Vermont police are telling residents returning from Canada to check their vehicles for AirTags.
According to law enforcement in the state, a number of people have found hidden AirTags on their vehicles after making road trips to Canada, 9to5Mac reports. Authorities believe the AirTags are being placed on the vehicles with the intention of eventually stealing those vehicles.
"They could be identifying vehicles that could be stolen and shipped abroad as part of a car theft ring,” Ryan McLiverty a cyber analyst with the Vermont Intelligence Center, told local Vermont station WCAX.
According to McLiverty, the incidents have been going on for a while now; however, law enforcement has seen a recent uptick among criminals in Montreal who use AirTags as a way to track cars and then steal and sell them. He also notes that the vehicles might also potentially being used as a way to move small amounts of drugs over the border.
Common hiding spots for the trackers are under a car’s windshield wipers, in its front grille, or inside a vehicle that was left unlocked.
This isn't the first time we've heard of the device being used to steal vehicles. In December, Canada's York Regional Police said that since September 2021 officers had investigated five incidents where the trackers were placed on vehicles so they could later be stolen.
Apple notifies iPhone users if it detects an unknown AirTag traveling with you. The company has also released an app for Android users that allows them to manually search for the trackers.
Earlier this month, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Apple claiming that the device has “become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers.”
Washington D.C. also issued the devices to some residents as a way to help them track down stolen vehicles faster. The devices have also been used successfully several times to track down stolen luggage.
Apple has argued it is not responsible for how AirTags are used.