My car was just stolen with an AirTag in it - Help

[MrWoppit]

Hey Friends!

I have little to no experience with AirTags, although I put them in all my vehicles in case one would ever get stolen.

Wednesday around Noon I parked my car, and at 3pm discovered it was stolen. The AirTag shows a location at an intersection and says “Last Seen at 12:45PM” and hasn’t updated since.

I’ve spent a couple hours driving that area it was “Last Seen” and cannot locate my vehicle.

-Police report made
-Have been watching the Find My app since it was stolen and there have been no updates.

What would you suspect the reason is for it not updating?
How often would the AirTag have updated while the thief was driving it?
If the car was ditched on a side street, would it update its location if somebody walks by it?
Should I put the AirTag in Lost Mode?
What would you do in this situation?

 

[velocityg4]

That’s probably where they found and smashed the Airtag. If it was well hidden and they searched that thoroughly. That car is probably stripped already.

 

[Rkuda]

Yeah, most likely the AirTag was found and destroyed. Apple has had to make changes to how AirTags work since their release because of bad PR where people have used them to track/stalk people so if the thief had an iPhone with them they would get a notification on their phone about a nearby AirTag.

The AirTag can't connect to the internet on it's own so the location will get updated periodically when someone's iPhone detects it and after that the location will be updated.

Alternatively to the AirTag being destroyed it could just be somewhere where no iPhone was close enough to detect it and still maybe show up at a later date.

As far as lost mode, you may not want to enable it as the thief could potentially get your phone number or email through the notification:

What Happens When You Turn On Lost Mode for an AirTag?​

When you turn on Lost Mode for an AirTag, you have options to enter a phone number or email address and a short message or enable notifications. Apple marks the AirTag as lost, and its system starts looking for it. Whenever someone with a compatible iPhone moves close to your lost AirTag, their phone senses its presence and forwards that information to Apple.


After that, one of two things can happen:

• If you enabled notifications when you turned on Lost Mode, your iPhone provides an alert that your AirTag was located, and you can view its location on a map.
• If someone with an iPhone or an Android phone that has an NFC reader finds your tag, they can view a notification. If you entered a phone number or message when you set up Lost Mode, they will see the message on their phone.

https://www.lifewire.com/put-airtag-in-lost-mode-5188780

 

[MrWoppit]

That’s pretty stupid if the AirTag alerted the thief he was being tracked, and then he destroyed the tag. It was very well hidden, and would not have been found without precision tracking. If Apple really alerts them like that, then AirTags are pointless in my opinion.

I understand they are trying to stop people from being stalked/tracked…but they are also now alerting car thieves to look for AirTags and give up their locations. All within an hour of the theft. Lame.

 

[Thoradin]

I’m not entirely sure that the previous comments are correct.
It may be that the AirTag is hidden in an awkward place and cannot be picked up well by passers-by.
The metal structure and electronics of some cars seems to block out or confuse the signal. The fact that it was last seen less than an hour after you parked and at a busy intersection, might mean that the thief stashed it in a very quiet spot close by in order to collect it a few days later

 

[MrWoppit]

I’m not entirely sure that the previous comments are correct.
It may be that the AirTag is hidden in an awkward place and cannot be picked up well by passers-by.
The metal structure and electronics of some cars seems to block out or confuse the signal. The fact that it was last seen less than an hour after you parked and at a busy intersection, might mean that the thief stashed it in a very quiet spot close by in order to collect it a few days later

Thanks for giving me some hope!

 

[Feek]

That’s pretty stupid if the AirTag alerted the thief he was being tracked, and then he destroyed the tag. It was very well hidden, and would not have been found without precision tracking. If Apple really alerts them like that, then AirTags are pointless in my opinion.

How many times does it have to be said, AirTags are NOT anti-theft devices. They're not marketed or sold as such and they're not intended for people to recover items that have been stolen.

I'm sorry your car has been stolen but you can't blame the AirTag for not helping you recover it when that's not what they're for.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Hope you find your car, and I hope you had insurance to cover the car. Air tags aren’t anti theft gadgets. Apple always sold it as gadget for finding forgotten items.

 

[Wizec]

How many times does it have to be said, AirTags are NOT anti-theft devices. They're not marketed or sold as such and they're not intended for people to recover items that have been stolen.

I'm sorry your car has been stolen but you can't blame the AirTag for not helping you recover it when that's not what they're for.

Just because they’re not marketed for that purpose doesn’t mean they that cannot be useful for that purpose:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/business/car-theft-tiktok-airtags/index.html

 

[Ifti]

Just because they’re not marketed for that purpose doesn’t mean they that cannot be useful for that purpose:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/business/car-theft-tiktok-airtags/index.html

Doesn't the AirTag start beeping when its not close to its paired iPhone though, hence alerting the thief?
I thought this was implemented due to the stalking potential....?

 

[Feek]

Just because they’re not marketed for that purpose doesn’t mean they that cannot be useful for that purpose:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/business/car-theft-tiktok-airtags/index.html

A practical example, whenever I use my wife's car with her keys which have an AirTag attached I get a notification within half an hour on my iPhone that an AirTag which isn't connected to my account is travelling with me.

If someone steals a car that has an AirTag in it and they have an iPhone, they'll know very quickly that they are potentially being tracked.

I completely agree that in certain circumstances, an AirTag can help to find where something has gone but it's wrong to blame an AirTag for not being able to recover stolen items when that's not the primary purpose of them. A key part of the way they work is to attract the attention of someone who has one with them that's not linked to their account.

I think the mayor of NYC perhaps doesn't quite understand how these devices work.

/edit - For full disclosure, I have an AirTag in the little storage compartment in my car but I have no expectations that I'll be able to use it to recover my car if it's stolen.

 

[laptech]

Airtags are marketed as 'Lost and Found' devices not 'Stolen and Found' devices. For generations people have put down 'things' such as key's, wallets and purses and forgotten where they have put them and then cannot find them. Airtags were designed to elevate that problem.

The problem with Airtags is that there is far to many people going around saying they are good to help with theft and others start listening to them believing that what they are saying it right. They are not.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Just because they’re not marketed for that purpose doesn’t mean they that cannot be useful for that purpose:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/business/car-theft-tiktok-airtags/index.html

They were not built as anti theft device, because they alert the thief about an AirTag.
If you use, do so at your own loss. Imagine trying to nail with a huge wrench and smashing your finger with wrong tool. Hammer is the right tool, not a wrench.

 

[laptech]

The article being quoted is the exact reason why there is this misconception of airtags being used as an anti theft device.

Good journalism offers all sides to a story but the journalists of the CNN article have failed spectacularly in that regard because they do not mention in the article that whilst airtags are used for tracking, they are not anti-theft devices and should not be used as anti-theft device. They should have given the reason why they are not good as an anti-theft device (other iphone users or android owners with the correct app can get notifications that an airtag is nearby, thereby notifying a would be thief that what they have just stolen has an airtag in it).

 

[Wizec]

The article being quoted is the exact reason why there is this misconception of airtags being used as an anti theft device.

Good journalism offers all sides to a story but the journalists of the CNN article have failed spectacularly in that regard because they do not mention in the article that whilst airtags are used for tracking, they are not anti-theft devices and should not be used as anti-theft device. They should have given the reason why they are not good as an anti-theft device (other iphone users or android owners with the correct app can get notifications that an airtag is nearby, thereby notifying a would be thief that what they have just stolen has an airtag in it).

“Should not be used an anti-theft device” is a pretty strong statement.

Educating people about their limitations, sure. Nothing wrong with giving it a try though.

No one, but no one is saying AirTags are foolproof nor that they should be used for mission-critical anti-theft applications.

A lot of people are successfully using them as anti-theft devices. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, you’re out the car (etc) and $29. 😱

Apple AirTag Helps Retrieve Stolen Vehicle in Memphis

Apple's AirTag item tracker has helped a man in Memphis successfully get his stolen car back, Action News 5 reports. Earlier this month, a High...

www.macrumors.com

Seattle police recover stolen SUV with help of Apple AirTag

The vehicle was tracked to the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, where it was recovered by police.

www.king5.com

North Carolina family outsmarts car thieves with Apple AirTag: ‘They picked the wrong car’

Once the couple realized that there car had been stolen, they pulled out their iPhones and were able to pinpoint the exact location of their stolen car.

nypost.com

Apple AirTag Helps US Couple Retrieve Their Stolen Car

The couple revealed that they have placed Apple AirTags in both of their cars, phones, wallets as well as luggage.

www.ndtv.com

AirTag placed between car seats helps retrieve a stolen car in a twisted double robbery plot

A man in Texas found an unidentified AirTag between the seats of his newly purchased cars. The events that came to light talk a lot about Apple's location tracker and its potential misuses.

www.indiatoday.in

And so on…

 

[OCS12]

While I fully understand that an Air Tag is not intended for use as an anti-theft device, it's not a terrible idea if hidden properly. If it's in a location that is difficult or time consuming to access, you're most likely to get one of two outcomes.

1. Thief is not aware of Air Tag, allowing you to mostly track your vehicle, bike, etc.
2. Thief is alerted to your Air Tag, but struggles to get to it. If they can't quickly get to it, they're likely to abandon your vehicle because they know they're being actively tracked.

Of course there's scenarios where an Air Tag is pointless for this use, but oh well, it's only a $29 experiment.

 

[floral]

A lot of people are successfully using them as anti-theft devices. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, you’re out the car (etc) and $29. 😱

They work best if you are really good at hiding them in places that wouldn't interfere with the signal much, like a glovebox or inside the middle storage since I believe plastic or non metal surfaces don't block signal.

 

[Stonefly]

Doesn't the AirTag start beeping when its not close to its paired iPhone though, hence alerting the thief?
I thought this was implemented due to the stalking potential....?

Yes I think it does, I removed the speaker in mine before hiding it in my vehicle.

 

[darngooddesign]

If you are going to use them to recover a stolen car, make it hard to locate and time-consuming to remove. For example, secure them inside your air box upstream from the air filter.

 

[MacTiki]

They work best if you are really good at hiding them in places that wouldn't interfere with the signal much, like a glovebox or inside the middle storage since I believe plastic or non metal surfaces don't block signal.

Wonder if it could handle the heat inside a mounted tire.

 

[Howard2k]

That’s pretty stupid if the AirTag alerted the thief he was being tracked, and then he destroyed the tag. It was very well hidden, and would not have been found without precision tracking. If Apple really alerts them like that, then AirTags are pointless in my opinion.

I understand they are trying to stop people from being stalked/tracked…but they are also now alerting car thieves to look for AirTags and give up their locations. All within an hour of the theft. Lame.

That's not what they're for.

 

[2REPOU]

Tracking your stolen car/Bike with an Airtag is a disaster waiting to happen. You tack your car to a seedy area where someone who is an obvious criminal took your car. No good can happen here. Cars have insurance to replace them. Use your airtag to find your keys, find your dog or cat not as an antitheft device. If you are so worried about your car being stolen, use a kill switch, lojak or something like that where you can tracy and disable so the POLICE can recover it

 

[blacksurfer]

Remember to take the speaker out the airtag. Hide it really well...deep inside the lining somewhere.

 

[wonderings]

Would you really want to find your car after it has been stolen? Personally if someone stole my car I want a new to replace it, or something of equal value. Who knows what they have done to and with the car once stolen.

 

[ownykt]

It is highly likely that the AirTag alerted the thief that a tag was tracking them, leading to its discovery. Subsequently, the thief destroyed the AirTag. You can check the last tracked location to see if there is a broken AirTag.