Muscle Car Owner Targeted With Hidden AirTag Placed by Thieves

[ericwn]

So I have a Mountain Bike that I’ve slowly upgraded over a few years and it’s worth more than most cars. My wife has a carbon fat bike also worth a lot. We wanted to put AirTags in the frames so we could track them if ever stolen. If I’m understanding everything correctly, if they get stolen while on vacation and we follow the thieves by tracking our stolen bikes, they will get a notification that they are being tracked and can disable the AirTag? Then they can also go to the police and claim that we are the thieves? I don’t have any special documentation that says they are our bikes like a car. Horrible design. Guess we won’t be getting these for our peace of mind.

It’s relatively unlikely that a thief will contact the police with such a far fetched claim. Would be entertaining though. You can of course start documenting elements of your bikes, if only by taking sufficient pictures, registering potential serial numbers etc just in case.
But yes as Apple stated already the intended use case is rather finding lost than tracking stolen stuff and they put the privacy of people who are targeted and tracked above the ability to quietly follow thieves around.

 

[44267547]

If I’m understanding everything correctly, if they get stolen while on vacation and we follow the thieves by tracking our stolen bikes…

And this is how people get hurt and put themselves in a situation that they can’t get out of. If you have a specific location of where a stolen bike or item is with the AirTag, you notify law-enforcement and leave it at that. You’re likely not trained L.E to be following people that are potentially dangerous and risking your life over a…. bike? I think not.

So I have a Mountain Bike that I’ve slowly upgraded over a few years and it’s worth more than most cars. I don’t have any special documentation that says they are our bikes like a car. Horrible design. Guess we won’t be getting these for our peace of mind.

So let me understand this correctly. You’re claiming you have a mountain bike that’s worth potentially ‘more than most cars’. I’m not contesting what you’re saying, but if you have a mountain bike that is potentially worth more than a $30,000 vehicle for example, how would you not have the knowledge to have that appraised and properly insured? Any qualified lender or reputable pawn-shop, can easily put you in touch with a verifiable appraisal specialist that could determine the value of your bike and then you provide documentation to your insurance holder for those exact reasons.

I own some pretty special-highly modified performance cars myself, and if I don’t fully understand the value, I’ve had them properly appraised. That’s what people do with very expensive items that are either customized or a ‘one-off-rarity’ item.

 

[prezasti]

And this is how people get hurt and put themselves in a situation that they can’t get out of. If you have a specific location of where a stolen bike or item is with the AirTag, you notify law-enforcement and leave it at that. You’re likely not trained L.E to be following people that are potentially dangerous and risking your life over a…. bike? I think not.



So let me understand this correctly. You’re claiming you have a mountain bike that’s worth potentially ‘more than most cars’. I’m not contesting what you’re saying, but if you have a mountain bike that is potentially worth more than a $30,000 vehicle for example, how would you not have the knowledge to have that appraised and properly insured? Any qualified lender or reputable pawn-shop, can easily put you in touch with a verifiable appraisal specialist that could determine the value of your bike and then you provide documentation to your insurance holder for those exact reasons.

I own some pretty special-highly modified performance cars myself, and if I don’t fully understand the value, I’ve had them properly appraised. That’s what people do with very expensive items that are either customized or a ‘one-off-rarity’ item.

I didn’t say it was worth more than expensive cars. I have over $8k invested in the bike, which was slowly upgraded over a few years and my wife’s bike cost just over $4k. Many used cars are less than $8k.

When I first heard about air tags, I was excited to finally have some safety for our bikes. I apparently didn’t understand the “intended” use for these. I don’t regularly lose small items or large items, but people like to steal things and unfortunately insurance companies don’t have many options for stolen bike coverage, unless it’s taken from our home. Was hoping AirTags were a solution.

 

[44267547]

I didn’t say it was worth more than expensive cars.

I know that. But you were vague in your description and didn’t say specifically how much your mountain bike was worth. Regardless, I would have that appraised, which that’s what appraisal specialists are designated to do with most types of valued possessions and commodities.

 

[Phone Junky]

So I have a Mountain Bike that I’ve slowly upgraded over a few years and it’s worth more than most cars.

I didn’t say it was worth more than expensive cars. I have over $8k invested in the bike, which was slowly upgraded over a few years and my wife’s bike cost just over $4k. Many used cars are less than $8k.

Over $8k is expensive for a car? You went from your bike being worth more than most cars in your first post to it being worth more than many used cars in your next post. Quite a difference.

 

[prezasti]

I know that. But you were vague in your description and didn’t say specifically how much your mountain bike was worth. Regardless, I would have that appraised, which that’s what appraisal specialists are designated to do with most types of valued possessions and commodities.

My apologies l, it was late when I wrote the post and didn’t think my wording thru.

 

[prezasti]

Over $8k is expensive for a car? You went from your bike being worth more than most cars in your first post to it being worth more than many used cars in your next post. Quite a difference.

I guess where I live, most cars owned by people are less expensive than people in other areas. So I could have been clearer originally. I feel like I have more money in the bike than many people would ever spend on a bike and would rather have a car for the same amount of money. Again, I should have been more specific, but my point was I thought AirTags were Apples approach to Tile and I was hopeful it could bring some piece of mind if I put them on my bikes. I unfortunately had the wrong understanding of how to use AirTags.

 

[ericwn]

I guess where I live, most cars owned by people are less expensive than people in other areas. So I could have been clearer originally. I feel like I have more money in the bike than many people would ever spend on a bike and would rather have a car for the same amount of money. Again, I should have been more specific, but my point was I thought AirTags were Apples approach to Tile and I was hopeful it could bring some piece of mind if I put them on my bikes. I unfortunately had the wrong understanding of how to use AirTags.

Kudos to you for the clarification and additional context.
Compared to a Tile an AirTag is probably still way more efficient but if the thieves have an iPhone they will get a notification if the AirTag travels with them. If you hide it well it might at least encourage a criminal to drop the stolen stuff or buy you enough time to call the cops.

 

[jlc1978]

There’s a new contender to deal with in the new year. As more of these come out it may be hard to know what to look for and where it could be. A thin card could be hidden almost anywhere such as slipping behind rubber trim if you want to track a car, for example. One year battery life ensures you can track for a while if you want.

In addition, nothing stops someone from disassembling an AirTag, removing the speaker and then putting it a new case to make it harder to spot.

 

[MTShipp]

If you find an AirTag, you put it in a place where you can catch the owners when they come to look for it. Tracking goes both ways.

Or drive past a Greyhound station and attach to an outgoing, cross-country bus. Or go by the local police station and attach to a squad car.

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Or drive past a Greyhound station and attach to an outgoing, cross-country bus. Or go by the local police station and attach to a squad car.

I like the wild goose chase idea, too.

 

[omihek]

"he got a notification on his phone that informed him he was being tracked by an unknown AirTag." The system works—why is this even an article?

Because he got a notification on his phone that informed him he was being tracked by an unknown AirTag.

 

[cmaier]

Because he got a notification on his phone that informed him he was being tracked by an unknown AirTag.

Thus demonstrating that airtags, much like tying a very long string on the back of a target car, are a dumb way to try and facilitate theft. (In fact, both techiques are equally likely to be in actual use by car thieves).

 

[Rigby]

Are Apple AirTags Being Used to Track People and Steal Cars?

Privacy groups sounded alarms about the coin-sized location-tracking devices when they were introduced. Now people are concerned those fears are being realized.

www.nytimes.com

 

[ftaok]

Are Apple AirTags Being Used to Track People and Steal Cars?

Privacy groups sounded alarms about the coin-sized location-tracking devices when they were introduced. Now people are concerned those fears are being realized.

www.nytimes.com

This is actually quite comical now with how the media is jumping on this.

So on the one hand, AirTags are so easily found that they are ineffective to use to track stolen items, but then they are so hard to find and are therefore a perfect device to use to stalk women.

I’ve been reading up on this as many local stations are reporting a ton of new Airtag stalking stories. They never mention that of you find the AirTag, take it to the police/Apple and they will be able to find out the iPhone and AppleID it is attached to.

And regular people get exposed to these stories and they give such horrible advice on Facebook or Nextdoor.

 

[Rigby]

So on the one hand, AirTags are so easily found that they are ineffective to use to track stolen items, but then they are so hard to find and are therefore a perfect device to use to stalk women.

I’ve been reading up on this as many local stations are reporting a ton of new Airtag stalking stories. They never mention that of you find the AirTag, take it to the police/Apple and they will be able to find out the iPhone and AppleID it is attached to.

Did you even read the article? Some quotes:

"Police could ask Apple to provide information about the owner of the AirTag, potentially identifying the culprit. But some of the people who spoke with The Times were unable to find the associated AirTags they were notified of and said the police do not always take reports of the notifications on their phones seriously."

After a Friday night out with her boyfriend this month, Erika Torres, a graduate music student in New Orleans, was notified by her iPhone that an “unknown accessory” had been detected near her over a two-hour period, moving with her from a bar to her home.

She called the police and she called Apple, but she never found an AirTag.
[...]
Ms. Estrada, who got the notification while in Los Angeles, eventually found the quarter-sized tracker lodged in a space behind the license plate of her 2020 Dodge Charger.
[...]
Another woman was notified by her iPhone that she was being tracked by an “unknown accessory” after leaving her gym in November. When she got home, she called the police.
The woman, Michaela Clough of Corning, Calif., was told that a report could only be filed if someone showed up at her home and that Apple’s notifications were not enough proof that she was being stalked."

 

[ftaok]

Did you even read the article? Some quotes:

"Police could ask Apple to provide information about the owner of the AirTag, potentially identifying the culprit. But some of the people who spoke with The Times were unable to find the associated AirTags they were notified of and said the police do not always take reports of the notifications on their phones seriously."

After a Friday night out with her boyfriend this month, Erika Torres, a graduate music student in New Orleans, was notified by her iPhone that an “unknown accessory” had been detected near her over a two-hour period, moving with her from a bar to her home.

She called the police and she called Apple, but she never found an AirTag.
[...]
Ms. Estrada, who got the notification while in Los Angeles, eventually found the quarter-sized tracker lodged in a space behind the license plate of her 2020 Dodge Charger.
[...]
Another woman was notified by her iPhone that she was being tracked by an “unknown accessory” after leaving her gym in November. When she got home, she called the police.
The woman, Michaela Clough of Corning, Calif., was told that a report could only be filed if someone showed up at her home and that Apple’s notifications were not enough proof that she was being stalked."

Yes, I read the article, at least what I think was the article (you linked story behind a paywall). Here's the article that I read ... https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/te...ags-being-used-to-track-people-and-steal-cars

I wasn't referring specifically to this particular article about finding the AirTag. I'm referring to the many local articles that have been popping up all over place. I'm in Pennsylvania, and there was a guy that got stalked from a movie theater and the Police determined it was an AirTag, but they never recovered it. Then there's the one that has been floating around the National scene, the SI Swimsuit model who was stalked. GMA/Today/etc never mention anything about how to find the AirTag and that you can track the owner with the help of Apple.

Anyway, Ms. Estrada's story sounds a little suspect anyway. She didn't want to file a police report. She found the AirTag, but threw it away. Then some random Apple employee helped her determine the AirTag's owner and tracked it to some woman in Central LA.

As for the part about Erica Torres, that wasn't in the article on BT. Must have been an update to the NYT story.

The point is that the reporting on the AirTag stalking/stealing thing has been so inconsistent and it's causing confusion amongst non-tech people. Apple should really just issue a public statement detailing exactly what to do and make sure it's known that using AirTags to track stolen property is not effective for mostly the same reasons that using an AirTag to stalk people is not effective.

EDIT - what does this part of the story even mean?

The woman, Michaela Clough of Corning, Calif., was told that a report could only be filed if someone showed up at her home and that Apple’s notifications were not enough proof that she was being stalked. She later got in touch with an Apple customer service representative who was able to disconnect the device from Ms. Clough’s iPhone. The device was never found.

So she got the notification and the cops didn't want to do anything. So the Apple rep's solution was to remove the AirTag from her phone. How is that a solution? If the AirTag is still located on her (or her car, bike, whatever), the stalker could still track her.

This is what I'm talking about. The details in these stories don't make any sense. They're just high level reporting done by a writer that probably has very little tech knowledge. They don't know enough to challenge the details and just cause confusion.

EDIT 2 - turns out the two writers of this story are "tech reporters". Maybe they're just bad at their jobs, or they're forced to pursue a specific agenda. Who knows?

 

[Rigby]

The woman, Michaela Clough of Corning, Calif., was told that a report could only be filed if someone showed up at her home and that Apple’s notifications were not enough proof that she was being stalked. She later got in touch with an Apple customer service representative who was able to disconnect the device from Ms. Clough’s iPhone. The device was never found.

So she got the notification and the cops didn't want to do anything. So the Apple rep's solution was to remove the AirTag from her phone. How is that a solution? If the AirTag is still located on her (or her car, bike, whatever), the stalker could still track her.

This is what I'm talking about. The details in these stories don't make any sense.

I think it's clear what the article meant: Apple did something so she would no longer get the tracking notifications. I don't know exactly how Apple did that, but they could in theory block location reports from specific Airtags.

EDIT 2 - turns out the two writers of this story are "tech reporters". Maybe they're just bad at their jobs, or they're forced to pursue a specific agenda. Who knows?

Or maybe this is a real problem that Apple should take serious.

 

[binaryfuneral]

There’s always going to be people that misuse good & helpful technology for malicious things.

now do firearms

 

[ftaok]

I think it's clear what the article meant: Apple did something so she would no longer get the tracking notifications. I don't know exactly how Apple did that, but they could in theory block location reports from specific Airtags.

In an article where technology is the main focus, the writers chose not to elaborate on explaining anything about the technology aside from the highest of levels. If folks that frequent a technology site (like us) can't figure out what they're saying, what hope is there for regular folks?

Specifically with this NYT article, it doesn't sound like the writers reached out to Apple or the police in any of these cases. Don't you think that would be a minimum for an article like this? They're basically parroting what the victims in the story have told them. There's lots of details that don't make sense and the writers have put very little effort in clearing up confusion.

Or maybe this is a real problem that Apple should take serious.

I agree that Apple could do more to educate the public about these devices. At the very least, they should put out more than the "we take privacy and safety very seriously, blah, blah, blah" line. But other than the precautions that they've taken, what from the hardware and software side can they change?


My point to the reports and stories that are out there is that the media isn't doing a good job explaining the complete story. They just gloss over that there are a bunch of people that claim that they are being tracked via AirTags. And while it is likely true that some folks are being stalked with AirTags, the only person that I've seen that actually found the AirTag and figured out who placed it there was the daughter whose mother put it in her car. Every other person that I've seen either couldn't find it or threw it away ... I can't remember if the swimsuit model actually found the AirTag or not.

 

[ericwn]

In an article where technology is the main focus, the writers chose not to elaborate on explaining anything about the technology aside from the highest of levels. If folks that frequent a technology site (like us) can't figure out what they're saying, what hope is there for regular folks?

Specifically with this NYT article, it doesn't sound like the writers reached out to Apple or the police in any of these cases. Don't you think that would be a minimum for an article like this? They're basically parroting what the victims in the story have told them. There's lots of details that don't make sense and the writers have put very little effort in clearing up confusion.



I agree that Apple could do more to educate the public about these devices. At the very least, they should put out more than the "we take privacy and safety very seriously, blah, blah, blah" line. But other than the precautions that they've taken, what from the hardware and software side can they change?


My point to the reports and stories that are out there is that the media isn't doing a good job explaining the complete story. They just gloss over that there are a bunch of people that claim that they are being tracked via AirTags. And while it is likely true that some folks are being stalked with AirTags, the only person that I've seen that actually found the AirTag and figured out who placed it there was the daughter whose mother put it in her car. Every other person that I've seen either couldn't find it or threw it away ... I can't remember if the swimsuit model actually found the AirTag or not.

Very well said. A lot that gets written about this product fails basic sanity checks.

 

[Rigby]

In an article where technology is the main focus, the writers chose not to elaborate on explaining anything about the technology aside from the highest of levels.

Not sure what you are expecting. The woman and the reporter are not engineers, and the NYT is not a technical journal. And even if they were, I doubt that Apple would share the technical details of how exactly they stopped the tracking warnings.

If folks that frequent a technology site (like us) can't figure out what they're saying, what hope is there for regular folks?

I think it's easy to understand what they are saying.

Specifically with this NYT article, it doesn't sound like the writers reached out to Apple or the police in any of these cases.

The article quotes an Apple spokesperson saying that they take customer safety "very seriously". So obviously they have reached out, and Apple only gave a canned PR response.

Don't you think that would be a minimum for an article like this? They're basically parroting what the victims in the story have told them. There's lots of details that don't make sense and the writers have put very little effort in clearing up confusion.

What exactly doesn't make sense to you?

My point to the reports and stories that are out there is that the media isn't doing a good job explaining the complete story.

What else is there to explain? The Airtags are cheap, tiny, and easy to hide tracking devices, and the millions of iPhones out there constitute a tracking network that reaches almost everywhere. The potential for abuse is obvious. Apple knew that too, which is why they have added the tracking warning. Not sure why people are trying to downplay the risk. A close friend of mine was a stalking victim (not related to the Airtags) and it ended pretty badly for her. This is not something I take lightly.

 

[ftaok]

Not sure what you are expecting. The woman and the reporter are not engineers, and the NYT is not a technical journal. And even if they were, I doubt that Apple would share the technical details of how exactly they stopped the tracking warnings.

I think it's easy to understand what they are saying.

What the NYT wrote about Ms. Clough's situation makes no sense. Apple can't "disconnect" an unknown AirTag from someone's phone because it's not connected to that person's phone. We know this, but NYT using these specific words makes the reader think that a stalker can connect their AirTag to their victim's phone. So all I'm asking is for some elaboration into what the Apple customer service rep did for Ms. Clough. Did she just have her disconnect from the Find My network, which would prevent the AirTag from using Ms. Clough's iPhone from pinging the stalker, but if there are other iPhones in the area, it wouldn't do anything.

It's obvious on this aspect of the story, all the writers did was recount Ms. Clough's story. They didn't ask Apple anything. This leads to the next item ...

The article quotes an Apple spokesperson saying that they take customer safety "very seriously". So obviously they have reached out, and Apple only gave a canned PR response.

The NYT writers didn't reach out to Apple regarding Ms. Estrada's case or Ms. Clough's case. The statement that is being referred to was a general statement Apple put out back in December 2021. They're just referring to that statement. Had they reached out to Apple, you would have seen a line like this "we reached out to Apple for comment, but they had no comment" or "we reached out and they referred us to their general safety statement, blah, blah".

What exactly doesn't make sense to you?

All of the details being reported don't make sense. Ms. Estrada found the AirTag, but she didn't want to file a report with the police because it would take too long, so she threw it in the trash. Does that make sense? Don't you think a reporter should dig a little more into that part of the story? How does throwing it in the trash make any sense at all. She could follow the suggestion when you click "learn more" and pull out the battery. That way, you have proof of the device in the event that the stalker does get caught.

What else is there to explain? The Airtags are cheap, tiny, and easy to hide tracking devices, and the millions of iPhones out there constitute a tracking network that reaches almost everywhere. The potential for abuse is obvious. Apple knew that too, which is why they have added the tracking warning. Not sure why people are trying to downplay the risk. A close friend of mine was a stalking victim (not related to the Airtags) and it ended pretty badly for her. This is not something I take lightly.

Yes, in theory, the AirTag is a device that can be effectively used to stalk people. That makes it very important to get the reporting correct and accurate. Putting out all sorts of scary stories won't help the public. The fact is that there are safeguards that limit the usefulness of AirTags as tracking devices. They're not very useful to track someone in real-time. Yes, they can be used to learn information, such as where a person lives, so that's why it's important to inform readers of what to do when they get the "unknown device is tracking you" notification. Play the sound. Find the AirTag. Go to the police and have them work with Apple to identify the stalker.

Putting out half-baked stories is not the way to inform the public of a potentially serious issue. And that's my beef.

Aside - my original beef is that several months ago, all of the reporting from the media was that AirTags were useless to track stolen items because the thief would easily find the AirTag before you could track him. Now, AirTags are so hard to find that they have now become the perfect stalking tool. So which is it? Is it so easy to find so it's useless as a tracker, or is it so hard to find that it's perfect as a tracker. It can't be both. So it's probably somewhere in the middle, which means it a cheap $30 device to help you locate your lost things like keys, and wallet.

Anyway, I'm sorry for what happened to your close friend. I don't have any direct experience with something like that, but I do take stalking very seriously. I don't downplay the seriousness of AirTags as a stalking tool. I just believe that the media is not taking this story seriously and they don't seem to have any interest in providing good information and they're not helping.

 

[ericwn]

Good news i was able to recover my wife's Facebook/Instagram accounts of 10 years old ,that got compromised by unfamiliar fellow six months ago . she recalled a strange mail that said your password has been changed. then another, notifying her that a two factor authentication an extra layer of security has been set up for her account .when she tried to login that got her locked out completely . And from there ,she was like honey its gone . thanks to (fixurworries ATdoctor DOT com) who came to our rescue, to help her regain access after 48 hours .

How does this relate to the topic?

 

[Rigby]

Yes, in theory, the AirTag is a device that can be effectively used to stalk people. That makes it very important to get the reporting correct and accurate. Putting out all sorts of scary stories won't help the public. The fact is that there are safeguards that limit the usefulness of AirTags as tracking devices. They're not very useful to track someone in real-time. Yes, they can be used to learn information, such as where a person lives, so that's why it's important to inform readers of what to do when they get the "unknown device is tracking you" notification. Play the sound. Find the AirTag. Go to the police and have them work with Apple to identify the stalker.

Except that the sound can easily be disabled, finding the Airtag e.g. on a car may be difficult, and the police apparently doesn't do anything because the tracking notification alone isn't sufficient evidence of anything.