Vermont residents have something new to worry about when driving across the Canadian border: Is your car being tracked?
At least three cars that returned to Vermont from Montreal recently were found tagged with hidden tracking devices, possibly in an attempt to commit a crime, according to state and local law enforcement agencies..
“As far as we know, this is a new trend we are seeing recently,” said Sarah Hernandez Timm, spokesperson for the Burlington Police Department, in an email.
The department sent out a public alert on Monday announcing “recent reports of AirTags and other Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices being discovered on Vermont vehicles returning from Montreal.” The department has received two such reports in the city.
“GPS tracking devices may be located under the hood of the car, near the top (towards the grill). However, we would encourage a watchful eye throughout the entirety of your vehicle,” Timm wrote to VTDigger.
State authorities know of three reports made to local police departments by residents who discovered such devices found on their cars after returning from Montreal, according to Ryan McLiverty, cyber intelligence analyst at the Vermont Intelligence Center in Williston. The center operates under the Department of Public Safety and assists the Vermont State Police.
This type of activity has increased lately due to the widespread availability of smaller tracking devices, such as Apple AirTags, McLiverty said.
“We’ve just recently had an increase in the number of cases specifically revolving around AirTags and similar small Bluetooth tracking devices reported to us by our local law enforcement partners,” McLiverty said.
Authorities haven’t yet confirmed the purpose of the tracking devices found recently in Vermont. However, in working with Canadian authorities, their best theories are the cases are related to criminal enterprises.
The vehicles are being tracked “either to move small items such as firearms or drugs, small amounts of cash back and forth across the border, or, in some cases also to steal vehicles and most likely ship them overseas as part of a car theft ring,” McLiverty said.
Montreal Police did not respond to a request for comment this week.
This has been a growing problem nationwide, NPR reported in 2022. Apple is aware of the problem and is working with police.
“AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” the company said in a statement from 2022 and updated last year.
Designed to help people locate their personal belongings — such as keys, phones, bags — AirTags are shiny little discs, less than 1.5-inch in diameter, that were first sold by Apple in April 2021.
Someone may be alerted to the presence of an unexpected AirTag by the beeping from an alert that Apple devices make when the tracker attempts to make a wireless connection. Videos on social media, such as TikTok, show someone finding an AirTag hiding in the corner of the back seat of their car.
Timm said Burlington police continue to investigate the recent incidents and ask residents to be aware and to report such occurrences promptly.
Criminals have become more tech savvy and are using technology to facilitate their crimes, McLiverty said. He recommends Vermonters learn about the use and security features of these small devices and that they be on alert for them when traveling or renting a vehicle.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of cases of tracking devices found in cars in Vermont, and the year when Apple released an initial statement about the problem and when an NPR story was produced.