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Original poster

Dd notified of new Apple tag with her since early hours - advice?

346 replies

iknowimcoming · 02/04/2022 21:05

Dd is 22, at uni, lives alone in flat with 24 hour reception (manned 24 hours) we visited her yesterday and went for brunch this morning, this evening she's had a notification that a new AirTag has been with her since 5.01am and shows the walk we took to and from the cafe this morning. She's checked everything and can't find anything, has anyone had this and it's been a mistake or should we be very concerned?

OP posts:
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6
expat101 · 03/04/2022 04:46

We bought AirTags as part of for dd’s Christmas present, she has one in her car, key ring, luggage and another somewhere else.

Her key one was recently pinging at her rental which drove the other occupant crazy but it was because she hadn’t been near it for x amount of time. She was able to turn it off remotely. (I think that is how it went).

There positive reasons to have them, but ultimately it only takes an idiot to use one inappropriately and it gives the intent of the product a bad rap.

It will be interesting to see where it is, if it accompanied her on the walk but not later. Possibly sewn into the hem of her coat?

yzed · 03/04/2022 05:29

Iknowimcoming
This is a terrible indictment of the world we're living in. That someone can design such a device, and it's approved for sale!
All very well to say how safe it should be. We're constantly told to watch out for scams. This is one. We should not be having to avoid it, and our uni students should definitely not have to worry about it.
Please, when you get to the bottom of it, please post on here what it was and how you found it. Might help someone else to avoid one. And however innocent it might appear, please don't hand it back. £30 each; let people learn to be more careful with them.

Cervinia · 03/04/2022 05:34

I wondered about stuck to the sole of her shoes too. Some of those sticky carpets in clubs or gum on the pavement.

unname · 03/04/2022 05:48

This article is helpful. You may even be able to use it to identify the person who owns it or at least their phone number.

www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article258459328.html

Faevern · 03/04/2022 06:06

What fresh hell is this? Even if you have an iPhone and can receive an alert and deactivate am I right in thinking someone could drop a tag in a bag, pocket, your car and find out where you live or work? And if you have an android you would never know? That’s seriously scary.

ArrrMeHearties · 03/04/2022 06:07

Hope you get to the bottom of this asap

oakleaffy · 03/04/2022 06:10

@Ozanj

If it tracked her during the walk then it’s in the clothing / bag she wore on the day. Check inside linings, in and around shoes (under linings), where she keeps her coins (it could be stuck behind a 50p too) / credit car slots in her wallet / bag. I read somewhere that one woman found it wedged in her bra (near the wire) while another found it in her braid (she had thick afro hair). If in doubt she should throw all of that day’s outfit away.
Never heard of these 'Air tags'...They sound terrifying! They must be tiny of they can be hidden behind coins and in braids and on cats..

Having said that, I have heard of people putting 'Trackers' on bikes in case of theft.

@iknowimcoming, I'd be concerned, too...it's good that your DD's iPhone contacted her to say she is being tracked.

A quick google shows that are quite 'big' looking...I assumed they were thin .

Apple says this:

AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking.
If someone else's AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it's travelling with you and send you an alert. After a while, if you still haven't found it, the AirTag will start playing a sound to let you know it's there.

However...Only if you have iOs14...

oakleaffy · 03/04/2022 06:17

@Faevern

What fresh hell is this? Even if you have an iPhone and can receive an alert and deactivate am I right in thinking someone could drop a tag in a bag, pocket, your car and find out where you live or work? And if you have an android you would never know? That’s seriously scary.
This video helps explain:
Fraaahnces · 03/04/2022 06:18

I’m sure you’re all over this @iknowimcoming, but the Apple website suggests downloading this app and if you have an android phone, and you should be able to locate it. I have attached the link below

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trackerdetect

wildseas · 03/04/2022 06:18

With A bit of help to check things through logically i think your daughter should be able to find it relatively easily.

You know already that it’s not on her person, not on her clothes and not on her wallet or phone. So most likely thing is bag, bag contents or coat. You can easily rule out each thing by briefly leaving the flat with them and then checking tracker. Which then focuses the search for you.

I can’t see a likely explanation for how this could have happened by accident so I think you need to support her to find it and then go to police tomorrow.

oakleaffy · 03/04/2022 06:19

This is also quite a good vid..

SofieM0 · 03/04/2022 06:20

The option to disable is here…
If you find it. Does DD have iOS14? If so should be able to use precision tracking to find. Assuming sound isn’t going off could point to speaker being removed like PP said. On research, that seems quite common unfortunately.

support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227

ApolloandDaphne · 03/04/2022 06:22

I hope she can find it and disable it. Very worrying.

Zonder · 03/04/2022 06:30

Second time I've heard of these things and only on MN. They sound awful. It would be great if you could have one just for your things but I'm amazed they can be used to track someone and they can't do anything about it.

Findingneeemo · 03/04/2022 06:45

Yet another way for women to be stalked, harassed and abused, wonderful!

I hope she finds it soon. I wonder if the place she could have had it put on her person has cctv?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 03/04/2022 06:57

Scary!!

BurnDownTheDiscoHangTheDJ · 03/04/2022 07:03

Apple need to find a way that disable them if their not with the Apple ID they are associated with rather than just alerting the person. We’ve got one on our remote and DDs kindle because they’re both items that get lost a lot in this house, so they have a legitimate use but they shouldn’t be able to be used for this.

BurnDownTheDiscoHangTheDJ · 03/04/2022 07:03

They’re not their

Sswhinesthebest · 03/04/2022 07:15

This is so worrying for our young people.

Polyanthus2 · 03/04/2022 07:16

I'm struggling to get my head round this. But could the map just show the walk you took in the morning just be the iphone showing where you and the phone have been but not actually where the tag has been?
Could a neighbour in a neighbouring flat have gone out at 5 leaving, or come home with, their tag which has now found your DDs phone.

Someone mentioned a cat had one on their collar. Does this mean it makes noises everytime the cat goes any distance away from the owner's phone - poor cat!

CallItLoneliness · 03/04/2022 07:22

"Air tags are designed to discourage unwanted tracking" I work in tech and I am disgusted with Apple over this. If they had thought this through, or done a safety panel of any kind, they would know "discourage" is not enough. I am reaching the point where I believe large technology companies should be held responsible for what can be done with their devices. Forcing android owners to take up space and battery on their phone to protect themselves from legal stalkerware is also pretty rank.

OP, I hope your daughter has found it, and I would encourage her to take it up with Apple and every media outlet she can.

BrutusMcDogface · 03/04/2022 07:27

I’m so naive but I never thought of the fact that people could use air tags for stalking! Sad

I think it must be in her bag somewhere. If it’s not in her phone and purse as proven by her going out to the takeaway.

If it was my dd I would be tempted to drive back to help her look.

WTF475878237NC · 03/04/2022 07:33

I wouldn't assume it came from the pub as that's making her think it would be obvious to find as must have been quickly dropped into her belongings. It could be sewn into or hidden in the lining of her things some other time and only switched on yesterday.

Blondeshavemorefun · 03/04/2022 07:35

I’m not very techinal , how do they work

Assume it’s for locating stuff

Scary can be used to track people

I have an iphone

So if one was near me it would show up on my screen is that right

Hope your dd is ok @iknowimcoming and finds it

Askingforfriend · 03/04/2022 07:36

There are other tracking devices and there have been before airtags came out, so I don't get the demonizing of Apple specifically. Tile is one example, we also have a device in our camper called a Spot that tracks by GPS.

We have them, I bought some because I lost my keys one day and it has some really expensive to replace keys on there. Luckily I was able to backtrack and find them but I was scared of how much money and pain in the neck it would have been to replace them and put a tag on them.

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