Apple Crime Log: AirPods Survive Death Trap, AirTag Nabs Intruder, and a $15K Support Scam
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It’s time for another edition of the iDrop News Apple Crime Log. This time around, a pair of AirPods escapes a “crushing” death, a California resident loses thousands to a bogus Apple Support scam, and a Pittsburgh thief gets caught thanks to an AirTag he says he didn’t steal!
Courageous AirPods Narrowly Escape a ‘Crushing’ Death
In May, TMJ 4 Milwaukee reported on a couple who tracked their stolen car using a pair of Apple’s AirPods that had been left in the vehicle.
Teon Thomas and Gina Hughlett told police that their car had been stolen on Friday after Teon left it on 8th Street near Green Bay Avenue following a tire blowout from hitting a pothole. A few hours later, he returned with a spare, only to find that the car was gone.
Teon and Gina followed the AirPods’ tracking signal to a local scrapyard, only to find that the car had already made a trip to the crusher. However, the couple’s AirPods apparently escaped a Batman ’66-style death trap.
A follow-up report later revealed a Milwaukee tow truck driver was charged with felony theft of movable property in connection with the incident. Prosecutors say he’s accused of making a quick buck by destroying the vehicle.
Thirty-year-old Derrick D. Hutchins faces up to 3.5 years in prison and fines up to $10,000 if convicted.
The victim told the news station that police likely would not have found the car if not for the AirPods left in it.
“With high rates of crime, it probably would have been at the bottom of the list,” Thomas said.
AirTag Helps Catch Man Accused of Sexual Assault and Burglary
A man accused of both sexual assault and burglary has been captured after police tracked an AirTag the man had stolen from the victim’s home.
CBS News Pittsburgh reports the AirTag and $2 in cash were both taken from the victim’s home.
A woman told police she went to sleep Wednesday night. She said she woke up early Thursday morning to a sound and someone touching her indecently.
She said the man then “quietly, quickly, and calmly” left her bed and her bedroom. She went downstairs and saw someone outside a window that police believe he’d exited through.
Police followed the ping of the stolen AirTag to a nearby location, where there are a number of homeless camps. There, police found 29-year-old Charles Willis, who was arrested. Fingerprints left at the scene were linked to Willis.
While Willis confessed to the assault, he said he did not steal the AirTag. He has been charged with burglary, aggravated indecent assault, and indecent assault.
As for why he would take an AirTag, allowing police to track him down, who knows what goes through a person’s head — although a neighbor of the victim has a theory.
“The AirTag is interesting, because I mean, maybe he didn’t know what it was,” said Anthony Dimitriou, who lives a few doors down from the victim’s home in Oakland. “Maybe he thought it was a coin or something.”
Florida Man Arrested For iPhone Theft, Fraudulent Credit Card Charges
A man in Florida was arrested on May 17 and charged following a months-long investigation into a stolen iPhone and a wave of fraudulent credit card charges.
CBS 12 reports a victim had contacted the Stuart Police Department in December 2025 and reported that his iCloud account had been compromised. Over the course of a month, several fraudulent purchases had been made, including gift cards and other items. The iCloud breach was apparently connected to an iPhone theft, although the CBS 12 report did not provide details as to the connection.
Police arrested Jae’Veion Thorne on five counts of fraudulent use of identification, petit theft, and theft of a credit card.
Apple ‘Customer Service’ Scam Costs Victim $15,000
The Folsom Times reports that a Folsom, California resident was scammed out of $15,000 in cash after being contacted by phone by a bogus Apple Support representative.
The fake representative told the victim about false transactions, later meeting up with the victim where the scammer “collected $15,000 in cash.”
Pro tip: always be leery of any frantic calls from “Apple Support” or any other customer service organization. Scammers rely on their targets becoming upset, and hopefully not thinking clearly. An Apple rep is never going to set up a meeting to transfer cash or other valuables.
