I love reading stories about fed up consumers fighting back against criminals and winning. That being the case, I was delighted by a recent story of a woman who managed to catch a package thief using the popular AirTag tracking system. Yet I suspect her strategy is not a long-term solution to package theft.
It is also worth noting that the victim did not attempt to employ vigilante justice. She let the local sheriff's department handle things. At the end of the day, she managed to stop a pair of package thieves with a simple and inexpensive device. But there are more thieves out there.
How It All Went Down?
The whole thing went down in Los Alamos, CA, where a local woman lost her mail and packages to thieves who stole them directly from her post office box. That is pretty brazen, by the way. Nonetheless, the woman decided to fight back by mailing a package to herself. The package contained an Apple AirTag.
Just as she suspected, the package was stolen from the post office. She knew right away because the AirTag sent an alert to her phone. She then contacted the sheriff's department who used tracking information from the AirTag to find both the package and the thieves who had it in their possession.
Two people, a man and a woman, were busted not far from the Los Alamos post office. Not only did they have the AirTag package, but they also had mail and packages from other victims. Clearly, the pair had made the local post office a prime target for their criminal activity.
Both were arrested, charged, and thrown in jail. I can't imagine how they would be found not guilty, but stranger things have happened. In the meantime, I am guessing there are other package thieves out there who have taken notice.
Not a Permanent Solution
Some might read the story out of Los Alamos and conclude that AirTags are the best way to protect packages and catch thieves. I disagree. It worked in this one instance, but AirTags are neither a foolproof nor permanent solution to package theft.
If the AirTag ever becomes a popular anti-theft device, thieves will find workarounds. They always do. It is no different than the video doorbell, a device that struck fear in the hearts of package thieves when it was first introduced years ago. But now that thieves know how video doorbells work, they are no longer afraid of them.
Preventing Access Is the Only Solution
The only real solution to package theft is preventing package access right from the start. There are only a limited number of ways to do that. Consumers can have packages delivered to friends and neighbors who will be physically present to receive them. They can have packages delivered to their workplaces. An option that Vivint Smart Home has written extensively on is the package locker.
Package lockers located in public spaces are popping up all over the country. They take some of the convenience out of online shopping and they are not available everywhere, so even the package locker isn't a perfect solution quite yet. But there are other options designed to block access to packages, thus keeping thieves away.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office commended the Los Alamos woman for helping them catch a pair of package thieves. Her AirTag trick worked, this time. It could even prove useful in catching more package thieves in the future. But eventually, thieves will figure out how to get around AirTags and other tracking systems. It is all part of the game.
