Apple AirTags are indeed a nifty product, especially when you habitually miss things around. In one such instance, the AirTag and dash cam footage helped a California resident recover his stolen BMW, according to a report from NBC.
The man in question is Philip Obando, who found out that his BMW was missing from the parking. Luckily, he had secretly stashed an Apple AirTag in his car in case such an event took place. With AirTag installed into the car, he was able to locate the AirTag on the map and got a clear idea of where the car would be.
On top of that, dash cam footage provided crucial evidence of the thief’s activities, like swapping license plates going through a car wash and even planning to steal another car. If that wasn’t enough evidence, the thief also left his wallet behind in the car.
So, as it turns out, the victim tracked the stolen car with the AirTag and decided to face the music with the thief himself. However, the report from NBC suggests that it’s not the right thing to do, and one should instead contact the police rather than take matters into their own hands.
That said, the law regarding using AirTags for vehicle tracking varies among law enforcement agencies. For example, those in D.C. and New York City support their use to help protect against potential thefts, while others such as San Antonio police approach them with caution.
In addition, there are reports of criminals using AirTags to target vehicle owners. According to a report from NPR from 2022, a Canadian law enforcement body found AirTags in “luxury vehicles to later be stolen.” So, it’s wise to inspect your vehicle for any hidden AirTags before using one yourself to track it.
You can watch the full report from NBC here.