Girl finds tiny tracking gadget in her purse after night out, warns others to check their bags

Even as technology makes greats strides, men appear to be finding ways of using them to stalk women and make them feel unsafe. From social media, CCTV cameras, phone tracking devices, to a Bluetooth tracker, women are constantly put on alert to find ways to defend themselves against creeps and perverts using such technology to hurt them. Sheridan Ellis, a TikToker was subject to an attempt to track her every move but thankfully, and luckily, she found the tile tracker that had been slipped into her bag during a night out. Ellis had gone out on a Saturday night with a group of friends for a friend's birthday party and carried a purse, which she normally doesn't do. Ellis carried a purse so she could carry decorations for the table.

After returning home, she emptied her bag and found a strange-looking electronic gadget in her purse. Ellis was sure she hadn't put it there and neither did any of the people she knew. She is now warning others to check their bags often. The small white Tile is a Bluetooth and a free app-based tracker. It's commonly used to find missing things that are attached to it, such as keys. It's a really helpful device for people who keep losing things or forgetting where they kept their stuff but in Sheridan Ellis' case, it was a deliberate attempt to stalk her.

Ellis did have one of her own but when she found her old tile tracker, that's when she realized someone had slipped one into her bag. “Once I realized that it wasn’t mine, I did get that pit in my stomach feeling, but checked with everyone that I was with the night prior just to make sure,” said Sheridan. Ellis decided to share the incident with her TikTok followers to warn them about it. One of her followers sarcastically commented, "Yayy, a new thing for all of us women to worry about. Ellis has more than 15,000 followers and she was hoping to help others lookout for a similar tile.

The safety tip video has since been viewed by more than 1.2 million people and has garnered 215,000 likes. Ellis, who hails from Texas, said she was concerned for others and urged everyone to check their bags after a night out. “I think it’s just smart for everyone to be aware. I wanted to share my story just so others can be aware—like a ‘keep in mind.’ Do women need to be on high alert? Sure, but I think that honestly, in this day and age, everyone needs to be to some extent," said Ellis, reported Bored Panda. "I only had a few things in my purse that night and I knew everything that was in there. When I say ‘I cleaned it out,’ I just meant I was taking everything out because I was throwing away the decorations we didn’t need anymore, etc." She added that she was sure there was no tile in her bag when she stepped out of her home.  

“The reality is that this could happen to anyone! A kid’s backpack, gym bag, purse, etc. This doesn’t mean we should live in fear, it just means we should be aware!” said Sheridan. She also shared the incident with the captain on a nearby fire station, who said he often heard about similar incidents. The captain told her to get rid of the tile tracker. Some questioned her video, claiming the sorry was fake but countless people who had similar experiences, vouched for her and thanked her for sharing the video.