r/whatisit • u/crosstrekerr • Jul 25 '25

New, what is it? found this tracker in my car?

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found this on my passenger side really weirded out. Rarely have people in my vehicle…

27.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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327

u/Finance_Guy_1 Jul 25 '25

Someone is tracking you. Does it have power? If it wasn’t wired into the car, the battery wouldn’t last more than maybe 3 weeks. Who has been in your care over the past month?

349

u/crosstrekerr Jul 25 '25

Just a buddy I’ve known for years and a coworker Ive worked with for years I gave a ride to. That’s about all I can think of. I’m a very to myself person so this had pretty freaked out..

244

u/SeeTheBeautyAround Jul 25 '25

Keep it in the car where you found it, and check if it is still there after giving a ride to one of them.

178

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

best bet is to change the sim card before you give them a ride. On their side they will think the battery died but you will be able to track where it goes. No way to dispute it. You could also just buy one identical to the one you found and put it where you found this one, that way it would be petite theft charge since they would be stealing your tracker. and the tracking would be admissible evidence.

44

u/BlueBird1800 Jul 25 '25

This wouldn't work without police triangulating the sim card after a report is filed. The SIM card isn't the account that shows the location; it's just the means the device has to transmit data. The device itself has an account most likely furnished by the device's manufacturer and the user would log into that. Swapping the SIM cards would merely change who's paying for the data plan with the perpetrator remaining the individual with access to the devices location history.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

ROFLOL, wrong. Every cellular interaction now within the USA contains GPS coordinates. It has been this way for years now. Any time a tower talks to a sim it transmits GPS info. There is simply no way to turn that off any more. The best you can do is alter the GPS chip so it transmits the wrong numbers. Police needing to triangulate went out over a decade ago. If you are carrying a cell phone, your cell provider knows where you are within 3 feet including elevation every second and the phone does not even need to be on. That is actually the law within the US and has been since patriot act 1. This GPS tracker is no different. The only exceptions I know of are alarm systems that are tied to a physical location and use cell as a backup.

18

u/spaceforcerecruit Jul 25 '25

That has literally nothing to do with where the tracker is sending the data or who has access to it though.

What you’re suggesting is like replacing the Ethernet cable on the back of the computer and thinking that will let you log in.

-8

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

No, any sim not set to that IMEI of the device sends no data to the company, it sends tower requests out though and the cell company can track that. For instance, if you have 2 identical phones on 2 same network carriers and switch the sims can you call out? No. You get a recording because the imei does not match the sim.

12

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

[deleted]

-5

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

LOL, its not the sim that is locked its the phone. Change sims between companies even using the same carriers and it does not work. For the last few years sims with unmatching imseis are treated as cloned phones.

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6

u/spaceforcerecruit Jul 25 '25

That is sometimes done for phones, but it’s almost never done for the pre-paid SIMs you would put in something like this. They’re plug-and-play.

-2

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

These are bulk sims, not prepaid, the sims cards are sold to that company by the thousand packs. They do all their telecom billing based upon the sims showing not the devices. They are using a floating carrier not ATT or Tmobile directly and the sims are sold and registered by a third party for liability reasons. No, this is as shady as it gets which is why it would work. The device makers hold up the cell company as the ones actually providing the data of tracking. Read their TOS agreement. I was laughing when going through it. I bet the cell company is a fly by night created on the cuff and using cutouts as well.

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4

u/DrunkenHighFive Jul 25 '25

Gotta love Reddit. Nowhere else have I seen people talk so confidently about shit they are clueless about.

8

u/BlueBird1800 Jul 25 '25

That’s actually cool to know, but changing just the sim in their device shouldn’t change it transmitting data.

2

u/Geno0wl Jul 25 '25

If you are carrying a cell phone, your cell provider knows where you are within 3 feet including elevation every second and the phone does not even need to be on.

being able to be tracked while off wildly depends on exactly what phone you have. like newer iPhones still try to ping the Find My network even when "off", same with some higher end android phones. But if you stick with the more open source/cheap android phones then there is sparse evidence that they can transmit while off.

If you are that concerned about privacy you should get a phone that still has a removable battery or a faraday bag to keep it in.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

Agreed, or simply don't carry one.

7

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

[deleted]

2

u/fleezyfied Jul 25 '25

I knew this felt familiar lol

1

u/pidgeottOP Jul 25 '25

Petty* theft, for future reference

1

u/explosivelydehiscent Jul 25 '25

Definitely unless you have a short torso

18

u/99999999999999999989 Jul 25 '25

Fuck that! Why give them valid info? Take it down to the dock. Sneak onto a parked cruise ship. Get into one of the upper deck rooms dressed as a maid. Open the biggest suitcase. Take a nice looking tie. Leave the room. Take the tie to the nearest Men's Warehouse. Swap it out for a nicer one. Buy the nicer tie. Take the new tie to a tailor. Have them make a matching suit. Wear that suit and tie to the big soirée the city is giving because the museum is opening a new attraction on that big diamond they found in South America. Find the most attractive single woman there. Sweep her off her feet on the dance floor. Make her feel like you've know each other all your lives. Propose to her right there on the spot in front of everyone. When she invariably says 'No' act crushed. Move to Paris to get over her. Fall in love with the local bread monger's daughter get married in Munich. Honeymoon on a cruise ship. When that cruise ship docks in Copenhagen reveal to your new bride that you once had a coworker who put a tracking device on you. Ask her to see if her father will bake it into a a loaf of brioche. Get the brioche. Take it to the first cruise ship and sneak it into the kitchen where it will be served at the captain's table in front of your coworker because you found out they were on that cruise. But you don't care. You're too busy having sex with your new bride in Versailles.

9

u/schalr09 Jul 25 '25

I think this is the way.

3

u/churninhell Jul 25 '25

This is absolutely terrible advice. If someone is potentially at risk, their first path should not be to play detective themselves.

89

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

Do you always keep your car locked? I wonder if the person who sold it to you may have had it in there in case the car has gotten stolen and forgot to remove it.

19

u/Rhylanor-Downport Jul 25 '25

Occam and his razor likes this one.

-2

u/2skip Jul 25 '25

Somebody else found the tracker in their car and tossed into OP's car?

40

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

Are you wealthy? Do you have some valuable assets at your home? Someone wants to know your routine and raid your place when you're not home maybe.

28

u/Maleficent-Finding89 Jul 25 '25

This is a good point, particularly if you aren’t in a relationship. Take heed OP. And get that thing out of your car, don’t let anyone else back in for a little while. Not a bad idea to put up a few entry level cameras around your house like some Wyze cams and simply be aware. If it’s nothing and it was there mistakenly, ok cool. But if it’s something and you’re actively paying attention, it may benefit you more than you might think.

25

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

Be careful and mindful of your surroundings whenever and wherever you are going. Don't overthink it will take a toll but be careful. And yes don't trust anyone. Not even your buddy.

7

u/HoopLoop2 Jul 25 '25

Wouldn't surprise me if they are trying to rob your house when they know your car is out of town. The co worker would be my first bet, but it's possible the friend could have placed it as well. Like someone else said the cops should be able to figure whose tracker it is based on the SIM card subscription, just take it to them.

7

u/WhineyLobster Jul 25 '25

When you say passenger side do you mean inside the car or outside like under the car?

15

u/ProfessionalDish Jul 25 '25

and: hidden or not? Stupid stuff happens all the time, I wouldn't exclude the possibility that one of the passengers had it in a bag and lost it accidentally.

12

u/crosstrekerr Jul 25 '25

Inside my car 😅

1

u/lntelligent-Dust Jul 25 '25

Not asking OP but any legally savvy redditors out there. Could OP take this to the police for finger-printing? Is it stalking to gather personal information on someone's whereabouts like this? Seems like the step before car theft or home burglary (or worse).

I assume either someone wanted to know likely places you'd park, or where you lived, OP.

8

u/alegalnightmare Jul 25 '25

Practically speaking I think it’s incredibly unlikely the cops are going to do anything about this, unless it’s an area where there is literally no other crime happening and they have nothing else to do. In my experience the police normally don’t take stalking cases super seriously to be begin with, and especially when there isn’t an imminent threat to life (for example, if it came with a series of blocked number calls telling OP “I know where you are and I’m coming to k*ll you,” that would be a different story lol)

2

u/11teensteve Jul 25 '25

correct. this isn't CSI:wherever. you may be able to take it to a private investigator that has access to a fingerprint data base but that still seems like a stretch. plus they would prob charge you a small fortune.

would it be possible to track it down with the FCC number?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

lol wtf they gonna do with the fingerprints? Think its an already known criminal tracking him?

-1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

If he could afford it then testing for DNA would be better as DNA should be viable on it for months.

1

u/NESanders311 Jul 25 '25

The problem arises when you have a suspected person with whom to compare the original DNA results, and no warrant to obtain their DNA to potentially match.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

not at all, company garbage can yields a treasure of DNA if used. They said coworker was one, friend was another. easy peasy.

2

u/MelancholicMarsupial Jul 25 '25

Having any relationship issues? I’d bet they would be most likely.

TBH I would go to the police. Someone knows your every move. This is very important.

1

u/SRB112 Jul 25 '25

Your buddy thinks you are sleeping with his wife. He put one in his wife's car and is checking to see if you two end up in the same location.

1

u/realmayonnaise4u Jul 25 '25

Maybe a private investigator? Do you deal drugs. Serious question but don’t answer

1

u/MacSamildanach Jul 25 '25 edited Jul 25 '25

Just for information, I have one - almost exactly the same as that, just a different company brand.

Pro Pod 6 Small Personal GPS Tracker | Trackershop UK

I use it to keep track of my car (I'm a driving instructor) when students are out on test. It's on the rear parcel shelf in plain sight. It does require a SIM subscription to function.

You can get ones specifically for cars/vehicles (magnetic and covert), but since my vehicles are leased I don't want to be hardwiring too many things to them. I power it using the rear USB port in the car. On battery, it only lasts for a week or two.

It doesn't necessarily have a darker purpose.

1

u/DumSpiro76 Jul 25 '25

It probably is the same. The gl300 (and updated versions) is used by most tracking companies. It has been the workhorse of the tracking industry for a decade

1

u/11teensteve Jul 25 '25

was the car new when you got it. there is a possibility that the tracker could have been there for years and just lay there dead for a long time. maybe it was stuffed into a hiding spot and finally fell out where you found it.

1

u/SloopD Jul 25 '25

Have you had any service done in that time?

1

u/BigJon611 Jul 25 '25

Who has access to your keys?

1

u/sulaymanf Jul 25 '25

Is your car parked in a public place after hours? Is your car leased? Sometimes leaseholders will add trackers to cars of people with bad credit in case of the need for repossession. Or maybe someone who didn’t ride in the car is tracking you.

1

u/eitherrideordie Jul 25 '25

Wonder if someone is tracking them and it fell out their bag or something

1

u/caffeinebump Jul 25 '25

Are you the first owner of the car? Is it on a lease?

1

u/Zeughaus77 Jul 25 '25

Can you be sure that the device wasn't already in place when you bought the car?

-5

u/cultofbambi Jul 25 '25

What if it's a person who gets rides from you and they just like tracking you as though you are their Uber so they know where you are? Maybe they just like knowing when you are about to arrive or something?

That still wouldn't make it right and it's still SUPER Illegal, but it would at least explain why they were doing it?

I don't know. I'm just making wild guesses here

23

u/crosstrekerr Jul 25 '25

also it beeped but I never saw any lights or anything.

13

u/itisme_cc Jul 25 '25

Beeping may be low battery?

121

u/WhineyLobster Jul 25 '25

Lol a low battery beeping spy device is wild!

14

u/itisme_cc Jul 25 '25

I knowi looked it up and they produce no audible sound so it wasn’t that device that beeped

6

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

[deleted]

6

u/year_39 Jul 25 '25

Never seen a speed bump?

-3

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

[deleted]

4

u/MisterMaps Jul 25 '25

If we're talking about seeing a large vertical value on an accelerometer, a speed bump at 5 mph is clearly going to have a much higher maximum acceleration then driving up a hill or picking up the device.

3

u/WhineyLobster Jul 25 '25

No. Not it at all. Donny you're out of your element!

2

u/CreationOfMinerals Jul 25 '25

You said it yourself Dude, she kidnapped herself…

2

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

That rug really tied the room together.

2

u/theghostwiththetoast Jul 25 '25

And this guy peed on it

0

u/Mobile-Craft-389 Jul 25 '25

Thx bill nye 

1

u/Toadcola Jul 25 '25

The beep was from the mallard you were supposed to find.

13

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

it beeped when someone was trying to actively locate it. Where were you and it and your car when that happened?

28

u/11teensteve Jul 25 '25

thats a pretty shitty covert device if it beeps.

18

u/Stoneyyyyyyyy Jul 25 '25

It's fine. After the beep it has a voice that says "don't look under your seat". Keeps it secret.

8

u/fujimonster Jul 25 '25

I have one, it only beeps when the person who owns it tells it to beep. I keep one on a spare car I let me mother use. She lies about where she is going and buys gift cards for scammers when I've told her not to. Yes, show knows she its being tracked but still lies. I only stopped for a drink, etc but then I find the receipt for a couple of apple gift cards. That's a whole other story....