Is Your Car Being Tracked? Signs of a GPS Tracker and What to Do
Share
Do you suspect that someone knows where you have been in your car? GPS trackers have become small, cheap and easy to hide. This guide goes through common signs, the types of tracker that exist, what you can check yourself and when it is time to bring in a professional TSCM inspection.
Common signs that your car is being tracked
- Someone knows too much. A person turns up where you are, or knows about trips you have not told anyone about.
- A warning on your phone about an unknown tracker. iPhone and Android can warn you when an unknown Bluetooth tag, such as an AirTag, is travelling with you.
- Unknown objects or cables. A small box under the car, an unknown device in the OBD port or extra cables at the battery or fuse box.
- Signs that someone has been in the car. Loose panels, moved mats or screws that look like they have been loosened.
None of these signs proves that the car is being tracked, but several together are a reason to look into it.
Three types of tracker
Active GPS trackers
Send their position over the mobile network, often in real time. Many only transmit when the car is moving, which makes them harder to find when the car is parked.
Passive trackers (loggers)
Store positions without transmitting. The person who planted the device retrieves it later and reads where the car has been. Because they do not transmit, they cannot be found with an ordinary signal detector.
Bluetooth tags
For example AirTag. They send a Bluetooth signal that nearby phones pick up, and are the type that your phone's own warnings are designed to detect.
Where are trackers usually hidden?
Most trackers are placed where they can be attached quickly: under the car, in bumpers and wheel arches, in the OBD port under the dashboard, under seats or in the boot. Hardwired trackers can sit behind panels, powered by the car's electrical system.
What can you check yourself?
- Take warnings about unknown trackers on your phone seriously.
- Look under the car and in the wheel arches with a torch.
- Check whether anything is plugged into the OBD port.
- Consider perfectly legal explanations, such as a company car's fleet system, the leasing company's tracking or the car's own connected services.
A check of your own can find the simplest trackers. Passive loggers, hardwired devices and trackers behind panels often require specialist equipment and experience.
If you find something
Do not remove the device straight away. Photograph it and where it is located, and touch it as little as possible. It may be important if the matter is investigated later. If you suspect a crime, contact the police.
Professional vehicle inspection
In a TSCM vehicle inspection, Ensec combines a physical search using an inspection mirror and videoscope, RF analysis including while driving, checks for passive trackers and Bluetooth tags, and NLJD where considered relevant. An inspection of a larger vehicle normally takes 4–6 hours.
If we find a device, we document and report the finding and await further instructions. The device can be removed with the approval of the owner and, in some cases, the authorities. Everything is handled confidentially.