Vermont police warn drivers returning from Montreal to check for hidden GPS devices

Police in Burlington, Vt. say its residents are finding hidden AirTags and other GPS tracking devices on vehicles returning from Montreal.

The Burlington Police Department said last week that it had received two separate reports in the past month from residents who discovered the devices on their vehicles.

The force says the technology is allegedly being placed there by criminals, and is asking anyone who notices a suspicious device on their vehicle to call police.

The warning comes as police forces across Canada are battling rising levels of auto theft, with criminals using increasingly quick and sophisticated methods to track and steal desirable vehicles.

Toronto police and others have warned that would-be car thieves are using devices such as Apple AirTags to mark and track vehicles to be stolen later.

Police have said they're also concerned by how quickly criminals are able to steal cars by using various methods to override anti-theft technology, including by hacking on-board diagnostics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2024.