Revealed: How stalkers are weaponising Airtags and GPS trackers to harass their victims
Apple AirTags and GPS tracking devices are being weaponized by trackers, causing a “disturbing” rise in cases and victims fearing for their lives.
Abusers use coin-sized devices, which can be bought for as little as £35, along with apps designed for parental control, to stalk ex-partners at work and track their location.
Some survivors were forced to flee their homes and change jobs to avoid detection, while others were placed in safe houses.
Campaigners warn the problem has escalated rapidly since the Covid outbreak and say some police are not taking victims’ concerns seriously enough. They are also seeing an increasing number of victims become compartmentalized due to deteriorating mental health.
This comes as freedom of information data obtained from police forces in England and Wales. Independent, It found a shocking 896 percent increase in the number of tracking reports involving AirTags and GPS trackers, with cases rising from 57 in 2018 to 568 by the end of 2024. In cases of coercive control, the number increased from 38 to 431 over the same period; 1,034 percent increase.
But the real figure is likely to be much higher; because only 18 of the 44 forces responded to the request for information; Charities have warned survivors will face a “postcode lottery” over the response from frontline workers.
Nicola’s ordeal began 18 months ago after she left an abusive, short-term relationship. Within weeks it emerged that her ex-partner knew her every move, and when Nicola left her home to exercise, he began parking nearby at gigs, pubs and outside work.
I’m constantly on guard, I sit with my back to the wall, I’ve changed my routines, I’m afraid to go out
Nicole
Nicola, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, claims police failed to take her concerns seriously, despite applying for a non-harassment order to prevent her abuser from contacting her and reporting to police 35 times. He said this led to him trying to take his own life three times and trying to harm himself three more times since the stalking escalated in October 2024.
The crime was only discovered during a trip to a mobile phone repair shop when Mspy, a spyware program designed for parental control, was found on his device. This meant that his ex-partner had access to all his apps, GPS location and messages.
She said: “It’s absolutely terrible. I’m constantly on guard, I sit with my back to the wall, I’ve changed my routines and I’m afraid to go out.”
“I’ve never been so scared in my life; I’ve changed phones, jobs and will contact venues in advance to let them know I’m being followed so I can sit next to a security guard.”
Emma Pickering, head of technology and economic exploitation at domestic violence charity Refuge, said stalking and covert surveillance had been on the rise “for a really long time” because as technology improved “there were more options available”.
He said: “It’s disturbing. Many new cars have GPS-enabled systems that can be tracked through an app, you can hide Apple AirTags in clothes, Find My iPhone, you can ring doorbell cameras; one of the biggest challenges is that we don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
The charity first noticed a rise in the number of perpetrators downloading stalking software to spy on their victims during the Covid lockdown.
“We thought it would come to a head, but it never really went away. We’re busier than ever; we don’t handle any case that doesn’t have an element of technology-based harassment,” he said.
Apple has implemented security features such as alerting when an unknown AirTag follows a person. But some victims found devices hidden in their vehicles, in their coat pockets and, in some cases, in their children’s backpacks by their former partners.
Asked whether tech companies were doing enough to ensure their products were not used for malicious purposes, Saskia Garner, of the tracking charity Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said: “Not really, no. We always advocate a security by design approach.”
“Adjustments were made after complaints were made, but it is too late. We are also aware of other tracking technologies marketed directly to those who want to track them, such as tracking your old sites.”
“There are many places that shamelessly advertise that they assist in stalking. These are designed to not be found by stalking victims and only benefit the perpetrators. There needs to be more regulation on this issue.”
In Sasha’s case, her ex-partner continued to stalk her after their breakup by analyzing geolocation data embedded in her photos. He was able to add the images to his camera roll and use geolocation to find the street where the woman lived.
“At that point a risk assessment was made and the situation escalated. I had a panic button installed but in the end the police told me ‘We can’t keep you safe here’.” “I had to move to another place because it threatened my life, his life and the lives of others.”
In its 2022 super complaint to UK police forces, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust expressed concerns that police had failed to recognize the impact of cyberstalking on victims and said evidence had not been adequately collected.
Charlotte Hopper from the Cyber Helpline agrees. He said: “There seems to be a complacency towards crime that happens online. There’s also a lack of awareness about the real impact of these tracking devices and what to do with them. There’s a feeling among the police that if this happens online, we won’t know who it is.”
He described situations where victims were told to throw away tracking devices or leave them on the side of the road, not thinking this could lead to escalating behavior. Sometimes officers take the device without turning it off, causing the perpetrator to realize that the device is kept at a police station.
“A few times, we’ve seen a person disable their GPS tracker or remove access to their online account, and we’ll see things start to become more physical and the person comes home,” he said.
“When stalking becomes obsessive and repetitive in nature, you lose control and unfortunately we start to see things escalate.”
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Poolman, the national police chief for stalking and harassment, said officer training had been updated to include cyberstalking and how criminals use technology to track victims, and guidance had been given on how to obtain and preserve digital evidence to build a strong case.
But he acknowledged there was more work to be done, adding: “While forces have made progress to broaden understanding of stalking and better assess risk, there is still more to do to ensure consistency across the country. Our focus is to ensure forces use every tool at their disposal to better protect victims and bring more perpetrators to justice.”
In an earlier statement on its website, Apple said: “Apple is working closely with various security groups and law enforcement agencies. Through our own evaluations and these discussions, we have identified more ways we can update AirTag security alerts and help protect against further unwanted tracking.”
If you are experiencing distressed emotions or having difficulty coping, you can talk or email the Samaritans confidentially on 116 123 (UK and ROI). jo@samaritans.orgor visit Samaritans Website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are a US resident and you or someone you know needs mental health help right now, call or text 988 or visit: 988lifeline.org To access online chat on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis helpline available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country you can go www.befrienders.org To find a helpline near you
