Here’s how a cheap $20 tracker cracked a massive multi-county theft operation in Missouri — plus 3 simple ways to track and protect your own money

Unfortunately, that location proved to be a lot less secure than the department had thought. The sawmill was eventually stolen, and even though park officials had placed an AirTag on the machine, the tag was unable to track the sawmill’s location.

“It always said no location found, no location found,” said Pratte. “I was starting to give up hope.”

AirTag activation leads to big discovery

For months, parks department officials waited for the AirTag to activate and reveal the location of the stolen sawmill. And then, out of nowhere, the $20 tracker was activated, giving the parks department exact GPS coordinates to where the sawmill could be found.

As it turns out, the AirTag was not activated when the sawmill was initially stolen because no one near the mill’s new location was using Apple technology, which apparently is needed for the tag’s GPS tracking to kick in. A police investigation revealed that the thieves eventually sold the sawmill to a man in Hawk Point who owned an iPhone, and it was the man’s mobile device that activated the AirTag on the sawmill.

“He gave us the information of the gentleman who sold it to him for an unbelievable price,” said detective Andrew Lucca of the Maryland Heights Police Department.

Authorities now believe the stolen sawmill was taken to a property in Wildwood, where it was stored for months before it was sold to the man in Hawk Point. During a visit to the Wildwood property, police discovered other equipment that was also believed to be stolen, including golf carts, a John Deere Gator UTV and two Bobcat skid loaders that are worth six figures each.

“Just a $20 AirTag tracker is what led, really, to this case being solved,” said Lucca.

While police were able to find those who committed the crimes and return the stolen property to its rightful owners, this story proves how important it is to take extra steps to ensure the safety of your valuable items.

3 ways to keep your possessions secure

If the parks department had not put the AirTag on its expensive sawmill, the thieves likely wouldn’t have been caught and all of their stolen goods could still be in their possession. But the parks department was wise enough to go the extra mile to protect its expensive and valuable item, and that's a good lesson for all of us.

Fortunately, there are plenty of easy ways for individuals to follow the parks department’s lead and protect their valuable possessions:

• GPS tracker: Place a GPS tracking device, like an AirTag, on valuable items so that you can track their location if they ever go missing.
• Mobile alerts: Set up mobile alerts with your banking apps so you can be notified of unusual activity on your accounts. If your credit card is stolen, or if your checking account has been hacked and cash has been withdrawn, you can find out right away and get in touch with your bank.
• Store valuable items in a secure location: Consider installing a safe in your home for keeping valuable items. If a safe in your home isn’t an option, you may also consider a safe deposit box at a local bank.