick your neighbours car instead

You only get an alert when it has been moving with you for some time, and there are various other parameters - eg to stop them triggering if you are on a train for a number of hours next to someone.