Auto thieves are using Apple AirTags to steal cars, reports the York Regional Police (YRP) in a northern Toronto suburb

According to a YRP public service announcement yesterday (December 2), the thieves are searching for the vehicles they are after in public places, such as shopping mall parking lots Once they find the car they are looking for, they secretly place air tags in places where the owner may not be aware of them, such as inside the gas flap door, inside the tow hitch, inside the bumper, or in external electrical ports

Since September, there have been at least five such incidents in the area, YRP says [In a YouTube video posted by YRP yesterday (December 2), Detective Jeff McCutcher said, "We are beginning to notice a new trend emerging in the auto theft industry

"Tagging devices using GPS and Bluetooth technology, which they are attaching to various vehicles they are trying to steal with it

(In a more ominous development, many women across the US have reported being stalked by rogue air tags, and not all incidents can be explained as being related to car theft)

Later that night, car thieves use AirTag to track the car to the owner's home and steal the car from the driveway Using a screwdriver or similar tool, they break into the car, plug a mechanic's electronic tool into the car's on-board diagnostic port, reprogram the key settings, and drive away

"Using an iPhone, they can always know the location of the vehicle," MacArthur added MacArthur added, "With the iPhone, they always know where the vehicle is"

According to McArthur, crossover SUVs from Lexus, Toyota, and Honda are currently the most desirable for car thieves in the Toronto suburbs, along with the eternally popular Ford F-Series trucks

YRP does not use the word "Apple" in the public service announcement and two related YouTube clips posted yesterday (December 2) However, it is clear from the images and wording what device they are talking about

"The mindset of car thieves is changing," begins another YouTube clip that almost looks like an Apple promotional video 'Typically, thieves roam residential neighborhoods looking for a particular make of car Now they roam parking lots and leave tracking devices called AirTags in their target vehicles The thieves then use the AirTag to track the vehicle and steal it at a later date"

The AirTag starts beeping when it is eight to 24 hours away from a paired iPhone Still, that's enough time for a car thief, and the beeping may not be heard over the sound of the car's engine

If a "mysterious" AirTag that is not paired with an iPhone comes to the house, the iPhone is supposed to alert you However, it does not always seem to work, and those who do not have iPhones cannot receive those alerts

We reached out to Apple for comment and were directed to this Apple support page There, they describe what to do if you find someone else's AirTag in your belongings or hear chirps from an AirTag that has been separated from its owner

To be fair, car owners can also use AirTags to recover stolen vehicles, as well as car tracking devices that can cost hundreds of dollars to install or require a subscription fee, according to tests conducted over the summer by Gary Gastelu of FoxNewscom, They were just as effective at locating lost vehicles Air Tags cost $29 for a single tag or $99 for a pack of four

In August, digital security researcher Dan Guido told his Twitter followers that Air Tags helped him recover a stolen electric scooter However, he warned that scooter thieves noticed that the scooter had a hidden AirTag (Guido had one in a prominent location and another hidden inside the handlebars) and apparently tried to remove it

Back in Ontario, York Regional Police provided these tips to car owners: