Cybersecurity Awareness Month Tip - AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory stalking

What is AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory stalking and what can I do if I get an alert that a device is moving with me?

Like almost any technological improvement, there is potential for nefarious intentions. AirTags, for example, were designed to help you keep track of your things. However, AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessories are trackable by the owner. And that means that if they are with you, then the owner knows where you are.

So Air stalking, or Find My stalking, is unwanted tracking due to a small device (the Apple AirTag, for example, slightly larger than a quarter) planted on one of your belongings (your backpack, car, jacket pocket, purse, wallet, etc.). Therefore, if you see a message on your iPhone telling you AirTag Found Moving With You, there are things you should do immediately.

The below steps are excerpted from the following Apple Support article: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227

Find the unknown AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory

Tap the alert.
Tap Continue and tap Play Sound.
Listen for the sound; play it again if you need more time to find the device.
If the option to play the sound isn't available, the device may no longer be with you.

If you hear the AirTag emitting a sound

If you found the AirTag, hold the top of your iPhone or smartphone near the white side of the AirTag until a notification appears.
Tap the notification, which will open a website providing information about the AirTag including the serial number and the last 4 digits of the phone number of the person who registered it. This will help identify the owner. You should screenshot this information to make sure you can document the information and provide it to law enforcement (DPS) later.
If the owner marked the AirTag as lost, you may see a message with information how to contact the owner. Please avoid contacting the owner. For safety reasons this may not be a good idea.
To disable the AirTag (so you are no longer tracked), tap the Instructions to disable link and follow the onscreen steps.
After the AirTag is disabled, the owner can no longer get updates on its current location, and you will also no longer receive unwanted tracking alerts for the device.

IMPORTANT

It is advisable to contact your local law enforcement (DPS) who can work with Apple to request information related to the AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory. Remember to provide the screenshot mentioned previously.

PLEASE NOTE

Disabling the Find My network on your device, turning off Bluetooth, or turning off Location Services on your iPhone won't prevent the owner of the AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory from being able to see the location of the Air or Find My device. You must disable the device by following the link to Instructions to disable and follow the steps.

If you have an Android: Checking for nearby AirTag, AirPods, or Find My accessories

If you use an Android ("Droid"), you can download the Tracker Detect app from the Google Play Store. The Tracker Detect app looks for item trackers within Bluetooth range that are separated from their owner and that are compatible with the Apple Find My network. These include AirTags and Find My accessories.

If you think someone is using an AirTag or Find My device to track you, you can scan for it to try to find it. If the app detects an AirTag or Find My accessory tracker near you for 10 minutes or longer, you can play a sound to help you find it.

Here is a link to the app on Google Play Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trackerdetect

Questions?

If you have any questions at all, please call the ITS Help Desk at (203) 254-4069 or email itshelpdesk@fairfield.edu.

Related Web Site : https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227

For more information, contact IT Help Desk / (203) 254-4069 / itshelpdesk@fairfield.edu