AirTag stolen from my carry-on case at airport.... somehow it can't be tracked... why do people steal AirTags at all?

[beerseagulls]

AirTag stolen from my carry-on case at airport....

somehow it can't be tracked... last known position was inside the airport.

I can't remember when it was stolen, but I never left the case out of my sight... except at the security checkpoint when there was at lease 10 minutes when it was not visible to me. (extremely long lines)

why do people steal AirTags at all?

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

2 things, is it possible it got lost at the airport? And someone just threw it away. Doesn’t mean it was stolen, your bag might have been searched and it fell out, was it well packed in there? Seems weird though, I just flew twice in the last 3 weeks and no issues. Security didn’t seem to notice all my bags were tagged.
Secondly, the battery was probably taken out (if it was stolen), I would expect that they are still relatively new that people will steal them thinking they can reset them and use it. Thankfully they are very wrong!
Keep an eye on it, it might still pop up if they are stupid enough to put the battery back in..

 

[JPack]

Why would you let your carry on luggage out of your sight?

 

[Expos of 1969]

Why would you let your carry on luggage out of your sight?

I fly frequently in Europe and the only time my carry on bag is out of my sight is when it is in the X-ray machine or very briefly just before it goes in the machine. That is hardly time for someone to open the bag and root around looking for something, take it and then close the bag. Perhaps in some countries the security process is very chaotic.

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

Why would you let your carry on luggage out of your sight?

At Hamburg airport 2 weeks ago, put my bags through the scanners, guy in front of me set off the alarm had to get checked then the staff rotated! I was standing there for 10 mins with my bags, iphone and Apple Watch just sitting at the end of security belt, i was very annoyed anyone could have taken my stuff! It happens from time to time if the lines are long, airport staff ask you to put your stuff up on the belt and wait to go through the scanners!

 

[TrueBlou]

Some people will steal anything if it’s not nailed down, there’s a word for them, but I can’t put it in print - use your imagination.

I suppose with anything like that, some people would steal them, even just in the hope that they one day find a way to use them.

What I find crazy is that they’d take that and not the bag. If they had the opportunity and time to remove an AirTag, surely they’d be able to get away with the bag.

I suppose there’s always the, maybe it fell off theory, if it were snagged on something. Though you’d have considered that, and I suppose the tag could have been inside the bag.

Hopefully wherever it is, you’ll get a ping from it before too long.

 

[fischersd]

A lot of people still have no idea what they are - even iPhone users. People that participate in the forums are more aware of all of Apple's products. Has Apple even done any advertising for these?

Eventually everyone will get the information via word of mouth that they're activation locked - no point in stealing. A shame everyone doesn't have that enabled on their iPhones already - if they had, everyone would pretty much equate the Apple logo with "no point in stealing" by now.

 

[axantas]

A lot of people still have no idea what they are - even iPhone users. People that participate in the forums are more aware of all of Apple's products. Has Apple even done any advertising for these?

Eventually everyone will get the information via word of mouth that they're activation locked - no point in stealing. A shame everyone doesn't have that enabled on their iPhones already - if they had, everyone would pretty much equate the Apple logo with "no point in stealing" by now.

You know what: People often do not have ANY idea of anything they are up to...
I am aware, that I am just pretty impolite, but this is, what I often encounter. "We" here in the forum - as you write - are very well aware of a lot of, what we are doing...

 

[gettycb]

A lot of people still have no idea what they are - even iPhone users. People that participate in the forums are more aware of all of Apple's products. Has Apple even done any advertising for these?

Eventually everyone will get the information via word of mouth that they're activation locked - no point in stealing. A shame everyone doesn't have that enabled on their iPhones already - if they had, everyone would pretty much equate the Apple logo with "no point in stealing" by now.

yep

 

[contacos]

one of mine got loose from my dogs harness and I could not find it anymore but according to "find my" it is sitting inside of someones apartment now and has not been moved in weeks. So either it was stolen or someone found and does not know what to do with it (what it is). Either way, it made me kind of question the use case of AirTags in general. Lets say I loose my keys, someone could easily just take off the "Airtag" and leave the keys.

 

[laptech]

one of mine got loose from my dogs harness and I could not find it anymore but according to "find my" it is sitting inside of someones apartment now and has not been moved in weeks. So either it was stolen or someone found and does not know what to do with it (what it is). Either way, it made me kind of question the use case of AirTags in general. Lets say I loose my keys, someone could easily just take off the "Airtag" and leave the keys.

If your tag got loose from your dogs harness and you was not aware of it, I am curious to know just exactly how long is it that the air tag is meant to ping your phone when. It's the whole point of using these tags so you know in an instant when something has gone missing, thereby negating the possibility of someone finding the tag and removing it from whatever it's connected to?

 

[contacos]

as far as I remember you only get the "ping - hey! you miss your airtag" on / since iOS 15? I did not have it back then. I still see the AirTag on the Map but like I said, it has not been moved in weeks. I also did not get any ping or update in weeks. All I see is the location being refreshed every so often when I check the find my map manually

 

[alphasports]

I put tags in all my bags, checked and carryon, but I don't leave them hanging off the bag handle, they are hidden inside either taped to the bag liner or on a belkin-type keychain than is ringed on an inner zipper or whatever, works fine and no risk of theft.