Often stolen by women: AirTag detects parcel crooks in Los Angeles

In recent years there have been many stories of stolen items being recovered thanks to AirTags and Apple’s “Find My?” service: whether it was a Formula 1 driver’s backpack, grave robbers in Texas or organized luggage theft in Florida. In the Californian metropolis of Los Angeles, another chapter has now been added: using AirTags, a woman was able to catch a mail thief who regularly stole from her.

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Airtag in package

As the daily newspaper Los Angeles Times reports, the person concerned had to do so Just sent yourself a package with an integrated AirTagwith the intention of stealing. And that actually worked: the thief got caught. The woman then notified the local sheriff’s department and gave the address at which the tracker had landed. When police finally arrived at the Santa Maria home, officers discovered that – in addition to the woman’s package with the AirTag – more than a dozen other victims’ mail had also been stolen.

It turned out that it was not just one thief, but two: Virgina L. and Ashton T., 27 and 37 years old, were arrested. The bail amount to be paid was set at 50,000 or 460,000 US dollars – T. appears to be the main culprit, and there were additional arrest warrants against him for theft. The criminal couple is also charged with identity theft, attempted fraud with stolen checks, credit card theft, and conspiracy crimes.

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It is better not to take action on your own

Regarding the incident, it should be emphasized that victims of theft should never act on their own: the police should be called as soon as the whereabouts of the suspects are known. This also applies to tracked iPhones or Macs that have an active “Where is it?” easy to find, often exactly at the address. Sometimes the service does not work as hoped: in the United States there have already been improper police actions based on “Where is it?” data.

Apple itself doesn’t sell AirTags as anti-theft protection, but rather as a “finding device” – they’re intended to help users track down lost items. The company has also implemented various anti-stalking measures that allow AirTags and other Find My devices to automatically report iPhones in the area. This makes it relatively easy for a thief to identify them.

(B.Sc.)