STALKERS are secretly planting AirTags on women in order to keep tabs on their whereabouts, according to multiple disturbing reports.
The coin-sized gadgets are intended to be attached to items like keys and wallets so you can track them with an app if you ever lose them.
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While handy for anyone who frequently misplaces their valuables, AirTags are also popular among snoopers.
Swimwear model Brooks Nader is the latest celeb to fall victim to the ploy, which involves slipping an AirTag onto someone’s person to keep tabs on them.
The 26-year-old had been out at a bar in New York City, last week when a stalker planted one on her and followed her home.
Fortunately, Apple has built security tools into its ecosystem to protect people from AirTags pursuers.
What happened to Brooks Nader?
Brooks had been out at a bar in TriBeca, NYC, when she the “scariest moment” of her life on January 5.
Without her realising, someone had slipped an Apple tracking device into her coat pocket – and she only found out when she received a notification on her phone.
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She shared a screenshot of the notification to Instagram. It said: “Unknown accessory detected.
“This item has been moving with you for a while. The owner can see its location.”
The model asked followers: “I never share stuff like this but what the F does this mean?
“This ‘device’ followed me for the last five hours to every location and there was no one in my ‘network.’
“It also wasn’t a phone or tablet, it was an ‘item.’”
The fashion star later learned that the “item” was an Apple AirTag – a device meant to keep track of keys and other personal items via Bluetooth.
The small round devices can attach to items like your keys or bag so you can track them down with your phone if you lose them.
But Brooks is now warning how the device could be used in much more sinister ways.
She said: “@Apple, did you take into consideration the danger and potentially fatal consequences this device has?
“Ladies, check your bag, coat, pockets, and surroundings. Disturbed isn’t even the word.”
Speaking to Mail Online she told exactly what happened on her night out at the bar.
She said: “Basically my coat was on the barstool at the Odeon in TriBeCa, which was my first location.
“I went to bathroom left my coat on the chair and that’s when I think someone slipped it in. They then followed me for five hours all the way home.”
How to protect yourself
There are several ways to mitigate your risk of being tracked by an AirTag, according to PCMags’s Steven Winkleman.
For starters, Winkleman recommends regularly inspecting belongings such as luggage, purses, and bags.
“Take a few minutes to empty your bag and pockets each day; check to make sure all of the seams are intact and you don’t feel any awkward lumps or hard surfaces,” he wrote.
Next, be wary of the mail, especially if you use a PO box or rent a mailbox.
Boxes or unknown envelopes can contain Bluetooth trackers, so it’s best to open all of your mail before returning home, Winkleman suggested.
Last, you will want to inspect your bike and car for trackers.
You can easily check your bike for AirTags, however, cars contain a lot more hiding spaces.
Still, Winklesman recommends checking behind license plates, the opening between the hood and windshield, in the wheel wells, and the front and rear bumpers of your car.
How to detect and disable an AirTag
If an AirTag is traveling with an unregistered person, it will chirp sometime after 8 to 24 hours.
It will also send a notification to the nearest iPhone (assuming it’s running on iOS 14.5 or later).
If you find an unknown AirTag in your belongings, you can tap your phone against it to get the serial number and information on how to disable it.
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Mum shares how she uses an Apple AirTag as a tracking device on her kids but parents are divided
In other news, scientists are embarking on a mission to unravel the mystery behind dozens of grisly child mummies buried in an underground tomb in Sicily.
Police have caught an Italian mafia henchman who’d be on the run for 20 years after spotting the fugitive on Google Maps.
One of the best-preserved fossils ever found has confirmed that young dinosaurs burst from their shells just like baby birds.
And, an eagle-eyed Reddit user has spotted a $2billion flying stealth bomber on Google Maps.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
