GREENSBORO, N.C. — I have an Apple Air Tag. It's a device that helps you locate things, like my dog, Kona. I put the device on her collar. On my phone, I can pull up her location to see where she is. The idea is to be able to keep track of things that can be lost easily like a dog, suitcase, keys, or a purse.
Scammers are using the small devices to track people, they slip the small Air Tag in their purse, underneath a wheel well of a car. It happened right here in the Triad.
Elon Police put out this scam alert in January, a woman was being tracked by someone using an air tag.
From Apple:
Working with Law Enforcement
We have been actively working with law enforcement on all AirTag-related requests we’ve received. Based on our knowledge and on discussions with law enforcement, incidents of AirTag misuse are rare; however, each instance is one too many.
Every AirTag has a unique serial number, and paired AirTags are associated with an Apple ID. Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement. We have successfully partnered with them on cases where information we provided has been used to trace an AirTag back to the perpetrator, who was then apprehended and charged.
Law enforcement has shared their appreciation for the assistance we’ve provided in helping them find the source of unwanted tracking. We’ve identified additional improvements we can make in the information we share and the educational resources we provide, and we will be taking action, including making updates to our law enforcement documentation.
Apple is now working on new privacy warnings during setup. For those who get an unwanted Air Tag tracking alert, the company is working on new software that uses a "combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback" to locate the unwanted tag. The company also pledges to improve its alert system, so people will know sooner if an unknown Air Tag is traveling with them. This all comes out later this year.
In the meantime, if you have an iPhone, you will get an alert of an unknown Air Tag to hopefully help you find it and disengage it.
If you have an Android device, you can download the Tracker Detect app.