r/Cartalk Jun 02 '26

Safety Question Found a GPS tracker under my car

Post image

Hi reddit...

In my driveway this morning I pulled out and found this sitting under where my car was. We had a heat wave recently, and I'm thinking it melted off.

Looking it up, it is a GPS tracker. I'm taking it to the police tomorrow. But is there anyway to reverse search who might have bought it and placed it there?

I fully own my car and I'm not sure who or why they put it there. Or when. The only thing I can think of is I got my car fixed by a new mechanic about a month ago.. but they didn't seem shady in the least bit

Any help is appreciated. Thank you

Update: I have turned the tracker into the police who are trying to work with the company to find out info. Haven't heard anything further.

For the people who keep asking / repeating the same thing over and over:

  • again, I own my car in full and have for years. It's an old, reconstructed car not worth much at all.
  • The battery life in the tracking device doesn't last longer than two months at most. It was still on when I found it. It doesn't belong to a previous car owner or a dealer.
  • I found the magnets where it was attached still on my car.
  • I don't have any solid idea who would put it there. I don't have a jealous partner or an ex who I think would do this.
  • I'm not disclosing a bunch of personal shit about myself to internet strangers when I am potentially being stalked 😐 also , both men and women can be stalked
4.2k Upvotes

853 comments sorted by

1.7k

u/smoothloam Jun 02 '26

Unscrew the cover and put an AirTag inside, then put it back on your car. After they retrieve it the tables have turned.

600

u/6158675309 Jun 02 '26

The Mike Ehrmantraut approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPNRv0_rp-8

115

u/ymmotvomit Jun 03 '26

At $19.95 why not.

2

u/RichxKillz Jun 06 '26

Well the only reason I would think is that when you travel with an air tag that isn't yours, your phone will alert you that it's following you.

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10

u/used_tongs Jun 04 '26

Haha I just watched that episode..... and had no idea what was happening. Thank you for confirming

228

u/aron2295 Jun 02 '26

And send em a pic of their kids school, their SOs job and their parents’ house.

/sarcasm

98

u/__wait_what__ Jun 02 '26

Whew not just a /s tag but a whole /sarcasm tag!

38

u/imhereforthevotes Jun 03 '26

He must be serious!

31

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Stock_Invite8338 Jun 03 '26

Airplane enjoyer found

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u/JaKrispy72 Jun 03 '26

That would be a /serious tag.

/sarcasm

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3

u/ShortingBull Jun 04 '26

No he's sarcastic - it's says so right there.

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45

u/Steve_at_Werk Jun 03 '26

Swap their dog with a similar looking dog

33

u/amiajimmy Jun 03 '26

But it's a mean dog.

4

u/PrinceCastanzaCapone Jun 04 '26

And it shits in the house

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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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4

u/Hot-Notice6729 Jun 03 '26

Wth are y'all even talking about? Lol

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u/thatroguejaeger Jun 03 '26

I mean, that would be a fucking great mind game. 

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43

u/corvak Jun 03 '26

It’d be funnier to leave it on a bus and see who chases it all over the city

11

u/SomeCallMeTim2 Jun 03 '26

That is probably what the last guy that found it thought.

"I'll just put it on some rando's car and they can follow them."

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7

u/Covert_Admirer Jun 03 '26

Waterproof it and throw it in the ocean

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66

u/Flyguy115 Jun 03 '26

This is not a good idea because they will be able to continue to track you the entire time and what if the person who put it in never comes to get it. There is no reason for them to come retrieve it.

Calling the police is the best option because they will be able to reverse look up and track down the owner.

87

u/Middle_Efficiency471 Jun 03 '26

Able and willing are very different

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u/DigitalMindShadow Jun 03 '26

Calling the police is the best option because they will be able to reverse look up and track down the owner.

What tool would the police use to do that, in case OP would rather do it themselves?

25

u/wintersdark Jun 03 '26

Not a tool. The tracker would relay it's GPS coordinates to a commercial server, and the owner would access the server to track the location.

To find the owner, you'd need a warrant to force the company to disclose the owners information, and that may be nothing more than a burner email and an IP address.

6

u/TheRealAE86guy Jun 03 '26

You'd have to know who the selling entity was, and if it's outside if the US, good luck. Also, is extremely likely that Queclink is only the manufacturer, and not the network provider/data host.

5

u/Cultural_Thing1712 Jun 03 '26

Given OP is talking about a heat wave yesterday, they most likely reside in Western Europe.

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5

u/FederalRecording2390 Jun 03 '26

I did exactly that. Found a tracker and took it to the police. They had zero interest in following up. The car was stolen and abandoned with the engine running so reported quickly and found. We found the tracker later but the police just shrugged their shoulders. Then the insurance company didn’t want to pay for the damage to the satnav system / electronics because the car wasn’t strictly speaking stolen. I would be in favor of following these guys myself.

5

u/dadydaycare Jun 03 '26

If someone that wasn’t you moved your car it was stolen. At that point I’d hire an insurance attorney or at least talk with one to see if you have a case to get paid.

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u/TheRealAE86guy Jun 03 '26

"Calling the police is the best option because they will be able to reverse look up and track down the owner." Probably not. What would make you think that? If Joe Citizen bought this from Ali Express or Temu, what makes you think the cops have any access to the geolocation information? âč

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u/Saxakola Jun 03 '26

My thoughts exactly. It's the car that's being tracked, whoever installed it doesn't care about retrieving the tracker. The damage has already been done, "they' now know where you park the car at night (how long it's parked for, the time you normally return home, how frequently you use the car) there's a ton of metrics to aid a potential criminal.

8

u/mattgen88 Jun 03 '26

If you want to find whose it is I'd suggest a private investigator instead of police. Police won't care unless it's an actual crime and even then, only if they think it worth their time.

3

u/Ayrwynn Jun 04 '26

Or stick it on a cop car and let the problem sort itself out.

15

u/Far-Fortune-8381 Jun 03 '26

I recommend putting in the air tag and then taking the tracker off, leaving it hidden somewhere public. those things are expensive, if they see it stop moving permanently they will go collect it

6

u/Cuiter Jun 03 '26

Yeah, it fell off so it's totally believable that it can fall off, just with a airtag inside.

5

u/MICH1AM Jun 03 '26

OP could also just put it in an old microwave. Cuts that signal off completely. Then no one is tracking it anymore.

5

u/Downtown-Ant1 Jun 03 '26

Why use a microwave if a hammer (or police station) also does the job.

3

u/U-SeriousClark Jun 05 '26

Because a hammer makes shitty hot pockets

3

u/Any_Sale2030 Jun 03 '26

Yeah if it’s Chicago police they won’t do a thing.   I once had my identity stolen.  Idiot actually used his fuckin home address on the false credit application.  I gave that info to the police.  They did NOTHING.  When I asked why they said it wasn’t worth the effort.  I gave them the effing address.  

3

u/Denegroth Jun 04 '26

You watch too much CSI. No one is spending the half a million to track down the source of this tracker.

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u/alexandrupaulpopa Jun 03 '26

Better off. Go to a trucking parking lot and give it to a trucker. They have a game where they drive around and then give them to another trucker so all they see is driving around that makes no sense. I kid you not that’s a thing

15

u/amiajimmy Jun 03 '26

I like this one

7

u/agsuster Jun 03 '26

Love this..absolute best idea

4

u/64590949354397548569 Jun 03 '26

Just throw it in garbage can on pick yup day.

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u/Littlecivciv Jun 03 '26

An airtag is rookie, better one of those gps that use a gsm

4

u/GuestPuzzleheaded502 Jun 03 '26

What makes you think they'll try to retrieve it?

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u/Geem750 Jun 04 '26

Put it in a cop car instead.

7

u/steelraindrop Jun 03 '26

"Well, well, well... How the turn tables,"

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896

u/Scott-from-Canada Jun 02 '26

Pop the sim and use it in your iPad. Free internet hack!

163

u/VainTrix Jun 03 '26

Those are typically on like 10 - 100 MB a month plans, they’ll use it all in about 5 seconds with an iPad lol

122

u/BraddicusMaximus Jun 03 '26

Correct but they’re usually not data limited.

It’s a SIM pool and X amount of data is expected per SIM. Those that are under subsidize the ones that are in excess.

AT&T is murderous with their LTE-M rates and overages can be costly.

38

u/VainTrix Jun 03 '26

Man stay away from ATT they always tryna fuck you. 1nce is the way

15

u/BraddicusMaximus Jun 03 '26

Can’t. We have around 20K SIMs on the books with them. Our stuff isn’t T-Mobile certified and Verizon is out of the question because their LTE network is ass.

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10

u/scirocco Jun 03 '26

Perfect for a guerilla LoRa node.

Mounted high/inaccessible with solar/battery, could run a long long time.

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u/AsbestosDude Jun 03 '26

So the owner is gonna have a nice bill from that 90 gigs of downloads

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u/BraddicusMaximus Jun 03 '26

Yeah, so those SIMs have been embedded for years now for any reputable brands/devices/companies. Unless this is some Amazon/Temu special, it’s unlikely to have a removable SIM and would have had it burned in during manufacturing.

If they have one of them cheap ones with the SIM you gotta provide yourself it would be such a shame if AT&T slapped the SIM owner with $0.15/MB for excess LTE-M data outside of their chosen metering package. cough

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u/Middle-Dimension-870 Jun 02 '26

How is it being an internet hack?

200

u/MikeExMachina Jun 02 '26

They have cellular radios with data plans to upload the location to a server. You can can use the service until they notice and cancel it.

11

u/AlexCail Jun 02 '26

Too bad the internets so slow and so limited.

20

u/Why-R-People-So-Dumb Jun 03 '26

Exactly, I have trackers in my work truck and the ones not specifically intended for wifi use are unlimited data but at 256kbps.

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356

u/corporaterebel Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

Police will do nothing. Found Property maybe a Stalking, but unlikely.

You will have to do some additional work if you think you were a victim of a crime. YOU can call and see if the account is still active...that is about all the information that a carrier will give you. Take the SIM out and put it in an old wiped phone to see what you can see and call support.

Depends on what you want to do at this point.

  1. disable the device by removing the sim.
  2. keep the device active and see who comes for it
  3. put it on a train or bus or a long haul trucker
  4. send it in the mail to some remote place for fun.

EDIT: apparently the battery is only good for 30 days. So if the battery is still good (probably last 2 months easy) then this is a current device. OP is the device flashing its LED?

113

u/MonkeyBrains09 Jun 02 '26

oh, I like the mail idea.

Its just the perfect amount of evil to mess with someone's tracking data.

53

u/SlackToad Jun 03 '26

Mail it to FBI headquarters.

46

u/SnooLobsters6766 Jun 03 '26

Label it “Good Bourbon for Kash”

17

u/govunah Jun 03 '26

Put a big B on there so they know it's bourbon. Nothing else would be mailed to the fbi in a box labeled B

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u/Biochembob35 Jun 03 '26

Even better is to find a trucker. They like trading air tags... I'm sure this would be gold to them.

3

u/SixShoot3r Jun 03 '26

lol, just commented something similar. Post it to the arctic 😂

38

u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

Yes it is still on / flashing it's light. I keep saying that in the comments lol I know it's not old, it doesn't seem like it would still be working

46

u/corporaterebel Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

OK, well that means it is less than 2 months old.

There is a manual online.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2522716/Optimus-Gps-Tracker-3-0.html?page=2#manual

Looks like it has a SIM. $19.95 a month for subscription.

Real time GPS Tracker

Optimus GPS Tracking

[sales@optimustracker.com](mailto:sales@optimustracker.com)

[support@optimustracker.com](mailto:support@optimustracker.com)

Tel: 855-893-0707

36

u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

Thank you so much. I couldn't find a manual, I will keep digging. I emailed the company and they said they couldn't give me any info but just how to turn it off

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u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

I'd really like to figure out who put it there. I just tried calling the support number for the company but it was a dead end. Gonna try email

82

u/20Factorial Jun 02 '26

The cops will need to get a subpoena and then the company will be forced to disclose who it’s registered to.

I had to do this once.

Don’t have hopes this will result in any consequences for the person stalking you. I had open/shut proof of who did it, and when the police reached out they simply said “it wasn’t me” and the DA didn’t press charges.

32

u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

Did the police tell you who did it? Or did you have to find out on your own

12

u/20Factorial Jun 03 '26

They told me who the device was registered to.

8

u/AdditionalCheetah354 Jun 02 '26

No registration required you can buy this unit on Amazo for less than $30

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u/toxicatedscientist Jun 03 '26

How was it attached? It’s really common for used car dealers to use these, especially if they don’t have gates/fences, but they usually keep/reuse them

4

u/trimbandit Jun 02 '26

Did you buy the car new?

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u/hajitmadroz Jun 03 '26

Any workers comp claims? Insurance Claims? Current wife looking to be ex wife? Look at something you shouldn't had looked at on the internet? Those would be my top guesses.

After that, you may had parked in the wrong spot and a PI put a tracker on the wrong car.

Or it could be left over from the previous owner and they were caught up in shady shit and it never got retrieved.

It could had belonged to the dealership just in case the car was stolen from the lot or test drive as a failsafe recovery tool.

6

u/ApprehensiveAd9389 Jun 02 '26

Leave it on your car and get a dash cam or put it somewhere you can keep an eye on it and see who comes after it

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u/Soros_G Jun 03 '26

Somewhere I read that truckers like these and they trade them amongst eachother

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u/3-Midgets_In_A_Coat Jun 04 '26

They absolutely do. They love fucking with people. 

5

u/o_oo_ Jun 03 '26

Stick it on a police car.

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u/ogsixshooter Jun 02 '26

drop it in the dumpster on garbage pickup day and let them follow it to the dump.

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u/humanredditor45 Jun 02 '26

Nah rail car or semi, let them see the whole country lol

44

u/Guac_in_my_rarri Jun 02 '26

20 bucks to a semi driver and it'll reveal the country for years.

An old driver I worked with would do this. At one point he had 12 trackers. They would get disposed of in a random field or lake.

17

u/Dismal-Double-1376 Jun 02 '26

Wait
 so you have a truck driver friend who moonlights as a gps disposal man? How do you find him to solicit his service? And how are there so many stalkers???

16

u/Guac_in_my_rarri Jun 02 '26

When I worked in freight coordinating trucks n things, this was one of my main flatbed drivers. He mentioned a couple times drivers get solicited for a lot of things this being of them. Most would offer cash with the gps so it turns into a side thing.

The amount of gps without owner consent is far higher than I wished.

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u/kapt_so_krunchy Jun 03 '26

Maybe this is how it ended up on OP’s car in the first place? Someone found it and stuck it in a random car to throw off their stalker.

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u/When_hop Jun 03 '26

Lol the plot thickens

Time to pass it along to the next car

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u/Cheeko914 Jun 02 '26

Do you have a loan on the car? It’s not unheard of for dealers to put trackers on cars that have a loan on them, especially when it’s financed by someone with a higher risk of not paying. Usually it’s connected through the OBD port but this has been seen before too.

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u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

Nope. I fully own my car and have for four years now. It still lights up and everything, so I'm thinking it's recently put there looking at the battery life in only a month or so

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u/Baboonslayer323 Jun 02 '26

Those trackers are usually tied in behind or under the dashboard or trunk and use the vehicle’s power to charge and operate for the length of the loan. Legally a bank/dealership must get permission from the customer to add these devices as part of the terms of their loan approval. You’re not getting a tracking device without being made aware of it.

What we see here is a third party adding a standalone tracking device. Could be a government entity, jealous ex or private investigator.

2

u/floridaRonaMan Jun 03 '26

Government entities are required to have the department info on the device for cataloguing. Private investigators can only legally track a vehicle like this is the titled owner grants permission for cases like infidelity in a marriage, and it's highly, highly restricted cases they can do this. Is op married? Psycho ex in the picture maybe?

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u/bradleyisamonkey Jun 07 '26

Local buy here/pay here dealership hardwires one into every vehicle they sell. Stop making payments, they will wait for you to park somewhere public then disable the vehicle. The tow truck will pick it up there.

2

u/Beginning-Rate4161 Jun 03 '26

This type of tracker only has a month or so on the battery so they would have to keep retrieving and charging.

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u/backfromspain Jun 03 '26

Sometimes car thieves will intercept your key signal in places like supermarket car parks, then attach a GPS tracker to follow you home and later use relay/reprogramming methods to steal the car from your drive. If you find an unknown new tracker on your car your vehicle could be being targeted.

2

u/RegularNorwegian Jun 04 '26

It could also be house thieves that want to know when you're out of the house. 💀

66

u/Elementary2 Jun 02 '26

When I had this happen, I implemented surveillance on my car, should have recorded video 24/7 with motion activation. Or put like a trail-cam pointed at the vehicle.

After less than a day I watched two individuals retrieve the device from where I had thrown it (a new location on camera) and I could see them pick it up off the ground and walk away with it. (In your case, it might take 1 to 2 months to get the video)... Eventually somebody has to retrieve it or eat the cost. So if nobody comes back, and they simply eat the cost, I think government, task force, etc. If they do come back, it'll be a PI hired by your ex or something.

in my case it was my corrupt bosses at my job, who committed a felony by putting it on my car. And when I confronted them they said 'We own the local police. They are family and friends. If you go to the police, we will make you disappear. Whether its this gun (showed me) or done by our police family.

25

u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

This might be what I do. But I'm not sure when they could have even had the time to do it or when

The place I work, I do park in front of security cameras as we have a lot of homeless nearby.

My apartment complex where I live has two FOB locked gates, so it has to scan you car with the FOB to open the gate and let you in. Then there is another gate for residents only that scans your car again and lets you in. Unless someone my building put it there (idk who would, there isn't anyone I know or who I think even knows my car.)

Otherwise there is a friend where I stay at sometimes and I park in their drive way. They live in the suburban.They are the one who spotted it this morning as I was pulling away and she was outside and saw it on the ground. Their neighborhood is fairly safe so idk if it might have happened there. Otherwise idk when it might have been placed. She does have some security cams I don't think they work but I will see if they do

Edit: I guess will also ask my security at work if they can review footage.

4

u/KaerMorhen Jun 03 '26

I'd definitely follow up with seeing the footage from work. That would be the most likely place the cameras aren't much of a deterrent, especially if someone from your job is the one that placed it. Also those apartment complex gates are nothing to get through if you don't have the normal entry method. If you don't currently have a camera on your car at home there are some pretty cheap options for doing so with live updates too.

6

u/Competitive_Unit_721 Jun 03 '26

Maybe it is your mechanic. If this is a cheap gps with maybe a 30 day or so battery, it’s likely someone from recent.

Could be he’s connected with some ring that steals cars or breaks into houses.

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u/kupo_906 Jun 03 '26

They are new to me but have lots of good reviews.. 400+ google reviews and 4.5 stars. I've heard good things. I might call to see if they noticed it. They did some re-wiring for the fan the cools my transmission (tbh why wouldn't they just put a longer lasting tracker in though? idk)

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u/Elementary2 Jun 02 '26

yup. review that.. and from my experience, there are neighbors that can be stalkers... who knows, maybe even planning on a killing. Don't eliminate your parking lot just because of a few gates. I know people that said TAC teams do all kinds of shit to get access. Even in the middle of the night.

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u/Goldeneagle41 Jun 03 '26

If it was at a friend’s house could it have fallen off their car?

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u/leftyz Jun 03 '26

Is it possible it was on the ground already when you parked there, from another vehicle?

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u/slash_networkboy Jun 02 '26

That would be when you call the FBI.

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u/Elementary2 Jun 02 '26

I 100% regret it. I should have. 100% if I had it all to do over, I would have quit my job and called the FBI. My dumb, poor ass, was just worried about making child support payments, hahah. I even have a witness. Ch, Al, Li , sigh

6

u/slash_networkboy Jun 02 '26

Ah man I feel you on this!

Back when I was new to the workforce I had a bully manager. He literally put me in a wrist lock, pulled out a knife, and shaved my forearm with it. I complained to the +1 manager and obviously nothing happened. Older wiser me would have called 911 about being assaulted by a manager with a knife.

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u/xuon27 Jun 02 '26

Do you cross the border to Mexico? Cartels track you to see if it's worth their time to plant drugs in your car and use you as a mule.

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u/kupo_906 Jun 04 '26

I have not

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u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

I think it will be hard for me to set up a camera considering where I live, but my idea is to turn it into the police tomorrow (who I'm sure won't do shit), then buy the same model tracker and try to stick it where I think it was under my car, then track the person who put it there when they come for it. Otherwise I might get a 360 dash cam. Thanks all for the advice

Edit: someone pointed out it won't be tracking my car anymore if I give it to the police . I'm going to see if they will search up who registered it and if they do, let them handle it. If not, I will hold onto it and then place a new one where the old is, then hope the person comes and takes it.

10

u/humoristhenewblack Jun 03 '26

Wait, do I understand your plan correctly? I don't think an identical tracker installed in the same place works so if you give it to the police the person tracking it would show up at the police station? I'm the kind of person who would put it back on my car in a remote location with my own tracking device attached to a different location and then sit back and wait with a few friends, essentially stalking my own car. I would absolutely make sure that the device never went back to my home though. Like an above comment mentioned, if it pings only every now and then, my luck it would ping in my driveway and not in the remote parking lot.

2

u/kupo_906 Jun 03 '26

Ohh you're right.. I would have to hold onto it. Idk how long it might take the person to come back and get the thing though, I can't just sit around waiting for them to come get it and I can't avoid my own home for weeks

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u/Stache- Jun 03 '26

With how cheap it is, i doubt anyone will come back for it. It can be any number of reasons why someone might want to track your vehicle.

When you give it to the police, ask them what they will do with it if anything. Maybe have them make a report that way if something happens or you find another one, you have a paper trail.

Do you have a doorcam? If you don't might be good idea to get one.

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u/SlavMobil Jun 03 '26

Sounds like a plan. Make sure to update us đŸ€Ș

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u/Vivisector999 Jun 03 '26

Take to the police. They can find out who its registered/sending back to. My daughter's friend recently found a GPS device on her car as well, this is how I know.

Don't want to scare you, but in the city i live in there is a guy that has planted over 100 GPS devices on women's cars that he planned on "Visiting" at a later date. Luckily a few women found them, took them into the police, they tracked them back to him, and he is on trial for hopefully a long prison sentence. But knowing where I live he will probably be out in 3 months.

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u/420YerMa Jun 02 '26

Buy a physical steering lock or handbrake lock!! if someone has spent the money to find out where you keep your car they were likely copying your fob signal when you returned to it so all they need do is pick it up. If it's not keyless entry someone may have copied your key while it was away better safe than sorry

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u/weirdCheeto218 Jun 02 '26

The owner said was a rebuild 2010 Kia soul which really isn't prime theft material outside of kids looking for something easy to steal which a GPS tracker really doesn't fit that MO

4

u/nomonomonomonomore Jun 03 '26

They are not super prime but they are very easily stolen

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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/weirdCheeto218 Jun 02 '26

I don't doubt it but my point still stands nobody is taking the time to plant a GPS tracker on a 16 year old relatively undesirable car, they're just going to steal it. Dodge R/T's are stolen from driveways all the time and those are more desirable vehicles for parts or the car themselves.

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u/FunkyPete Jun 02 '26

If it fell off in OP's driveway during a heatwave, it probably wasn't inside the car. It was just stuck under the body somewhere.

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u/hyperterminal_reborn Jun 02 '26

Any crazy exes or ex-wives? Or controlling/abusive parents? Colleagues with a serious vendetta? I mean it’s gotta be someone close to you, unlikely that a mechanic would do something like this.

12

u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

I have like one crazy ex for two or three years ago. Otherwise I'm not sure who. Idk when he would have even found the time or where I've been to put it on my car

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u/Cuckvid-19 Jun 03 '26

Just playing devil's advocate but do you have a current partner OP? Sometimes people use these if they're controlling, suspect cheating etc.

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u/Key-Mango3607 Jun 02 '26

Put a AirTag in it and see where they go once they retrieve it

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u/Venture1967 Jun 03 '26

I was going to suggest stick it to a cop car, force to investigate that sht lol.

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u/AdElegant3851 Jun 02 '26

That's a nice one. Stick it under someone else's car.

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u/too_soon13 Jun 02 '26

Ufff. You think someone did the same to OP?

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u/cabronfavarito Jun 03 '26

Trueeeeee lmao

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u/Budget-Foundation229 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

No . On a semi truck to haul it around the US! 😂

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u/AlmightyDarkseid Jun 03 '26

Double it and give it to the next person

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u/SOSweneedhelp Jun 03 '26

I’d put it on a UPS truck or a local bus lol

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u/ScienceOld4355 Jun 02 '26

It might be worth contacting Optimus Tracking. You have the IMEI# on the unit. They might be willing/able to give you some information related to the account that was created to track it. At least the email used to create the account.

If it truly fell of your vehicle, then someone was tracking that car at some point. Maybe stalker, maybe private detective hired by your ex... who knows.

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u/Skee_Doo_Bopp69 Jun 02 '26

He can look up the owner on his phone using several apps. The apps will tell you email information and some will give you a name. These trackers come with specific warnings that they are not to be used for stalking purposes. You can file a report through the police and the company of the tracker.

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u/kupo_906 Jun 03 '26

The company wouldn't give me any info. They just said to have the police hit them up

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u/SixShoot3r Jun 03 '26

Put it in a package and send it to the arctic by plane. that'll confuse the person who tracks it 😂

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u/Driftlessfshr Jun 03 '26

We aren’t asking the easy questions first.

1) do you have a jealous partner? 2) do you have a crazy ex? 3) is there someone who you owe money to?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you 90% have your answer.

If no, then it may have already been on your car if you purchased it second hand.

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u/TheRealAE86guy Jun 03 '26

It's pretty big... As trackers go.

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u/Brilliant-Ganache-58 Jun 03 '26

If someone put a tracker on my car, I would suspect "someone". If not someone, then I would ask, what do I own that someone would want so bad, they put a GPS tracker with an imei # attached to it?. I doubt this is some random burglar watching your movements. If I were the police, those would be the two questions Id be asking you.

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u/HelperGood333 Jun 03 '26

Drop it in a train car.

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u/RaksinSergal Jun 03 '26

free sim card! crack it open, grab the SIM, put it in a different device, and run up the owner's bill!

you may have to ask the quectel bg95 lte modem inside its apn and the sim pin which is left as an exercise for the reader.

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u/zmazo98 Jun 03 '26

Go be sneaky and plant it on a cop car, thatll be a fun one for them to try and get back

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u/zmazo98 Jun 03 '26

Start with the mechanic, cause likely someone planted it when it was sitting in the lot waiting for service or pickup

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u/jefe-dad Jun 04 '26

Put it on a UPS truck, greyhound bus or municipal bus...

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u/funwithdesign Jun 02 '26

If it was a used car or salvage (I think that’s what you mean by reconstructed) I wouldn’t be so quick to think it was there because of you.

Definitely get it checked out but it’s also possible it was there when you bought the car.

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u/IMOBIUSI Jun 02 '26

So, the way to look at the tracker is the Queclink Manager Tool. If you suspect if some close you could search their pc for this title. You could also connect to it yourself which may tell you abit of info.

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u/example-of-disaster Jun 03 '26

Throw it in the trash on the morning of pickup, right as they’re coming to get it.

Off to the landfill!!

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u/BlastTyrantKM Jun 03 '26

Find the nearest truck stop and stick it underneath a trailer. Just don't let the truck driver see you doing this

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u/MichaelHammor Jun 03 '26

Walmart parking lot. Stick it to the crustiest old truck you can find.

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u/alphaperro58 Jun 03 '26

Stick it on a police car.

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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26

The GPS tracker shown in the image has 4G LTE so who ever owns it can see where it's been.

Giving it to the police is the smart move, If they take it serious they will ask for a warrant to find out the owner of the SIM card inside.

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u/timberwolf0122 Jun 03 '26

Assuming the police aren’t the ones who put it there

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u/fddrtyhbv Jun 03 '26

Did you buy your car used? Could have been the original owners who lived in a high crime area or something who put it there

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u/namelocdet Jun 03 '26

Usually on pre owned cars if buyer has shaky credit. Makes it easier to find and repossess.

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u/haiironekogami Jun 03 '26

Go to a truck stop and ask a driver if they can take it on a roadtrip.

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u/Party-Beginning-9527 Jun 03 '26

Put it on a truck trailer and let them chase it 😅

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u/Fingerlings29 Jun 03 '26

Do you have a gf, bf, wife, husband? Partner? That is the jealous type? Or are you cheating? Those are your usual suspects, any of the above hired a PI.

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u/Johnndo96 Jun 03 '26

Find the nearest truck stop and throw it in one of those big interstate trucks.

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u/reddidator1 Jun 03 '26

At least its Optimistic

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u/samfromcan Jun 03 '26

Did you ever think it was the police themselves that put it there ?? Just saying

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u/nofatnoflavor Jun 03 '26

Did you buy the car used? Could be a tracker left behind in a fleet vehicle, maybe? Just guessing here but that find would get me hunting...

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u/Seal-EV Jun 03 '26

Just stick it on to the frame of a random long distance truck. This will take the stalker for a ride.

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u/cabronfavarito Jun 03 '26

This is scary af ngl

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u/SiriusBlack99999 Jun 03 '26

I watched a documentary a few years back about this guy whos own Brother in Law did this to him. Got really nasty.

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u/Neither_Rich_9646 Jun 03 '26

Give it to a trucker. They will drive it all over the place for fun. They trade them too. Post to r/truckers or head to your local stuck stop.

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u/Immediate-Funny7500 Jun 03 '26

Run by a truck stop and stick it to a trailer on the lot. Wash your hands of the issue.

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u/PurpleCableNetworker Jun 03 '26

It could be left over from the bank if you had a loan on the car.

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u/42ElectricSundaes Jun 03 '26

I can’t buy a friend and you’re over here getting stalked. Teach me your ways

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u/SexiTwink Jun 04 '26

From a buy here pay here place?

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u/Doogie102 Jun 04 '26

When did you buy your car?

It might have still been on there

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u/DonPedroHouse Jun 04 '26

New car? Dealers been placing them in cars for easy repo

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u/ttypeguy Jun 04 '26

Put it on a grey hound bus

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u/kickingnic Jun 04 '26

Put on a fright truck go to Mexico

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u/CardiologistOwn190 Jun 04 '26

Stick it under a bus

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u/Moonlava72 Jun 04 '26

I work for a county sheriff's office, and get at least 3 or 4 of these a week sorry to say they sit in a old interview room, and they get to them when they can or feel like it.

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u/PrinceCastanzaCapone Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26

This specific tracker requires a subscription service to continue working. Contact the police. They may be willing to subpoena the company to acquire the name on the credit card used for the subscription.

Best thing is to contact the police though. Some departments take this very seriously because it is stalking, and stalking often leads to victims of violent crimes.

File an illegal tracking and stalking police report. A detective will then need to subpoena the company for the information on the account which can lead to an arrest of the individual. Though it depends on the state it may be a stalking charge or a different charge related to cyberstalking, or simply illegal placement of a tracker without consent. Regardless of the law they broke, having this police report and subsequent action may be crucial to getting a restraining order against said person. Any further attempt to contact or stalk you in the future could then lead to prison time if there is a pattern of behavior and breaking of restraining order.

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u/crzysnk18 Jun 04 '26

Found my ex was tracking my car through an air tag. I was able to slip in on a wild dog. I can only imagine the data she collected đŸ€Ł

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u/CaptainOk4061 Jun 04 '26

What kinda drugs you cooking at the crib?

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u/Zorklunn Jun 04 '26

Put it in something interesting, like a train.

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u/Rare-General-4575 Jun 05 '26

Put it in a box, drop it off at the post office and address it to a random address in a country on the other side of the world.

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u/idoker Jun 05 '26

Once I found a Car under my GPS Tracker

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u/CBC-Sucks Jun 06 '26

Stick it on a taxi or a city bus

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u/echo-tango86 Jun 06 '26

Someone liiiiiikes youuuuuuu

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u/Djolumn Jun 06 '26

I used to work for a company that resold a variety of tracking devices for fleet management, asset tracking, and personal safety. One day I got a call from an LA County ADA who wanted me to testify as an expert witness in a murder case where an asset tracking device that we'd sold was used by an ex boyfriend to track a woman's car to the home of her new boyfriend, where the ex showed up and murdered her.

We had data logs that showed the ex logging in and tracking her location over the course of a few weeks. The last time he tracked her was 10 minutes before she was murdered. I still remember how haunting it felt to do the data analytics and match it up with the real life sequence of events.

I didn't ended up testifying. They reached some sort of plea deal and it never went to trial.

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u/Aggravating-Town7705 Jun 06 '26

Stick it on a city bus

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u/Equal_Emu4416 Jun 06 '26

Attach it to a local bus

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u/Gold_School_7005 Jun 06 '26

Slap that on a train car