Apple tracking devices being used in thefts of high-end cars

&quot;Once inside, an electronic device that police say is typically used by mechanics to reset a vehicle to factory settings...From there, the vehicle is programed to accept a key the suspects have brought with them that can then be used to start the car and drive away.&quot;<p>It seems like that&#x27;s the more important device here? It doesn&#x27;t feel like there&#x27;s much point having a unique key if you can reprogram the car without it.

This makes me want to do the same thing back: I should put an AirTag in an inconspicuous spot on my car, myself. Then if a thief puts an AirTag on my car and steals it, I can do a Uno Reverse card.<p>Edit: Another idea: I should throw an AirTag on my Catalytic Converter, and cover it up with a dark plastic so it looks like it&#x27;s from the factory... That could be a huge YouTube video that could launch a channel. &quot;I AirTagged my stolen Catalytic Converter!&quot;

While AirTags don&#x27;t really add new capabilities that thieves with this level of sophistication didn&#x27;t have access to before, one does wonder to what degree the attention AirTags brought to tracking devices caused various people to go &quot;Hmm. I could track something&#x2F;someone with that.&quot;

The photo in the article is of a pickup with the trailer light cover circled in red. That only makes me question its veracity.<p>The OBD-II port “locks” I could find with a quick search are &gt;$100, and most are made of thin plastic. Oh, and there is often a second OBD-II port under the hood of modern vehicles.<p>If you’re actually worried about this, the best solution would be a hidden “kill switch” that prevents the vehicle from starting or driving away. Either a toggle switch that shuts off the electric fuel pump (in which case they’ll get it started and move it a few feet at most before it dies) or a momentary switch that prevents it from starting. Either of those can be installed by someone with basic electrical ability for &lt;$10 in parts.

&quot;If you own an iPhone, you may receive a notification that an AirTag is nearby<p>If possible, park your vehicle in a locked garage as most vehicles are stolen from a driveway<p>Use a steering wheel lock, which will also work as a visual deterrent<p>Install a lock on your car’s data port. Police said the simple device can be purchased online and blocks access to the vehicle’s computer port&quot;<p>1 - Be rich. Have an iphone.<p>2 - Be rich. Have a garage.<p>3 - Pretend this will help. It won&#x27;t.<p>4 - Probably the only method thus far, that may be reasonable.

What’s the deal with leading with AirTags? It’s the least interesting part of the process. I can also use my eyes driving around neighbourhoods looking for high end cars. Or any other tracking device that’s existed since the 70s.<p>Is it supposed to create FUD around the dangerous world we live in now that we have AirTags?<p>Other scary technology listed in the article:<p>- the device used to factory reset the car - blank keys - a screw driver

&quot;Use a steering wheel lock, which will also work as a visual deterrent.&quot;<p>For years, my friends and spouse derided my use of &quot;the Club.&quot; After all, there are so many more technically sophisticated mechanisms to deter and prevent theft. Now, the irony is that the technology is redeployed in the service of the criminal rather than the owner!<p>Does the pendulum swing back the other way? In a world where all mechanisms of security are digital and criminals look for digital surfaces to attack, the ultimate trump card is a physical obstacle?

I hate to say it, but security via obscurity is the cheap + effective aftermarket solution. You can&#x27;t be gone in 60 seconds if it doesn&#x27;t move.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=XUhXLsrZiE0" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=XUhXLsrZiE0</a>

Is it not possible to determine the identities of the thieves (or at least a lot of information about them) from the associated Apple account? I don&#x27;t understand why they wouldn&#x27;t use a less consumer-oriented tracking device that is easier to use anonymously.

The image used to illustrate the article shows something that looks like it could be one a dozen different Android GPS trackers for sale on Alibaba.<p>Totally gratuitous clickbait finger-pointing at Apple.

If the owner has an iPhone, aren’t they notified that somebody’s placed an AirTag near them that’s following them? I thought this was one of the anti-stalking measures.

I love how the author of the article included a picture of a truck with a red circle surrounding the trailer connection plug - which has nothing to do with OBD2 connectivity - the technology the thieves are using to reprogram vehicles.<p>Why do we have journalists reporting on things they know little about? Seems counter-intuitive doesn&#x27;t it?

Aren&#x27;t AirTags clones&#x2F;copies of Tile?

I have an easy method to keep my car safe even if I have to go in some of the worst neighborhoods: I own a cheap old car.

The uber-cynical marketeer would see this FUD as a golden opportunity to sell iPhones to protect people from AirTags

If someone can fit an AirTag in some crevice, they can probably also fit a cellular Apple Watch (without wristband) in that same crevice.<p>Now granted the price of a cellular Watch ($329) is an order of magnitude higher than an AirTag ($29), but still pales in comparison to the street price of a high-end car.<p>The real story is them being able to use the data port to reset the car.

Keep your keys in a faraday cage.

Clickbait. Has NOTHING to do with AirTags.