Woman discovers tracking device on her vehicle after receiving iPhone alert

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT/Gray News) - A woman said she discovered a small device on her car which may have been used by someone to track her location.

The Jonesboro, Arkansas woman, who wished to remain anonymous in an interview with KAIT, said she received an alert on her iPhone that an Apple AirTag was found moving with her, and that the owner of the small device knew her location as a result.

The AirTag is a new Apple product intended to prevent people from losing valuables like keys or backpacks, but the company sends these alerts to people’s iPhones when it suspects someone is doing unwanted tracking.

“[I was] on my way to work, and I went to hook my phone up to listen to music, and then it popped up,” the woman said.

After a long weekend of shopping for a Christmas tree, she said she has no idea when this was put on her car.

“And as soon as it got eye level, I jumped because it was taped right here,” she said, pointing to the back of her vehicle near the license plate light.

Paragould Police Department Detective Robert Sexton told KAIT these are alerts people will need to take seriously if they receive them on their phones.

“That can lead to a lot of issues. It’s not something that we think about every day,” Sexton said. “We just typically just out and get in our cars and go about our business. It’s definitely something to keep an eye out for.”

The woman said after she found the device, she put it in a plastic bag and took it to the Jonesboro Police Department.

Sexton said tracking someone’s location without permission is criminal, and with the holidays approaching, more crimes like this are starting to appear.

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