⚠️ Important DPPD info for people with iPhones. Ever heard of Apple AirTag? ⚠️
Have you seen the new Apple AirTag? It’s a new tracking device released by Apple, intended to track your stuff that you may often misplace. Recently, we’ve noticed that criminals are using this device to track vehicles with the intention to burglarize, or steal, it. Criminals track the vehicle, wait for it to be unoccupied, then enter to access the OBD (On-Board Diagnostic) port to reprogram the vehicle for the criminal’s key to work. The AirTag looks similar to a large coin battery (1.26 in diameter and 8 mm thick), which means you’d have to be very observant to find it attached to your vehicle.
On a positive note, this tracker will automatically alert your iPhone if there is an unfamiliar “AirTag Found Moving With You.” This means someone, other than you, has placed an AirTag on your item or vehicle, to track it. If you get this message, do not drive home or stop your vehicle anywhere. Drive straight to the police station to report it.
Here are some ways to prevent victimization:
- Be vigilant when parking your vehicle, especially at home. If possible, park your vehicle in a locked garage instead of the driveway.
- To help prevent key reprogramming by criminals, you can get a data port lock which blocks unauthorized communication through the OBD port to your vehicle.
- Use a steering wheel lock, which is also a visual deterrent
FYI, Android phones can also get notifications of an AirTag by downloading an app called “Tracker Detect.”
Criminals are always finding new ways to commit crime. Let’s all work together to prevent victimization.
#DeerParkPolice