A mother of three employed an unconventional method to recover her stolen car: using her laptop as a tracking device. Vivi Kala, 38, found her Kia Sportage missing from a residential street in Chigwell, Essex, where she had parked it while attending a wedding on the evening of August 20.
While her husband contacted the police, Kala utilized the 'Find My' application on her iPhone. This app leverages the vast network of Apple devices worldwide to anonymously report the approximate location of lost items. Despite the car being powered off and disconnected from any network, Kala was able to see the location of her MacBook Pro, which was in the stolen vehicle. The laptop pinged off other Apple devices, revealing its position in the car on the other side of Chigwell.
Kala then enlisted the assistance of an Uber driver, who aided her in locating and reclaiming the vehicle within minutes. The car had been stolen just a day before the family was scheduled to depart for a holiday in Scotland. Kala noted that the recovery was serendipitous, as the laptop had been left in the car's boot unexpectedly. She stated that if the laptop had not been in the car, it is unlikely she would have recovered it.
Upon returning to where they had parked, Kala and her husband discovered the car was gone. After checking local databases for towed vehicles, they confirmed it had been stolen. The thieves had also replaced the car's number plates with fraudulent ones, possibly to evade automatic number plate recognition systems. These fake plates even bore the name of a legitimate Kia dealership, suggesting a level of professionalism in the theft.
The Kia was recovered undamaged and allowed the family to proceed with their planned holiday. The theft occurred despite Kala believing the car had been locked, and she noted it took multiple attempts to unlock it remotely afterward, possibly indicating a jamming device was used. Kala is now considering purchasing a steering lock and an Apple AirTag as a more cost-effective tracking solution for future peace of mind.
Apple's 'Find My' network operates by using low-power Bluetooth signals from lost devices. These signals are detected by nearby Apple devices, which then anonymously relay the location data to the owner. The system is designed with encryption and anonymity to protect the privacy of all users involved. Initially used for iPhones, the network now supports a wide range of Apple products, including MacBooks, iPads, and AirTags.