Thieves are trying to fill orders for certain cars; their success depends on an Apple device

Thieves are trying to fill orders for certain cars; their success depends on an Apple device،

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the country has a car theft problem. In 2022, the bureau reported that 105,000 cars were stolen in the country. And that number may have increased last year and could continue to increase this year thanks in part to the Apple Air Tag. The small round object tracker has become a tool of choice for car thieves looking to fulfill delivery requests for certain cars.

We first noticed how Air Tag units were being used in Canada to steal cars in 2021, when they were placed on high-end vehicles by criminals who used their iPhones to locate these cars late at night and steal them. And now it appears that criminals in Montreal are using AirTag item trackers to locate certain vehicles requested by car thieves, either for parts or to turn around and sell.

AppleInsider published the story of Ethan Yang who was returning home to Massachusetts after visiting family in Montreal when he received a notification on his iPhone. He discovered that someone had attached an AirTag to his car and was following him. He used his iPhone to beep the AirTag and discovered the object tracker was placed in the grille of his car. Criminals also place AirTag units in other locations, such as under a car's windshield wipers or inside a targeted vehicle.

In Burlington, Vermont, police say they received two reports this month of travelers finding trackers in their cars. Ryan McLiverty, a cyber analyst with the Vermont Intelligence Center, said, “They could identify vehicles that could be stolen and shipped overseas as part of a car theft ring.” » And these days, a stolen car can end up in a very distant country like Russia or Africa.

You would think that placing an AirTag inside a vehicle would make it easier to recover a stolen vehicle, but that's not always the case. A Toronto man had his car stolen for the second time and the AirTag he placed inside couldn't help police recover his belongings. But the tracker allowed the car owner to see their vehicle being shipped to Dubai.

Placing an AirTag in a car, as the Toronto victim we just talked about did, can often help recover a stolen car. It didn't work for the guy whose car landed in Dubai, but it might work for you. However, Apple and law enforcement agree on one thing. If you can locate your stolen car, under no circumstances try to recover it by approaching the thieves yourself or even with friends. In this scenario, you should always call the police and explain the situation to them first.

McLiverty says: “Criminals are increasingly using technology to target individuals, and sometimes just knowing the basic security features of these devices can be very helpful. » He adds that if you come across an AirTag that you found placed inside or outside your car, turn it in to the police immediately.