Bizarre Walmart Airtag tracking reports in Ontario likely unfounded, say police

Niagara police say they are aware of reports circulating on social media that suggest women have found Apple AirTags covertly placed in their purses while shopping in a Niagara-area store, but have not been able to confirm that any such activity has taken place. 

Late last month, a poster took to Facebook to say that there have been “alarming reports” regarding men allegedly placing AirTags in women’s purses at a Walmart in Welland. 

The post, which called the reports part of a “concerning trend that highlights the importance of staying vigilant,” was shared on a Welland community page. Hashtags used in the post allude to human trafficking. 

Comments on the post are varied, with some residents expressing shock and horror and others expressing skepticism about the reports. One poster who claims to work at the Walmart in question said she and her team are not aware of any incidents involving women being covertly tagged by strangers. 

On Oct. 2, the police service said it had spoken to detectives and crime analysts who serve the area about the reports and “are not seeing this type of incident occurring/reported in Niagara.” 

But although there’s no evidence at this time that men are covertly keeping tabs on women with the GPS tracking devices, police say AirTag technology can be used for “criminal reasons” and that an unknown AirTag will message a nearby phone advising of its presence. 

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Smartphone users can set up alerts to notify them if an unknown AirTag is close by.  

Officers say anyone who suspects they’ve been tracked by a tag should contact police.