US man arrested for tracking victim's car with Apple AirTag

The U.S. police had to arrest a Connecticut man after witnessing him trying to use Apple AirTag to track a victim's car. The man will now face a charge of felonies, including first-degree stalking. Wilfred Gonzalez, 27, was charged on January 30, 2022, with stalking, plus violation of a protective order, and misdemeanor violation of the peace, CT Insider reported. Local police in the town of Waterbury had to go to the scene following a "report of a domestic dispute". An investigator at the scene "found that the accused had placed a tracking device in the victim's vehicle".

Apple's anti-stalking prevention methods alert victims even if the perpetrator is not seen. After a while, the victim's iPhone will display a notification that AirTag has been tracking them. However, if the victim is using Android, there will be no such notification on the screen. However, the AirTag itself starts to sound the alarm if it is away from its owner for a period of time. The victim can then check the AirTag by holding an iPhone or Android phone with the app installed nearby. A link on the screen takes them to an Apple website that lists the AirTag's serial number.

When requested by the authorities, Apple provides the registered owner of the AirTag. Gonzalez was released on $10,000 bail with his next court appearance on March 30. Apple's AirTags comes with anti-tracking features from the very beginning and plays a role in preventing car thefts.

AirTags can aid car thieves

For many Apple users, especially those with iPhones, AirTags is basically a must. While this device has its advantages, there are some shortcomings. Apple AirTags brings some unexpected dangers that are gradually becoming more prominent. According to the local police, in Canada, Apple's AirTags are being used in an increasing number of targeted car thefts. A press release from the York Region Police pointed out that investigators have discovered new ways for thieves to use AirTag's location tracking function to track and steal high-end vehicles.

Although the method of stealing cars is basically traditional, the purpose of AirTag is to track high-end cars back to the victim's residence. These thieves then steal these flagship cars from the owner's driveway calmly. Since September 2021, the police in York District alone has investigated five theft incidents. In each of these incidents, the criminal suspects used AirTags to steal high-end vehicles. The thieves target any particularly valuable vehicle they find in public places and parking lots. Then, they place the AirTag in an invisible place on the vehicle. They can place the tracking device in the trailer hitch or fuel tank cap so that it is difficult for the owner to find it.