Thieves are now on the rise with a new way of stealing cars. With that, law enforcement has found that certain criminals have been using the new Apple AirTag in order to steal certain vehicles.
Apple AirTags Used by Criminals
According to the story by News.com.au, the lost item-finding tech is now being exploited for more devious purposes. The Apple AirTag devices, which cost $29, were released back in April as a device to help users keep track of their belongings but have now been found to be used by crooks in order to steal cars.
The incident was reported by police in Ontario, Canada as per the New York Post with investigators coming from the York Regional Police Auto and Cargo Theft Unit in Aurora warning residents regarding the incident.
High-End Vehicles Being Targeted
As per the investigators' recent blog post, they have found a new method that is being exploited by thieves in order to track and steal certain high-end vehicles all across the region. With that, officers reported that they have looked into five different incidents that have happened since September in which suspects have been using the tracking technology in order to commit grand theft auto.
Basically how it worked was that suspects would place the easily missed tracking device on certain luxury rides within "out-of-sight areas" while the rides were parked in public places like parking lots or malls.
How did the Thieves Steal the Vehicles
Once the owner drives the car home, the thieves would then track the vehicle all the way back to the victim's residence. To add, criminals are able to hack into the vehicle's ignition through using an electronic device which, as noted by the investigators, is typically used by mechanics in order to reprogram the factory setting.
Once the criminals get in the vehicle, they would take it from the victim's driveway in their "own car." As a response, law enforcement has now advised car owners to park their luxury vehicles in a locked garage.
2,000 Car Thefts Occurred in the Last 12 Months
With that investigators said that a lot of the stolen vehicles so far have just been parked in the victims' driveways. To add, the investigators also encouraged owners to install locks on the steering wheel and data port their vehicle.
Other advice includes installing video surveillance systems to also monitor the vehicle. With that, the York Regional Police said that they have seen over 2,000 car thefts in the course of the past year.
Read Also: Apple AAPL Shares Rise by 3.5% to New All Time High of $173 | 32% Growth Over 2021
AirTags Used to Track Stolen Vehicles as Well
The AirTags stateside, in the meanwhile, have been used for the reverse reason which is to hunt down stolen vehicles. To add, Dan Guido, Brooklyn cybersecurity CEO, detailed in August his epic relocation of a stolen scooter.
This was possible due to the two AirTags that were hidden on the vehicle with black duct tape. The AirTags were able to help Guido find the scooter.
Related Article: Roblox vs Apple | Justice Department Investigates the 'Loophole' Over App Developer Rules
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Urian B.
