Original article (in Croatian) was published on 29/5/2025; Author: Ivica Kristović
An old, unsubstantiated hoax about criminals handing out GPS-tracked keychains at gas stations is once again making the rounds on Facebook.
In May, several regional Facebook pages began spreading warnings claiming that “Romanian criminals” are handing out free keychains or small car decorations at gas stations and parking lots, allegedly containing tracking chips used to follow victims home and break into their houses while they’re away.
“Warning to everyone! These days, at many locations – gas stations or parking lots – free keychains and little trinkets for your car are being handed out… Don’t take them! There’s a chip inside… Criminals follow you from the gas station to your home, monitoring when you’re there and when you’re not. When you’re away, they break in! This is a new burglary method devised by Romanian criminals… Please alert your friends!”, reads a Facebook status widely shared in the region (archived here).
This Rumor Has Been Circulating Since at Least 2015
One of the first things to point out is that, if such a scam exists, it is not new. Nearly identical messages were reported on in the region as far back as 2015, undermining the claim that this is a “new method of burglary.”
For example, in December 2015, the portal Moj.ba published an article (archived here) titled:
“WARNING: If Someone Offers You a Keychain at the Gas Station, DON’T TAKE IT because… (PHOTO)”.
“A warning is spreading across the region today that may concern you, your family, or anyone you know who owns a car. Criminals are reportedly handing out cheap keychains or car decorations that may contain tracking chips. With a bit of effort, people with bad intentions can learn your movements, where you live, or where you take your children to school – and then use that information in the worst way,” reads the 2015 article.
As seen in the quote above, the very same alarmist language was used a full ten years ago, including the claim that the scam was “spreading today.”
Similar articles resurfaced again in 2019, published by four other regional outlets. In March 2019, Espreso.co.rs shared the same claim (archived here); Novi.ba followed in April (archived here); and Kodeks.me did the same in December 2019 (archived here).
Each article uncritically relayed the original Facebook post without any independent verification, showing that this is not a newly emerging threat but a recycled internet hoax.
No Police Force Has Ever Issued a Warning
Another important detail: No police department or official in the region has ever confirmed such a scam. There is not a single verified report or statement – by a police spokesperson, interior minister, or other relevant authority – warning citizens about criminals using tracking chips hidden in free items at gas stations.
Had such a method actually been in use for the past ten years, and on a scale suggested by the viral posts, it is highly likely that law enforcement would have issued a public warning by now. The absence of any such statements strongly suggests that this “chip-in-keychain” story is fabricated.
In conclusion, the viral Facebook statuses warning of burglars who distribute chipped keychains or trinkets at gas stations first appeared in 2015, and regional media picked up the story back then. Since that time, no police department or official has issued a warning about this kind of scam. Based on this, we conclude that the claim is unfounded and mark it as false.
