Theft of parcels: Woman in Los Angeles fights back with AirTag
Apple's mini tracker is not expensive and is regularly used to solve thefts. There has now been a special case in California.
An Apple AirTag.
(Image: Wachiwit/Shutterstock.com)
There have been many stories recently about stolen goods recovered thanks to AirTags and Apple's "Where is?" service: Be it the one about the Formula 1 driver's backpack, the grave robbers in Texas or the organized luggage theft in Florida. In the Californian metropolis of Los Angeles, another chapter has now been added: a woman was able to use an AirTag to catch a mail thief who regularly stole from her.
The AirTag in the parcel
As the Los Angeles Times newspaper reports, the victim simply sent herself a parcel with an integrated AirTag, with the intention that it would be stolen. And it actually worked: the thief grabbed it. The woman then informed the local sheriff's department and gave them the address where the tracker had ended up. When the police finally went to the Santa Maria residence, the officers – discovered mail stolen from over a dozen other victims next to the woman's package containing AirTag –.
It turned out to be not just one thief, but two: Virgina L. and Ashton T., 27 and 37 years old, were arrested. Bail was set at 50,000 and 460,000 US dollars respectively – T. appears to be the main culprit, and there were also other warrants out for his arrest for theft. The pair of criminals are also accused of identity theft, attempted fraud with stolen checks, credit card theft and conspiracy.
Better not to take action yourself
In connection with the incident, it should be emphasized that victims of theft should never take action themselves: As soon as the location of the suspects is known, the police should be called. This also applies to tracked iPhones or Macs, for example, which can be easily located with an active "Where is?", often to the exact address. Sometimes, however, the service does not work as hoped: unjustified police operations have already been carried out in the USA based on "Where is?" data.
Apple itself does not sell the AirTags as theft protection anyway, but as a "locator" – to help users track down lost items. The company has also implemented various anti-stalking measures that allow AirTags and other "Where is?" devices to automatically report to iPhones in the vicinity. This makes it relatively easy for a thief to recognize them.
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