Young Woman Shares Her Scary Experience Of Finding A Tracker In Her Purse After A Night Out
Young women are turning to social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter to share the different things that they have learned when it comes to protecting themselves.
Some women are sharing potentially life-saving tips while others are talking about their personal experiences in hopes that it may help anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation. That is certainly the case with Sheridan Ellis's now-viral video that details how she found a tracking device in her belongings.
A Young Woman Shared A Video To Make Others Aware Of Her Recent Sketchy Experience
Sheridan Ellis is the young woman pictured above on left, smiling alongside her mother in a photo shared on Instagram.
Recently, Sheridan posted a video on TikTok that quickly went viral and racked up over one million views and 2,800+ comments.
Sheridan Has A "Quick Story Time/PSA" That Starts With Going Out For Dinner With Friends
The video begins with her saying "quick storytime/PSA" before she describes an experience she had over the weekend.
"This weekend, on Saturday, I went to dinner with a group of friends for this girl's birthday." So far, the story is normal enough.
She Doesn't Usually Carry A Purse, But She Needed To That Night
Sheridan explains: "If you know me, I don't normally carry a purse, but on Saturday I did because we had decorations and stuff for the table."
She continues "At the end of the night, I'm cleaning my purse out, and I find this."
She Found A Bluetooth Tracking Device In Her Purse
She holds up a small white plastic square that most smartphone users can immediately recognize as a Tile Tracker.
Clarifying, she says, "If you don't know what this is, it's a Tile. It's basically a tracker."
The Tile Tracker Is Advertised As "The Easiest Way To Find Your Things"
The Tile is currently the best-selling Bluetooth tracker on the market, designed to work in sync with your mobile device to offer location tracking using a small Tile chip and an app on your phone.
The Tile is advertised as "the easiest way to find your things," and is intended to be attached to house keys, backpacks, wallets, remotes, and basically anything else you can lose.
She Immediately Took The Battery Out To Disable It
Sheridan's video continues as she nervously says: "It's not mine, I don't know how it got in my purse."
She also lets people know, "I immediately took the battery out, don't worry." This means that whoever owned the tracker would no longer be able to connect to it.
"Check Your Purses And Stay Safe Out There"
Her short clip ends with her saying: "So, check your purses and stay safe out there."
People in her comments section immediately began discussing their theories, sharing similar experiences, and thanking her for bringing awareness to the risk.
People Loved The Idea Of Setting Up A Sting Operation
Some people suggested using the tracker to "lure" the owner to a location so they could be brought to justice. Others pointed out how dangerous the situation could have been if she hadn't found the Tile.
TikTok user Kiley said: "The police can definitely find out who purchased that and who downloaded the app and registered it."
Would The Tile Actually Track Her Location?
People in the comments section fought back and forth about whether the Tile would have the capacity to actually transmit her location to the owner of the tracker.
One TikTok user writes: "Even if it didn't work, the fact that someone tried is very scary."
"We've Used Them To Track Things Down Hundreds Of Miles Away"
According to TheTileApp.com, when a person is outside of Bluetooth range, they are able to view the Tile's "most recent location."
However, you can also "enlist the secure and anonymous help of the Tile Network to aid in your search" which is why some commenters said she had every right to be on high alert.
Most Users Were Thankful Sheridan Was Safe And Sharing Her Warning
One mom commented that she was thankful to have found the warning but fearful for all the things she has to worry about when it comes to raising her daughters.
Another user encouraged Sheridan to go to the police. Especially because there may be other potential victims.
