Alexandra’s desperate search for her missing AirPods ended with a confrontation with the ‘thief’ – now experts have issued a dire warning

A young woman tells how she recovered her stolen AirPods and confronted the thief with the help of an app.

Alexandra Parmenter, 30, noticed the expensive earphones were missing from her bag earlier this year while shopping at a charity shop in Hawthorn, Melbourne’s east.

Ms Parmenter used the Find My app, a tracking software used to locate lost Apple items, to track the AirPods.

She told Daily Mail Australia that she had previously experienced criminal theft while shopping.

“This year it happened to me twice in the space of two months,” Ms. Parmenter said.

She said she saw the object moving on the app for about 20 minutes and was able to narrow down its location to several houses in the area.

“I could feel the AirPods were there, so I probably spent five to 10 minutes ringing all the doorbells,” Ms. Parmenter said. Oh dear.

The act sparked concern among dozens of neighbours, as a determined Mrs Parmenter desperately searched for her AirPods.

Ms Parmenter (pictured) realised her AirPods were missing when she noticed the expensive earbuds were no longer in her purse

Then a man came out of one of the apartments and said he still had the earphones before handing them over.

The AirPods were badly damaged and the man said he found them that way.

“They do have bite marks, but they still work, still charge (although the case doesn’t close properly), and I use them every day,” Parmenter said.

Ms Parmenter said she took matters into her own hands and that police were not very helpful after her Prada purse was stolen in a separate incident.

ReadyTechGo co-founder and technology expert Lisa Hu urged people not to risk their safety by using the Find My app.

Ms Hu said it is not always a good idea to use the app’s tracking information as it can lead to potentially dangerous confrontations with strangers.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t go to anyone’s house, or at least I would bring a friend,” Ms. Hu said.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia people should urgently contact Triple Zero to prevent the situation from escalating.

“Our message is clear: your safety and the safety of your family is our top priority,” the spokeswoman said.

“The police have undergone extensive training, which gives them the skills and resources needed to respond to security challenges.”

Ms Parmenter came face to face with the alleged thief after she used the Find My app, a tracking software used to locate lost Apple items, to track the AirPods (stock image)

Mrs Parmenter admitted she acted recklessly and advised others not to do the same.

She said she didn’t think about the potential harm because she thought she could just go up to the person and ask for her Airpods back.