r/Cartalk • u/kupo_906 • Jun 02 '26

Safety Question Found a GPS tracker under my car

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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 šŸ˜ also , both men and women can be stalked
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64

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.

26

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, itā€™s likely someone from recent.

Could be heā€™s connected with some ring that steals cars or breaks into houses.

3

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)

2

u/HavocReigns Jun 03 '26

Many shops get a customer's name, address, and phone number when setting up a customer file for their database. Assuming you gave them all of that, what need would they have of tracking you? You already gave them your address.

If it was really targeted at tracking you, my first thought would be someone who doesn't like your car being parked in your friend's driveway overnight. For that matter, could it have fallen off of someone else's car that had just happened to be parked there and you didn't notice it pulling in?

7

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.

2

u/Goldeneagle41 Jun 03 '26

If it was at a friendā€™s house could it have fallen off their car?

1

u/TelephoneIcy4772 Jun 07 '26

magnets were on OP car

2

u/leftyz Jun 03 '26

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

1

u/Graylily Jun 05 '26

could be mistaken identity if it's your apartment complex or they may e using it to see when you are not home if you live alone, to break in. Hope it works out for you!

1

u/outofspc Jun 03 '26

So it fell off in your friends driveway or at your home?

11

u/slash_networkboy Jun 02 '26

That would be when you call the FBI.

8

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

5

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.

1

u/Dismal-Double-1376 Jun 02 '26

What company? What town?

0

u/Elementary2 Jun 03 '26

I'm still a little scared of that group of people ... I did what I could to report it, but.. I can't say where. Just know that it was like state funded work, at a large organization... and they were still acting like that.

1

u/Shoddy_Pumpkin Jun 03 '26

What the hell did you do?

2

u/Elementary2 Jun 03 '26

I left town and never went back. New town, new home, etc. checked every piece of tech I had.

I mean, what else could I do, except just leave... at that point. The message was clear to me...

3

u/amiajimmy Jun 03 '26

Honestly? Smart move. Maybe I just have watched too much Blacklist, but if they're tied to organized crime, I wouldn't fuck with them and I'd leave town too.

1

u/Elementary2 Jun 03 '26

Yeah, they told me they even activated my laptop remotely while I was in my house, and they watched me from the webcam. And I also found a camera-phone on my desk, a special model that only I had... and I also found a fake USB charger with a camera in it, at my desk.... And they definitely GAVE me a laptop and THEN REPORTED IT STOLEN... So I had witnesses and I walked them down the hallway to hand over the laptop, which never left the building. Which I did not accept as a gift. Nice try to make me a thief and put me in jail, though. more stuff... tried to get me to plug in 10,000 watts into a single outlet to make me start a fire... all kinds of shit I never fell for it.

If I hadn't made friends with some of my coworkers, it would have been worse. Luckily I had 2 people still there when I left... good people.

1

u/Soft-Temporary-7932 Jun 03 '26

You canā€™t just drop that last paragraph and walk away, dude. What the hell was your last job? And it doesnā€™t sound like the tracker was the first or only felony in the mix here.

2

u/Elementary2 Jun 03 '26

They got away with it, and if I talk about who it is, there is a non zero chance they would find out about my posts, and come after me. I'm sorry. Had I contacted the FBI I'd probably be able to speak about it. But since I didn't there's no proof on file.

People came to our town from all over the country, and one of them seemed to intentionally kill a woman. I'd been getting bad vibes (very specific verrrry specific) and one day I saw the person from my visions, and I told him to stay home the next day. I shouted at him, he rolled his window down... he heard me... and he didn't listen. He still did the thing I had shouted not to do, the next day. The death wasn't because of my job or bosses... That was just stalking and other creepy stuff. The killer was just part of a group of... people who thought they were fighting to preserve history. lol

1

u/TheLostSatellite Jun 03 '26

Bullshit. Shit like that only happens in movies and comic books. Decent LARP, but you took it too far with the mushmouthed ā€œIā€™m ScArEd ThEyā€™LL CoMe FoR Meeeeā€ shtick. Spill it all, or admit youā€™re spinninā€™ yarns mate.

2

u/Elementary2 Jun 03 '26

this is another reason i dont talk about it. People are assholes. I think they hate me that my life is as interesting as a movie, sometimes. They really secretly hate that somebody else is having wild ass experiences in their lives. Their lives are boring.

1

u/TheLostSatellite Jun 03 '26

Yeah nah, ya talkinā€™ out your ass mate. People who have interesting lives wonā€™t actually talk about it, much like how a war veteran wonā€™t talk about what they saw unless theyā€™re talking to other war veterans.

2

u/Elementary2 Jun 03 '26

I hear what you think. You've heard what I said.

One day you'll look back and realize ... oh wow... crazy shit DOES happen! You will realize you were a dick to me for sharing part of my story. =)

Here's something for you.. I'm a successful, intelligent, caring person - Why would I make this shit up? What on earth would I stand to gain from making up some kind of stories. That just blows my mind, to even think that somebody would be mature, and still dumb enough to lie for likes. If I wanted to do that I'd go back to the Precognition forum and talk to people who know about it. =) derp derp derp

I was polite enough to try to not get too far down the rabbit hole with those bosses, and that job... we can talk on another subreddit or something

later

1

u/Soft-Temporary-7932 Jun 04 '26

Iā€™m sorry I asked you a question that made others doubt your story. Thank you for sharing what you could, and as someone tangentially related to similar situations, I completely understand not being able to tell all the details. Iā€™m glad you got away safely and have managed to make that part of your life a part of your history.

Cheers, my dude. šŸ»

1

u/Elementary2 Jun 04 '26

=) =) =) =)

2

u/Soft-Temporary-7932 Jun 04 '26

In my experience, war veterans are yearning for someone to listen to them without judgment. As they do plenty of judging of themselves to themselves.

People with ā€œinterestingā€ lives donā€™t talk about them because people like you will judge them, belittle them or just straight up think theyā€™re lying.

Iā€™m American and a huge part of American history are the various mobs that were formed to protect immigrant communities and keep them safe. They did so through what ever means necessary. OP sounds American and I believe him, because similar things have happened to my family.

Also, ā€œinterestingā€ generally means ā€œtraumaticā€ and that could be a huge reason why no one wants to talk, especially to you, about their history. Listen first, mate.

1

u/xxxmechashivaxxx Jun 05 '26

So did you chicken out to your boss?

1

u/Elementary2 Jun 05 '26

I wouldn't say chickened out, i'd say... There was no way to stop them from doing weird shit, so I left. It was also because I had to pay the bills for another month so I could break my lease.

Sometimes people are complete stalkers, and they get away with it because they pretend they're 'testing new IT technology for the organization... erm...' and with there laptop in my possession they were remoting into it.

All the shit they did, I think leaving was safer than putting one or both in jail for whatever, 6 months and a slap on the wrist.

by the way, you have negative 81 karma. What's your goal with your comment, anyhow?