ABC News uses iCloud to track a stolen iPad to TSA officer's home
An investigation into frequent thefts at American airport security screening checkpoints resulted in a stolen iPad being tracked to a TSA officer's home, using Apple's 'Find My Phone' iCloud service.
In a sting operation conducted by Brian Ross of ABC News, iPads and cash were left behind in airport security checkpoints.
In nine of the ten airports visited, passengers were asked to return to pick up their belongings, which were clearly labeled with their name and contact information.
However, after an iPad went missing in Orlando, the news organization tracked it back to the home of TSA officer Andy Ramirez, where reporters confronted the man and asked him if he had it. He repeatedly said he did not have it.
The reporters then set off iCloud's audible alert, which began ringing inside Ramirez's house. Only after taking off his TSA uniform did he return and acknowledge that he did in fact have it, but he continued to insist that he did not take it, initially blaming his wife for obtaining it.
"I'm so embarrassed," Ramirez told reporters. "My wife says she got the iPad and brought it home," he said.
When told he was filmed handling the iPad at airport security, and that it was tracked back to his home afterward, Ramirez stopped talking.
The TSA said Ramirez is no longer working for the agency. It noted that it has fired 11 officers for theft this year, and a total of 381 dating back to 2003.
In a sting operation conducted by Brian Ross of ABC News, iPads and cash were left behind in airport security checkpoints.
In nine of the ten airports visited, passengers were asked to return to pick up their belongings, which were clearly labeled with their name and contact information.
However, after an iPad went missing in Orlando, the news organization tracked it back to the home of TSA officer Andy Ramirez, where reporters confronted the man and asked him if he had it. He repeatedly said he did not have it.
The reporters then set off iCloud's audible alert, which began ringing inside Ramirez's house. Only after taking off his TSA uniform did he return and acknowledge that he did in fact have it, but he continued to insist that he did not take it, initially blaming his wife for obtaining it.
"I'm so embarrassed," Ramirez told reporters. "My wife says she got the iPad and brought it home," he said.
When told he was filmed handling the iPad at airport security, and that it was tracked back to his home afterward, Ramirez stopped talking.
The TSA said Ramirez is no longer working for the agency. It noted that it has fired 11 officers for theft this year, and a total of 381 dating back to 2003.
Comments
Quote:
The reporters then set off iCloud's audible alert, which began ringing inside Ramirez's house.
Best part of the whole article
Whenever I fly and have to go through those security checkpoints, I don't let the trays with my stuff in them out of my view for a single second. I walk through at the same exact pace that my trays are passing through the machine. I don't trust any of those people.
Last time I needed a tray for an iPad, a tray for a Macbook and a tray for a knapsack. I left a wireless Apple keyboard in the knapsack.
After the trays all passed through the x-ray machines, they said that they were suspicious of my Apple keyboard and I had to take it out of the bag to show them that the image that confused the woman watching the x-ray machine wasn't actually explosives or something, but it was just the batteries inside of the Apple keyboard.
I also read about a new rule from the TSA stating that iPads do not have to be taken out of bags anymore, but laptops do. Apparently the TSA geniuses at the airport that I visited didn't get that memo yet.
Articles abound about people tracking their lost or stolen iDevices. You see them every day in news reports. How stupid does a thief have to be to NOT know the devices can be tracked?
Not that in condoning theft..seriously.
This may stop people from taking iPads but they will continue to take other things.
So which maps version was that?
5 or 6.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleSauce007
It's still sad how the guy lost his job over this sting operation and his poor wife trying to cover for him but to no avail...
This may stop people from taking iPads but they will continue to take other things.
So how much other stuff had he taken over the time of his employment?
Businesses should not tolerate thieves stealing from customers, it's bad for business, unless you're an investment bank of course, where the Government rewards you with hand outs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash_beezy
This idiot didn't even attempt to wipe it? Geez.
Has anybody ever claimed that idiots and thieves were particularly smart?
This criminal douchebag would risk his entire job and salary just to steal something that costs around $500?
Smart move.
I guess I'm having a hard time understanding why it's sad. If I caught an employee stealing customers' goods, I'd fire him on the spot, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
The "Find My $49 Nexus Tablet" feature just links you to a website that tries to sell you a new plastic tablet.
I think that most Android users can safely write their home addresses and phone number on the backside of their devices.
After a day or two with the device, any self respecting thief would realize what a humongous blunder they had committed and they would do anything within their power to return it to the original owner as quickly as humanly possible.
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So how much other stuff had he taken over the time of his employment?
I can tell you from experience that Swiss army knives disappear routinely in checked luggage
Quote:
Originally Posted by hill60
So how much other stuff had he taken over the time of his employment?
Businesses should not tolerate thieves stealing from customers, it's bad for business, unless you're an investment bank of course, where the Government rewards you with hand outs.
True, especially because it is that same government who has an agency that was supposed to monitor those investment banks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
I guess I'm having a hard time understanding why it's sad. If I caught an employee stealing customers' goods, I'd fire him on the spot, too.
Sad in that this person would risk his job over an iPad. I agree it was probably not the first time he has stolen from passengers, but at least it was his last. In the airport anyway.
9 times out of 10 its other passengers who steal and in my airports case most of the time they get caught. There are a few times that i know of where other employees have tried to take stuff the have been caught, fired and a few times criminally charged like they should be.
these are the same people who can't understand why the public hates us
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I can tell you from experience that Swiss army knives disappear routinely in checked luggage
My friend can attest that his smokes are routinely taken out of his bag as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I can tell you from experience that Swiss army knives disappear routinely in checked luggage
Hand grenades too, whats the go with that?
It's supposed to be hand luggage.
/s
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSteelers
My friend can attest that his smokes are routinely taken out of his bag as well.
If you go to Indonesia, a bottle of scotch will disappear and they don't look any further.