PADUCAH — Apple AirTags are convenient to track lost times like luggage, a wallet or your purse, but they can also be used to track people.
One young woman from Paducah found herself being tracked when she found an AirTag in the grill of her car. She got a notification that said “undetected accessory detected near you” after dinner with a friend. After seeing it on a TikTok, she knew she was being tracked.
The woman didn’t want us to show her identity for safety reasons, but she wants people to know what to look for if they find themselves in a similar situation. It’s something she saw on TikTok, but never imagined would happen in a small town like Paducah.
“I would have never guessed that it would have been here,” she says.
It started out as a dinner with a friend, but it quickly changed when she got a notification.
“When I clicked on it, it showed that it was attached to my car and the exact time,” she says.
That’s when she found the AirTag in her grill. Because of the number of people who have iPhones, it’s concerning. Consumer technology reporter Jamey Tucker says AirTags are going to connect to any iPhone using the Find My app.
“That’s the great feature with finding lost items using these devices. However, as we’ve talked about and as we’re seeing from time to time, these air tags and the find my feature is being used for purposes that it was never intended,” she says.
Apple is combatting the misuse of its technology. The company is making its pinging sound louder for people, so it’s easier to hear. They’re connecting with local police departments once it’s reported to police. Tucker says Apple has also made an app for non-iPhone users called Tracker.
“That will find and locate any of those apple devices that are following you,” says Tucker.
His best piece of advice is to go to the police if you find one in your vehicle. Something the young woman didn’t do when she threw it in a parking lot.
“When you find something like that, you’re just kind of in shock. You just don’t know what to do. I was like well as long as it doesn’t make it home with me. I just wanted to get away from me. I just wanted it to go away,” she says.
You can get a notification if someone is using an Apple AirTag, but you don’t with a Tile tracking device. It’s a small square that fits in the palm of the hand. Tucker says he doesn’t know of any safety measures for a Tile. The Paducah Police Department says it hasn’t gotten any reports of AirTags being placed in people’s vehicles. If you find one in your car, contact your local police department.
