WAAY 31 Investigates: TAG You're Being Stalked

With technology continuously advancing in the tracking world, stalking is easier than ever.

Metro Investigations, Inc. is one of Alabama's oldest private investigative groups. Founded in 1971, it has investigated, trained investigators, and sold spyware for 53 years. Business Manager Melanie Carr said the ease of new-age trackers has only made stalking more common.

"We have a lot of people come in and ask about it because they feel like someone is stalking them - putting an Airtag on there," Carr said.

Apple Airtags are marketed as a quick, easy way to keep track of keys, wallets, or backpacks. They are small enough to be put relatively anywhere.

"With an Airtag, you can hide it under the carpet, mounts for seats, in gas tanks," Carr said.

And though there are measures to prevent stalking in Airtags, like the 'unknown Airtag is following you' notification, that does not make them foolproof. It has only been in recent years that newer Androids have been able to send these notifications, and even with Apple devices, it could be hours before someone is alerted. Having one of these on or in a personal belonging for even a few hours could cause someone to get hurt or give someone knowledge of where someone lives or works.

Other trackers, like OBD trackers, are larger and can provide exact locations to the minute, while Airtags only provide approximate locations.

 "(OBD) trackers are so small you can pretty much hide them up under seats, anywhere up under a vehicle - they are usually magnetically mounted so you can put it anywhere that there is metal."

However, OBD trackers have to be recharged, while Airtags can last up to a year.

Carr said that most of the trackers they sell are used to keep track of children, elderly individuals with memory issues, or assets like fleet vehicles. However, one issue that can come from these trackers, and those who are usually in the most danger, are those in domestic violence situations.

And the stalking does not stop there. Private Investigator Jeff Means with Sound Mind Investigations told WAAY 31 that some of his clients fear their entire lives are being tracked.

"What they wanna do is have their car searched, their house searched or their phone searched for spyware," Means said. "They feel like maybe an ex-spouse, boyfriend-girlfriend, somehow got ahold of their cellphones and put spyware on their phone to find out who they're talking to."

Last year, Alabama passed House Bill 153, which criminalizes electronic stalking and tracking - and can leave someone with some harsh consequences when putting a device on something they do not own.

For putting devices on someone else's personal property with the intent to stalk, the punishment is a Class C felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. For putting devices on someone else's personal property with the intent to stalk, and there is already a restraining order against the person intending to stalk, the punishment is a Class B felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Carr said there are a few ways to find these trackers. First, someone can call Metro Investigations or a similar business, which will scour your car for these devices. There are also devices online that scan for these little trackers - you can find those HERE.

According to Carr, the most important thing a person can do after finding a tracker is to call the police and file a police report. Having a record of the tracker can help someone later down the road if they discover who put it on their property.

These devices are only becoming more sophisticated, so it is important to stay diligent.

If you or anyone you know feels that you are being stalked, contact the police. These are also some resources you can use, along with the full text of HB 153 and some of the tracking device locators you can purchase online. WAAY 31 also sat down with Attorney Heath Brooks, who talked about the legal rights and resources a person has when being stalked. That video can be found below.

Resources on stalking:

Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Stalking Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center (SPARC) 

Text for HB 153 can be found HERE.

Tracker locators can be found HERE.

Statistics on stalking can be found HERE.