An AirTag mounted in a truck helps drivers detect that the vehicle they are driving is stolen.
The AirTag in the truck was stolen. Photo: Fox7 |
According to Fox7, last month, a driver in Texas received an alert from his iPhone that an AirTag was nearby, after he purchased a used truck a few hours ago. This person immediately informed the police.
After searching, police found an AirTag lying in the middle seat. The vehicle is also identified as stolen property by the vehicle's identification number.
David Beyer, a representative of the Texas police department, said the AirTag attached to the vehicle was a conspiracy by the seller. "The device is placed in the car for a double theft. What they do is track the driver, determine where the car is parked, take advantage of the distraction and steal the car again," explains Beyer.
The vehicle's legal owner has received his vehicle back. Meanwhile, the driver mentioned above has put a deposit of 800 USD for the car and cannot get the money back until the thieves are caught.
AirTag was introduced by Apple in April 2021 for $ 29. The device is as small as a Go piece, allowing it to be attached to personal objects to recover when lost. AirTag has a one-year battery life, uses Bluetooth, and will automatically connect to any iPhone within 10 meters of it. This feature helps users to find AirTag anywhere in the world, as long as there is an iPhone nearby.
Despite its many uses, AirTag is controversial. Late last year, Canadian police discovered an increase in car thefts related to this device. They are used by criminals to track the location of vehicles, usually luxury vehicles, and try to steal them. Between September and early December of last year, at least five AirTag-related car thefts were identified.
The use of AirTag as a tracking device has long been warned by experts. Apple also had to add a feature to alert users if there are strange AirTags nearby constantly, but this feature does not always work consistently.