Model Says She Was Stalked After Apple Tracking Device Was Slipped Into Her Coat

A Sports Illustrated swimsuit model has shared her story of allegedly being stalked with an AirTag tracking device. She believes her stalker may have slipped the Apple device into her coat pocket while she was out at a crowded restaurant and bar in New York City.

The 25-year-old model, Brooks Nader, said she was being tracked for hours as she met some friends at a bar in Tribeca. On her way back home, she received a notification on her phone that said, “Unknown accessory detected. This item has been moving with you for a while. The owner can see its location,” according to Inside Edition.

“I had no idea that these existed until it happened to me,” the fashion model added. “Once I was already on my walk home, I got the notification, someone is tracking you and has been for a while, so I freaked out obviously.” Her publicist revealed that they will be taking the matter up with the police.

The electronic device was designed to help users track items, such as keys, wallets and backpacks, that often go missing. Users can find the lost items using an app, which pinpoints the location of the AirTag that the item is attached to. However, individuals with malicious intentions are now using these devices to prey on unsuspecting victims.

“It was the scariest, scariest moment ever,” Nader said about finding the device.

She is now warning others to stay on the lookout for such devices and keep a watch for such notifications on their phones. “Check your belongings, check your surroundings,” she said.

In the wake of several women, apart from Nader, coming out with their stories of being tracked using an AirTag, an Apple spokesperson told ABC News, “We take customer safety very seriously and are committed to AirTag’s privacy and security.”

The device has a set of features that inform users if an unknown AirTag is with them, the company said. They also said that there are proactive features that are designed to prevent ill-intentioned people from stalking others with the device.

“If users ever feel their safety is at risk, they are encouraged to contact local law enforcement who can work with Apple to provide any available information about the unknown AirTag,” a company spokesperson, Alex Kirschner, told the New York Times in December 2021.

The company has also released a list of things to do when one finds a random AirTag or gets an alert of the device being with them.