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Thief Steals $3,000 Suitcase, Dresses Up as Owner, Forgets to Remove AirTag

AirTags have been invented specifically to help us track our belongings, and in the case of a traveler at Atlanta Airport, the device proved to be a revolutionary idea.
Apple's AirTag 6 photos
Photo: Apple
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Jameel Reid revealed that his suitcase, which was carrying $3,000 worth of goods, never showed up on the baggage carousel at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

After waiting for some 30 minutes, he decided to check the location of the suitcase himself.

Before AirTags, people just had to reach out to the airline for information on lost luggage. Thanks to Apple’s little tracker, however, the baggage location can be tracked in real time. The coin-sized device connects to nearby iPhones to broadcast its location live. Thanks to its form factor, it can be placed virtually anywhere, and many travelers decide to put the AirTag in their luggage.

Jameel Reid is one of the folks who put a tracker in the suitcase, and this proved to be a very smart choice, given he was carrying $3,000 worth of belongings.

After pulling out the iPhone and connecting to the AirTag, he discovered the suitcase was already in downtown Atlanta, far away from the airport.

Most people would try to go after the thief themselves, but the police strongly recommend against it. As such, Jameel Reid reach out to law enforcement, providing the officers with the full information on where the suitcase was located.

As it turns out, the thief didn’t search for an AirTag, so his location was provided to the owner in real time. Oddly enough, the thief returned to the airport, so the owner rushed to inform the cops about this surprising direction. The police managed to track him down, and the first encounter between the owner and the thief was surprising, to say the least.

The criminal was wearing the man’s clothes, including even his socks. The thief checked out all goods stored in the suitcase, but the only thing he liked were the shirt, the jeans, and the socks he was wearing. The man, reportedly homeless, is now charged with theft.

Apple’s AirTag is a controversial device. Despite being created specifically to track belongings, it’s sometimes used for more nefarious purposes, including stalking and keeping track of vehicles with the intention of stealing them. Police in several regions warned that criminals turn to AirTags because they are very small, so planting them in wheel wells or behind the license plate is very convenient.

Apple has equipped the AirTag with several protection systems, including a warning that shows up on nearby iPhones. The tracker tells users that an AirTag is moving with them, therefore trying to prevent stalking. On Android devices, users must download an application from the Google Play Store and manually scan for nearby trackers.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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