How A Dutch Cyclist Recovered Stolen Bike Within Hours Using Apple AirTag

Apple Inc.’s AAPL AirTag helped a Dutch cyclist reclaim her stolen bicycle within hours.

What Happened: Beatriz Spaltemberg and her husband, residents of Utrecht in the Netherlands, found themselves victims of a rising trend in bike thefts. 

The couple had strategically affixed an AirTag to each bike, considering the bike theft cases rising in their area. This turned out to be a great investment as Spaltemberg discovered her bike missing despite having locked it after a gym session, reported 9To5Mac.  

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Armed with this tiny yet powerful technology, Spaltemberg swiftly employed the Find My app and tracked her bike’s location in near real-time while subsequently notifying the police.

With the precise information from the app, law enforcement accompanied the couple to the marked location, where Spaltemberg’s bike was found locked to a lamppost.

“It all happened in about an hour and a half. The police officer told me that we were very lucky to have an AirTag [on the bike] because bike thefts are common here, and usually, they only make a police report for such situations,” said William Lacerda, the victim’s husband. 

Why It’s Important: After its release in 2021, Apple’s AirTag quickly gained popularity as a device meant to assist users in finding their personal items. 

However, the device has also been criticized over concerns regarding its potential misuse by stalkers, who could exploit AirTag’s tracking capabilities to monitor unsuspecting individuals without their knowledge.

Despite the concerns, the success stories of AirTags helping consumers find lost or stolen items have become fairly common. 

Photo by Moma okgo on Shutterstock

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