'I just want my stuff back': Woman posts fliers at Choa Chu Kang to catch AirPods thief

She wants her AirPods back - and she's pulling out all the stops for it.

A determined Rachel Ong decided to put up fliers under a HDB block in Keat Hong in Choa Chu Kang after her AirPods were taken by a stranger, she shared in a post to Facebook group Complaint Singapore last Thursday (May 2).

Ong, a 24-year-old working in administration, lost her AirPods at Choa Chu Kang interchange after alighting from bus 301 last Wednesday at around 6pm.

A stranger had picked them up, and Ong was able to track them to a HDB block in Keat Hong.

Because she couldn't find the stranger, Ong created fliers and posted them around the block, offering a $20 reward for returning the AirPods.

Addressing the stranger, she wrote on her Facebook post: "I won't bite nor call the cops on you, I just want my stuff back."

According to her, the AirPods, named "Xiaobaooo's Toothbrush", were gifted by an "important person" who "scrimped and saved" to purchase the earbuds, giving them to her to "commemorate and occasion".

She added: "I know you have taken out my earbuds and tried it on twice. It's currently under lost mode and you can't really sell it either. Why not just return it and get $20 to cover one meal's expense?"

Peanuts to others, priceless to her

Speaking with AsiaOne, Ong shared that she had gone down to the block she suspected the stranger lives in, going door-to-door to ask if anyone had taken the AirPods

Unable to get any results, she then went to the Bukit Panjang Neighbourhood Police Centre to file a report.

Recalling how she felt when she found out her AirPods were missing, Ong said she panicked at first before being overwhelmed with a "gush of emotions" after realising her mistake.

She had received the AirPods as a belated anniversary gift from her partner of five years.

"Since it's a big-ticket item to us, we had contemplated about it for a very long time until he purchased it in end March," she said.

"It retails at $365.70 at Challenger," Ong added. "This amount may seem like peanuts to many, but we have just started out our career and do not have much savings and disposable income like many other working adults do."

She had affectionately named her AirPods because "Xiaobao" is what her partner calls her, and because the first generation of earbuds looked like a toothbrush to her.

Police investigating

When asked if there was anything she would like to say if the person who took her AirPods decide to meet her, Ong told AsiaOne that she would thank them.

"Thank you very much for returning me the AirPods that I value a lot," she said.

"It definitely takes a lot of courage to meet me after I tried to capture your attention through various social media platforms and I really appreciate your act of kindness."

She added: "However, if you really feel shy to return it directly to me, you may also hand it over to any police station in Singapore. If you are able to prove that you are the one that handed [the AirPods] over to the police, the small token ($20) will also be given to you."

Ong also told AsiaOne that an investigation officer from the police force is liaising with SMRT to check security footage and identify the person who took the AirPods.

Responding to queries by AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

ALSO READ: 'He even tried to sell it': Woman spends 10 hours tracking down Mercedes driver who allegedly stole her iPhone

khooyihang@asiaone.com