Men Hide Tracking Tags in Shoes, Backpacks and Cars to Stalk and Monitor Women in S�o Paulo

Coin-sized devices, sold for less than R$100 ($20), have been used by men to monitor women in São Paulo. Hidden in cars, bags, backpacks and even children’s belongings, tracking tags allow people to follow movements in real time without the victim noticing. Stalking reports at the 1st Women’s Defense Police Station, in downtown São Paulo, rose 15.5% in the first quarter of this year, with 104 police reports, compared with 90 in the same period in 2025.

A 46-year-old teacher discovered she was being monitored after receiving an alert on her phone and, after searching for hours, found the tracker inside her 6-year-old son’s shoe. She filed a police report and requested a protective order, which was denied; the investigation was eventually closed.

Police chief Cristine Nascimento Guedes Costa says "they do not need to physically follow the woman." "They can monitor her from a distance with tools accessible to anyone."

Prosecutor Valeria Scarance explains that hiding trackers may constitute the crime of stalking, established under Article 147-A of the Penal Code, or psychological violence, but highlights the difficulty of producing evidence. Lawyer Maíra Recchia says stalking "happens continuously and often invisibly" and advises victims to photograph the device and seek a specialized police station.

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