AirTag foils $1.1 million armed robbery of an armored truck

Posted:
in General Discussion
Two Chicago men were arrested for a $1.1 million armored truck armed robbery after being tracked down via an AirTag hidden amongst the money.

AirTag tracker helps find robbers
AirTag tracker helps find robbers


The AirTag is a controversial quarter-sized tracking device made by Apple. It is meant to help users keep track of objects like keychains and backpacks, but they have been used for different, sometimes nefarious purposes.

According to a report from Chicago's WGN9, a hidden AirTag led to the arrest of two men who stole $1.1 million from an armored Brink truck. The device was hidden in one of the plastic money bins, likely placed there by the asset owner.

The men removed seven plastic bins containing about $100,000 each and ten deposit bags worth $50,000 each. After transporting the stolen money across town and through a few hiding spots, the money and the AirTag arrived at the suspect's hideout.

Apple's AirTag, witness testimony, and various traffic cams led authorities to a residential address. Police recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash hidden in the ceiling and basement.

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"They were created for lost goods and Apple doesn't advertise them being used for recovering stolen items, but they're certainly being used for that more and more," said retired FBI agent and CEO of Veracity IIR, Doug Kouns. "Perhaps the owner of that particular branch of the company was safeguarding themselves by randomly throwing an AirTag in every so many bags or bins, and in this case it worked out."

One of the suspects was wanted for a previous armed vehicle robbery and was already being searched for by the FBI. The single AirTag helped locate the men and the thousands of dollars that had been stolen.

Apple strongly advises that the AirTag is a theft deterrent at best and never meant to be used to track stolen devices. If something is suspected to be stolen and has an AirTag tracker, alert the police rather than attempting to get the device back yourself.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    amar99amar99 Posts: 181member
    These things have been so useful, tempted to buy more of them.
    Anilu_777chasmchiawatto_cobralolliver
  • Reply 2 of 17
    Anilu_777Anilu_777 Posts: 578member
    If you ever buy the replacement batteries with the childproof coating on them, they won’t work. You have to use hand sanitizer then alcohol to get it off. 
    watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 3 of 17
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,610member
    BiC said:
    These guys are virgins.  They've never had their GiRL track them with that evil machine.  This is my fourth post on this topic.  I still take the bus, and I'm as paranoid as a pint addict turning the bat.  Half my fortune will not be stolen by this machine - I'm serious.
    Yes, you keep telling us what a lousy boyfriend you turned out to be … it’s kind of weird that you appear to be blaming Apple for getting caught, rather than the actual problem, who lives in your mirror …
    sphericbeowulfschmidtXedkurai_kagewatto_cobrajony0lolliverBart Y
  • Reply 4 of 17
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,136member
    BiC said:
    These guys are virgins.  They've never had their GiRL track them with that evil machine.  This is my fourth post on this topic.  I still take the bus, and I'm as paranoid as a pint addict turning the bat.  Half my fortune will not be stolen by this machine - I'm serious.
    You need to stop listening to the voices in your head.
    spherickurai_kagewatto_cobrajony0lolliver
  • Reply 5 of 17
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 2,029member
    I’d like to pour out that this headline is wrong.  The AirTag did not foil the robbery.  It just helped solve the robbery case and recovery of the stolen funds.  The initial robbery was a success.  Not foiled. 

    Language matters. 
    muthuk_vanalingamentropyschiasphericdewmeslprescottwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 17
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,312member
    I am not sure language matters at all to this generation.

    Now get off my lawn!
    jamnapslprescotth2pwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 7 of 17
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,182member
    chadbag said:
    I’d like to pour out that this headline is wrong.  The AirTag did not foil the robbery.  It just helped solve the robbery case and recovery of the stolen funds.  The initial robbery was a success.  Not foiled. 

    Language matters. 
    Eh. You could argue that the quick recovery prevented the robbery from succeeding, thus meeting the definition of the word. 

    Did they get the money away from the scene? Yes. Did they get to keep it for very long? No. Did the Brinks folks ever not know where the money was? No. Did the AirTag lead police straight to the stash and the robbers’ hideaway? Yes. 

    foil1 /fɔɪl /
    verb [with object] prevent (something considered wrong or undesirable) from succeeding:
    a brave policewoman foiled the armed robbery.
    ▪ frustrate the efforts or plans of:
    their rivals were foiled by the weather.
    ▪ Hunting (of a hunted animal) run over or cross (ground or a scent or track) in such a way as to confuse the hounds.
    noun
    1 Hunting the track or scent of a hunted animal.
    2 archaic a setback in an enterprise; a defeat.
    Xedwatto_cobrajony0lolliver
  • Reply 8 of 17
    XedXed Posts: 2,889member
    AppleZulu said:
    chadbag said:
    I’d like to pour out that this headline is wrong.  The AirTag did not foil the robbery.  It just helped solve the robbery case and recovery of the stolen funds.  The initial robbery was a success.  Not foiled. 

    Language matters. 
    Eh. You could argue that the quick recovery prevented the robbery from succeeding, thus meeting the definition of the word. 

    Did they get the money away from the scene? Yes. Did they get to keep it for very long? No. Did the Brinks folks ever not know where the money was? No. Did the AirTag lead police straight to the stash and the robbers’ hideaway? Yes. 

    foil1 /fɔɪl /
    verb [with object] prevent (something considered wrong or undesirable) from succeeding:
    a brave policewoman foiled the armed robbery.
    ▪ frustrate the efforts or plans of:
    their rivals were foiled by the weather.
    ▪ Hunting (of a hunted animal) run over or cross (ground or a scent or track) in such a way as to confuse the hounds.
    noun
    1 Hunting the track or scent of a hunted animal.
    2 archaic a setback in an enterprise; a defeat.
    I came to post a very similar reply using the definition. I'd even include the noun definitions since the AirTag did track a hunted loot and the animals that stole and this results in a defeat for the culprits. After all, language matters.
    watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 9 of 17
    XedXed Posts: 2,889member
    BiC said:
    These guys are virgins.  They've never had their GiRL track them with that evil machine.  This is my fourth post on this topic.  I still take the bus, and I'm as paranoid as a pint addict turning the bat.  Half my fortune will not be stolen by this machine - I'm serious.
    You got caught cheating so your wife divorced you but you blame the AirTag for complete lack of ethics. Would it help to know that she was already looking to divorce you because she couldn't stand all your anti-science conspiracy BS about climate change and politics?

    I doubt it helps, but we're very happy together.


    brianmkurai_kagewatto_cobrajony0lolliver
  • Reply 10 of 17
    None of them had iPhones? How come they weren't warned that an AirTag was following them?

    Or does an AirTag have to following someone for a very long time before the warning happens? 
    jamnapwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 17
    dkounsdkouns Posts: 1member
    None of them had iPhones? How come they weren't warned that an AirTag was following them?

    Or does an AirTag have to following someone for a very long time before the warning happens? 
    It takes 8-24 hours before they start chirping and it’s not that loud. 
    watto_cobralolliver
  • Reply 12 of 17
    XedXed Posts: 2,889member
    dkouns said:
    None of them had iPhones? How come they weren't warned that an AirTag was following them?

    Or does an AirTag have to following someone for a very long time before the warning happens? 
    It takes 8-24 hours before they start chirping and it’s not that loud. 
    The chirping is irrelevant when you get a notifcaiotn on your device, hence his comment about none of them not owning an iPhone.

    Unknown item displayed on map in Find My app on iPhone
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 17
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 947member
    Xed said:
    dkouns said:
    None of them had iPhones? How come they weren't warned that an AirTag was following them?

    Or does an AirTag have to following someone for a very long time before the warning happens? 
    It takes 8-24 hours before they start chirping and it’s not that loud. 
    The chirping is irrelevant when you get a notifcaiotn on your device, hence his comment about none of them not owning an iPhone.

    Unknown item displayed on map in Find My app on iPhone
    And the duration of the sound delay?

    AN AppleInsider article said 3 days. “But you will not miss the sound that the AirTag makes. Currently it waits three days before it starts sounding an alert, but Apple could change that time at any point.”
     Certainly even has Apple greatly shortened that delay I’d expect the victim and law enforcement to respond rapidly enough, minutes, that the delay wouldn’t be exceeded. While any sound would be muffled by the plastic wrap and other money bundles, plus wherever it was stashed likely being out of the way. 
    edited May 2023 watto_cobralolliver
  • Reply 14 of 17
    XedXed Posts: 2,889member
    JFC_PA said:
    Xed said:
    dkouns said:
    None of them had iPhones? How come they weren't warned that an AirTag was following them?

    Or does an AirTag have to following someone for a very long time before the warning happens? 
    It takes 8-24 hours before they start chirping and it’s not that loud. 
    The chirping is irrelevant when you get a notifcaiotn on your device, hence his comment about none of them not owning an iPhone.

    Unknown item displayed on map in Find My app on iPhone
    And the duration of the sound delay?

    AN AppleInsider article said 3 days. “But you will not miss the sound that the AirTag makes. Currently it waits three days before it starts sounding an alert, but Apple could change that time at any point.”
    Was that article from 2021? I seem to recall that Apple updated it to 8 to 24 hours, as dkouns statedthe next year.
    edited May 2023 watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 17
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 947member
    Xed said:
    JFC_PA said:
    Xed said:
    dkouns said:
    None of them had iPhones? How come they weren't warned that an AirTag was following them?

    Or does an AirTag have to following someone for a very long time before the warning happens? 
    It takes 8-24 hours before they start chirping and it’s not that loud. 
    The chirping is irrelevant when you get a notifcaiotn on your device, hence his comment about none of them not owning an iPhone.

    Unknown item displayed on map in Find My app on iPhone
    And the duration of the sound delay?

    AN AppleInsider article said 3 days. “But you will not miss the sound that the AirTag makes. Currently it waits three days before it starts sounding an alert, but Apple could change that time at any point.”
    Was that article from 2021? I seem to recall that Apple updated it to 8 to 24 hours, as dkouns statedthe next year.
    Yes which is why I added to my post after I couldn’t find anything else stating the duration. Even 8 hours would give law enforcement a big response window for a robbery. Less of course for someone , say, who doesn’t notice their car is gone from their driveway or street. 
    watto_cobralolliver
  • Reply 16 of 17
    brianmbrianm Posts: 49member
    None of them had iPhones? How come they weren't warned that an AirTag was following them?

    Or does an AirTag have to following someone for a very long time before the warning happens? 

    Would you bring a device that tracks your location at all times and logs it, while you are doing something illegal?

    Without location tracking on, and probably bluetooth, you wouldn't get the notification that the AirTag was travelling with you.
    watto_cobra
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