If you’re the kind of person who’s constantly hunting for your own keys, AirTags seem like a godsend: A compact device that can be tracked nearly anywhere in the world, without a costly GPS or data subscription?

The thieves’ technique is to leave the tracker somewhere on a target vehicle, then follow its location in Apple’s Find My app to discover where it’s parked.

Brand name ‘air tags’ are placed in out-of-sight areas of the target vehicles when they are parked in public places like malls or parking lots.

Once inside, an electronic device, typically used by mechanics to reprogram the factory setting, is connected to the onboard diagnostics port below the dashboard and programs the vehicle to accept a key the thieves have brought with them.