Police warn public about criminals’ high tech AirTags tracking scheme

The coin-sized plastic discs can be discretely slipped into pockets, purses, and other personal items, giving the perpetrator access to real-time location data.

"In a traditional stalking case," Sgt. James Isaacs of Dearborn, Michigan told Fox News, "typically you have people who are making contact or unwanted contact with a victim, repeatedly." He explained that "using the AirTag is just another way for them to do that in a more surreptitious way."

"We hear more and more stories about how these devices are being used for bad rather than the good they were invented for," Indianapolis' Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Chris Bailey lamented, urging people to "be a little more cautious."

According to VICE, the majority of victims in cases involving AirTags are women, a trend mirrored in stalking-related crimes generally. An investigation into records from eight of the country's largest police departments revealed that during an 8-month period following AirTags' release in 2021, there were 150 reports mentioning the device. Fifty cases involved women who said they had received a notification informing them they were being tracked by an unknown AirTag, half of whom said they could identify the perpetrators.

In one such case, a woman filed a police report after her soon-to-be ex-husband placed an AirTag in a vehicle they both owned, and used it to track her movements. Since both their names were on the title, police refused to press charges.

"AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products," Apple wrote in a statement earlier this year.

The company explained that a number of safety features have been put in place to ensure that everyone, regardless of whether they have an iPhone or Android, can be made aware when an unknown AirTag is on their person or in their belongings.

If an AirTag is not registered to an individual and their device notices that it is following them, a notification will pop up informing them. It is then up to the individual, however, to find and discard the AirTag.

"Across Apple's hardware, software, and services teams," the company added, "we're committed to listening to feedback and innovating to make improvements that continue to guard against unwanted tracking."

Despite their best intentions, many argue Apple hasn't gone far enough to protect people from potential crimes involving AirTags. In December, two women filed a class action lawsuit against the company claiming that the devices contributed to their being stalked and harassed.

"What separates the AirTag from any competitor product is its unparalleled accuracy, ease of use ... and affordability," the suit states. "With a price point of just $29, it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers."

The suit also points out that while Apple and Android users are both provided with support in the case of AirTag misuse, the protections are much more readily available for the former.