Dearborn Police say unlawful GPS monitoring utilizing Apple Airtags is a rising downside – Press and Information

Dearborn Police Department is warning the public to be aware that Apple Airtags are being used illegally to track and track people.

These quarter-sized tracking devices were developed by Apple Inc. as item trackers to locate wallets, car keys, and other personal items. But according to Sgt. James Isaacs, chief of the Dearborn Police Department’s Technical Investigation Unit, airtags have been found behind license plates, between and under car seats and in personal items such as purses.

Cases with these little $29.99 trackers are increasing, Isaacs said they’ve had four cases with one in the past week.

The tags are used to track vehicles and people for possible illegal activities such as theft, auto theft and stalking. According to the Dearborn Police Department, Dodge Chargers are frequently targeted for such illicit tracking activities.

Police say many phones will alert a user if an Airtag is in close proximity, and if they don’t detect the device they should alert police immediately.

“People have long used GPS trackers to track and harass people,” Issacs said. “The reason this one has become so obvious now, I think, is that because of the cost, it’s significantly less than a traditional GPS tracker that people would get. Therefore, the accessibility is much higher.”

Apple Airtags work by connecting to a Bluetooth signal on an iPhone. Android users need to download the Apple Tracker Detect app and manually scan their surroundings to get this type of alert.

“If you are notified that an Airtag is in your area, or you think someone is following you, call 911 immediately and provide the serial number found on the phone notification,” the police department said in a statement .

In the state of Michigan, it is illegal for a private individual to track someone with a GPS tracker without the knowledge of the other party.

Anyone with information about individuals using airtags should always call the police department’s anonymous phone number at 313-943-3030.