TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma State University police issued a warning about Apple AirTags after a few students realized they were being tracked by the device.
“It’s new. It’s something we haven’t dealt with before,” said Michael Galbraith.
Michael Galbraith is the Captain of Operations at OSU Tulsa.
2 News Oklahoma’s Naomi Keitt asked him about a concerning new trend that campus police have seen firsthand.
Captain Galbraith says a couple of students in Stillwater had AirTags placed on various items and vehicles.
“We decided that we need to get ahead of it, and put out a warning to all our faculty, staff, and students that this is a potential risk for them,” said Captain Galbraith.
The Oklahoma State University Police Department wanted to make sure everyone on both of their campuses, in Tulsa and Stillwater, is safe.
It’s not just a problem here in Oklahoma, but across the country as well.
Hilary Postlethwaite lives in Denver.
“I went out for drinks, just kind of like a normal Saturday night with my husband and a couple of friends that were visiting,” said Hilary Postlethwaite.
“It wasn’t until I got home that I got a notification that an AirTag was detected with me and so I told my friend.”
Apple started selling the AirTags last year. They were designed to keep track of your belongings, but it wasn’t long before people started using them for the wrong reasons.
“Having something placed on your vehicle or your property that is unwanted is always a little troubling,” said Captain Galbraith.
Captain Galbraith says Apple started updating their IOS systems alerting users that an unwanted AirTag may be traveling along with them.
He says to protect yourself and your family doesn’t ignore those notifications.
“They’re so small if someone places it in a conspicuous place, you’re not going to know it’s there until you get that alert,” said Captain Galbraith.
He also suggests that you’re mindful of where you’re going and who you’re going to meet. It could be helpful to identify where you picked up the unwanted device.
For Postlethwaite, she says it’s frightening to know people could be using this technology to take advantage.
“When it comes to somebody finding where you live, and potentially going into your house or robbing you or doing something else like that, that’s not what technology was meant to do. I think that’s really dangerous territory,” said Hilary Postlethwaite.
See the full story this Wednesday at 10 p.m. on 2 News Oklahoma.
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