Man Uses Apple AirTags to Recover Stolen Range Rover in Ontario

According to a report from CP24, an Ontario man last week tracked down his stolen Range Rover with the help of Apple AirTags. The midtown Toronto resident has been the unfortunate victim of two car thefts in three months.

Lorne, whose surname was omitted for safety and privacy, moved to the Avenue Road and Lawrence Avenue area in Toronto on April 1. The very next day, his Range Rover Autobiography was stolen out of his driveway in broad daylight.

“The thieves were able to disable the tracker in my car, put there by the manufacturer,” the victim said.

Lorne got a new car of the same model a month later, but he knew better than to trust the manufacturer-installed tracker alone this time. Instead, he hid not one, not two, but three Apple AirTags in his new Range Rover. Lorne placed one in the glovebox, another in the spare tire in the trunk, and a third under the back seat.

While he typically parks his Range Rover in his garage, Lorne left it in his driveway last Wednesday night. He awoke the next morning to find that his car had once again been stolen.

Lorne immediately pulled up the Find My app on his iPhone, locating all three of the AirTags he had sneaked into his car and, therefore, the car itself. His Range Rover was parked near Manville and Comstock roads in Scarborough, at a location listed as a metal recycling plant.

Apple launched the AirTag for $29 USD ($39 CAD) in April 2021 as a tracking device to help customers locate items. AirTags rely on the Find My network, which comprises over one billion Apple devices globally.

While there have been reports of AirTags being used to mark cars for theft, Lorne was able to use one (three, actually) to recover his after it was stolen.

The now two-time victim of car theft headed to the location and called the police. When he couldn’t get through to an officer, he drove to the 41 Division police station.

“I pressed my panic button and you heard it going off,” Lorne said. “The next day I was told they recovered nine cars.”

The police investigation is ongoing. However, Lorne was told his vehicle was among those recovered and should be back in his possession soon.

Craftily placing AirTags in your car adds another layer of security against theft, but it’s not a perfect solution.

“It’s not fool proof,” Lorne added. In fact, AirTags may actually end up alerting crooks of their presence if the perpetrators have iPhones or Apple’s Tracker Detect app for Android.

That is because Apple has implemented a system that notifies users if an AirTag they don’t own is near them for an extended period of time, and more. The system helps prevent malicious usage of AirTags, like following people around.