Michigan police officer shot at while tracking a stolen car via Apple Airtags
Michigan police officer shot at while tracking a stolen car via Apple Airtags
Apple released AirTags about two years ago to help people keep track of important items, but an alarming number of criminals have used the devices to stalk and harass victims.
In the latest case, a woman received an alert that an AirTag was traveling with her while she was driving on Sunday in Irving, Texas, according to KXAS. She immediately drove to the nearest police department and officers were able to locate the device taped under her car within 10 minutes.
"It’s an uneasy feeling," Officer Robert Reeves told the local news outlet. "We may be looking at an offense of either harassment or stalking which is a high misdemeanor or felony offense."
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Apple has rolled out a number of safety precautions to guard against stalking and harassment. If an AirTag is separated from its owner and moving with someone, then that person receives an alert on their phone that says, "AirTag Found Moving With You."
That person can then view a map of where the AirTag has traveled with them and play a sound on the device to help locate the AirTag if it's hidden.
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A spokesperson for Apple pointed Fox News Digital to a recent update from the company that noted it frequently works with law enforcement on tracking down errant AirTags.
"Every AirTag has a unique serial number, and paired AirTags are associated with an Apple ID," Apple recently explained. "Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement.
In a separate incident last month, Ronald Andrew Reagan allegedly used an Apple AirTag to track the mother of his child. (Cameron County Sheriff's Office)
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In a separate incident last month in South Texas, a man tracked the mother of his child with an AirTag, frequently texting her photos of her vehicle while allegedly stalking her, according to the Cameron County Sheriff's Office. The woman eventually inspected her car and found a hidden AirTag.
Ronald Andrew Reagan, 40, was arrested for unlawful installation of a tracking device on Jan. 17 in that case.
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