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Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

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Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#41

Post by nawgz »

darkstar999 wrote: post #21
alwillis wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple released an app for Android users to alert them if an AirTag is “following” them: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/android-users-get-this-appl...

It has to be run manually as far as I can tell.

Sure, but this is clearly better than the situation for other existing technologies which are cheaper and can be used to the same ends.

I don’t deny that this behavior is bad, but the anti-Apple sentiment here is a bit strange given they provide mitigations unlike traditional gps tracking companies

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#42

Post by ghaff »

happytoexplain wrote: post #5
donkarma wrote: post #2

this is hardly a new attack when GPS trackers existed before

The impression most people have is that this is highly available, small, easy to use, cheap, and there is plausible deniability in the intention of purchasing one. Now, there may be other solutions with some or all of those qualities to varying degrees, but the simple fact that the impression is popular necessarily means that it will see usage in cases where the perpetrator would otherwise not have committed the act.…

What is probably true, at least based on the few anecdotal stories that have made the rounds, is that the introduction of AirTags may well have planted the thought in some people that "Oh, it's pretty easy to track someone/something with this cheap device." One can also imagine people making up stories (not saying that's the case here though it's very possible) and people planting a tracker for the lulz to see what would happen.

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#43

Post by daenz »

somehowadev wrote: post #15
ahepp wrote: post #8

Surely Apple can use information from their Find My account to figure out who the AirTag was registered to. Even if the tag has been destroyed. That should be trivially easy, right?

I believe that's where the advice to hand an AirTag to the authorities come from? From here: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT212227

According to the tweet thread:

>this morning while I was asleep I had someone close to me check my car and they found it stuck on the underside of my front passenger wheel well. I wish he took pics before he threw it away

If I found a tracking device on the car of someone close to me, I certainly wouldn't throw it away without showing them and insisting that they go to the police. Why would they just throw it away?

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#44

Post by RF_Savage »

oneplane wrote: post #20
happytoexplain wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The impression most people have is that this is highly available, small, easy to use, cheap, and there is plausible deniability in the intention of purchasing one. Now, there may be other solutions with some or all of those qualities to varying degrees, but the simple fact that the impression is popular necessarily means that it will see usage in cases where the perpetrator would otherwise not have committed the act.…

It is indeed an impression problem. Doing this with LoRa for a lower price has been possible for a very long time and you don't even need a large network for that due to the significant range. Basic triangulation built in to friendly software using existing radios and then simply getting closer with a hand-held transceiver isn't exactly hardcore hacking either. And with the low entry cost and non-detectability by pra…

AirTags are trivial to use and have an extensive tracking network in the form of every iDevice.

Custom or semi-custom battery powered LoRa trackers have lesser batteryluve, are bulkier and much harder to get and deploy.

Basic triangulation is easy-ish, but requires multiple sites or a moving site to work toany degree. And those sites need to hear the tracking beacon.

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#45

Post by muhehe »

kreeben wrote: post #17
JohnTHaller wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except for the folks who aren't iPhone users, which is the majority of people.

I've been using AirGuard on my Android. It's FOSS. Available on Play. https://github.com/seemoo-lab/AirGuard

Love this. I'm gonna modify this to scan all airtags around and make them play a sound.

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#46

Post by timeon »

edot wrote: post #28
raldi wrote: post #24

The worst part of this is, if you don’t have an iPhone, you’ll never know if you’re being tracked. Edit: Yes, I know there’s an app. Do you think more than 1% of victims will have it installed?

Apple made an Android app for this.

That is good that they made it, but the fact that you need to install some app for something that you do not use, seems to me like opt-out tracking?

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#47

Post by wnevets »

edot wrote: post #28
raldi wrote: post #24

The worst part of this is, if you don’t have an iPhone, you’ll never know if you’re being tracked. Edit: Yes, I know there’s an app. Do you think more than 1% of victims will have it installed?

Apple made an Android app for this.

which currently has a rating of 2/5 because of how terrible it is.

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#48

Post by weaksauce »

coding123 wrote: post #33

This seems plausible: People at bars are single. Track their vehicle to their house / apt. Later, know when vehicle is not at house (hence no one is home - remember - single person). Rob house.

> Rob house

that's not the only possible outcome here

Re: Someone attached an AirTag to my car while I was in a bar

#50

Post by newhotelowner »

coding123 wrote: post #33

This seems plausible: People at bars are single. Track their vehicle to their house / apt. Later, know when vehicle is not at house (hence no one is home - remember - single person). Rob house.

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/03/airtag-linked-to-car-th...
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