Losing something to theft, especially when there's not much you can do about it, can be incredibly frustrating. It's one of life's most irritating predicaments. It's even worse when the stolen item isn't significant enough to get much attention from the local police department.

A good example of this is mail theft. But what if you could find out exactly where your stolen mail went?

Person's hand pulling mail out of a mailbox
Getty Images/iStockphoto
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How Did She Track Down Her Stolen Mail?

Like sending out a bloodhound to follow a scent, the woman mailed herself an AirTag. AirTags are small, circular disks that can be attached to anything, allowing you to track its location using the same technology you'd use to find a lost phone.

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Apparently, the Santa Barbara Police Department even sent out a press release about the whole situation, which was likely their way of saying, "Pick up some AirTags, and you might make our jobs a bit easier."

AirTag Helps Find Stolen Mail
Screenshot of AirTag's Interface From Apple.com
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And It Worked Like a Charm

When the police arrived at the post office following a report of stolen mail, the woman told them she knew exactly where her mail was. The police were quick to point out that she did not go vigilante and drive to the location herself; instead, she called the authorities.

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And it wasn't just her mail that had been stolen. At the location where they tracked the AirTag, police also found mail belonging to dozens of other victims.

So, while you might think AirTags are just for finding your car in a parking garage or locating a wandering dog, it turns out they can also be a valuable tool for cracking a stolen mail crime ring.

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Gallery Credit: Emily Sherman

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