We had watched our iPods disappear in cities across America -- in Las Vegas, in Paramus and Wayne, N.J., in San Francisco, Santa Monica, and in Berkeley.

We called Apple's corporate security line as an average consumer to see if it often receives calls about stolen iPods.

(Telephone call)

Chris Hansen: Wow, all day long every five to six minutes you get a call like this? Every day?

And if we were your average music lover, we'd probably be out a $250 iPod.

Remember, the people who lifted them don't know we're tracking them, using some of the same information they provide to Apple when they register a new iPod.

First, remember that iPod taken from Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco? The one picked up from a bench?

Just five days later, someone hooks it up to a computer and uses our installation disc and registers a real address in Fairfield, Calif.

That's how simple it was for us to track down and locate one of our missing iPods.

We want to talk to the person who has it; find out who would take an iPod that didn't belong to them.

We need a cover story.

So we rent this 32-foot RV and attach a banner proclaiming that the 30th anniversary music giveaway is in town. 

To get them into the RV we'll be telling the person who has our iPod they've won iTunes gift cards, good for free music, if they come into our fully equipped, giveaway RV.

What they won't know is that the RV is fully equipped with hidden cameras.

It was now time to hit the road and head to the address where our iPod was located, 48 miles from where it was taken. Our Dateline producer knocks on the door.

Producer: Someone in this house recently registered a new iPod?

A young man agrees to come on board our RV.

Chris Hansen: Hey how are you doing? Good to see you … How are you? Have a seat.

Web extra video Teen’s lesson: ‘Don’t steal’ After he learns his iPod was taken from someone else by his twin, 17-year-old expresses disappointment. Dateline NBC

This 17-year-old high school junior told us his brother, who wasn't home, had registered a new iPod a few weeks before after he got it as a gift.

Chris Hansen: So where did [he] get that gift?

Student: Uh, one of his friends got him it. It was one of his friend's dads.

And where does he say the friend's dad got it?

Student: I think Best Buy

Chris Hansen: Best Buy? Ok…

It's time to show him our video from Fisherman's Wharf.

Chris Hansen: So these guys look familiar to you?

Student: That's me and my brother.

Chris Hansen: That's you and your brother? So you knew at the time he was taking that iPod…

Student: Yeah my little brother pointed it out and he grabbed…

It became apparent that at least in some cases, the kind of person who would take an iPod is going to be an impulsive teenager.

The people would probably not really be a criminal. So we decided to disguise the identities of the minors in our story.

Chris Hansen: There's something else that you need to know. That is, you know, I'm Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC. And we're doing a story on stolen iPods.

Student: All right..

Chris Hansen: So what's the lesson here?

Student: Don't steal.

Chris Hansen: Okay. What are you going to tell your brother?

Student: I'm going to tell him that you just got caught stealing and maybe you shouldn't do it again.

Their parents declined comment for our story.

Next stop: Berkeley, Calif., where you'll recall just outside Berkeley High, we watched another young person snatch an iPod from our convertible.

Whoever ended up with our iPod, plugged in the installation software and registered, not only with Apple but with Dateline, to an address that led us 15 miles north of Berkeley to the town of Hercules, Calif.

Out comes this young man, ready to claim his gift card inside the RV.

(Hidden camera)

Chris Hansen: Hey, how are you doing, man? Have a seat…

Another 17-year-old who may not have thought about the consequences of his actions.

It's time to tell him why we're here.

Chris Hansen: You recognize those guys?

Student: Yeah. That's me.

Chris Hansen: with the hat on, that's you?

Student: Yeah

Chris Hansen: and why don't you narrate for me what's going on in that video.

Student: Oh, we saw an iPod and we took it.

Chris Hansen: You saw an iPod and you took it … so was that your car? Was that your iPod? Then why did you take it?

Student: I don't know, I just got excited

Chris Hansen: Now you know that it's wrong, and if this were some kind of a police operation…

Student: I could be in jail.

Chris Hansen: You could be in serious trouble.

He'll soon be on his way back to the house, where he'll have to figure out what to tell his family, who later called what the young man did, an 'embarrassment' and offered to pay NBC for the iPod.

Web extra video ‘That’s me’ A high school boy admits he took an iPod but says his stolen player was later stolen from his locker by someone else. Dateline NBC

But ironically, it turns out he wasn't able to enjoy our iPod very long. He says it was stolen from him!

Chris Hansen: Really? Where was it when it got stolen?

Student: In Berkeley High.

Chris Hansen: And was it like in your locker, or… ?

Student: I guess someone found out my locker combination and took it.

Our iPod has been stolen again.

More of our missing iPods were phoning home with their locations. Next, they were calling us back to Los Angeles, where three weeks earlier we'd had four iPods taken that were left in shopping bags.

Producer: You recently registered a new iPod?

One of the iPods was traced to this woman, who we found at a record store she owns in L.A.

Chris Hansen: Hey, how are you?

Woman: Wow!

Chris Hansen: Here you go. Here have a seat for a minute.

At first, she is thrilled by our visit.

Chris Hansen: When you got your iPod was it a gift? Or did you buy it?

Woman: It was a gift.

Chris Hansen: And was it from a family member, or…

Woman: Yes, a family member.

Chris Hansen: And do you know did they buy it at a Circuit City or a...

Woman: Best Buy.

What became apparent in this case was that this woman who ended up with the iPod wasn't actually the person who took it. 

Web extra video ‘Don’t know where he got it from’ After mom receives an iPod from her husband, she confesses to Dateline, “I don’t know where he got it from.” Dateline NBC

She may think it came from a Best Buy, but I showed her where it really came from.

Chris Hansen: The iPod that you have was actually in that chair, in that bag.

Woman: The one that I have?

Chris Hansen: The one that you have. The very iPod.

Woman: The one that I got as a gift?

Chris Hansen: Yes … How could that be?

Woman: I guess the person who gave it to me as a gift bought it off the street.

Chris Hansen: And who was it who gave it to you?

Woman: My husband. But I don't know where he got it from.

Chris Hansen: Now I'm not saying you did anything wrong here or accusing you of anything. But there are a couple things that you need to know ... and one is that I'm Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC.

Woman: Right.

Chris Hansen: And we're doing a story on stolen iPods.

Woman: I am shocked. Really shocked … can't wait to call him and ask him where did it come from.

On her way out the door, she gives us back the iTunes gift card.

Woman: That's okay.

Chris Hansen: You sure?

Later, she calls: her husband told her he'd bought the iPod not at Best Buy, but at a flea market.

We've shown that it's possible -- even easy -- to track and locate stolen iPods.

But there are more surprises to come, from people who have no idea they're in possession of a stolen iPod.

Woman: Okay, this is not Dateline is it?

Chris Hansen: You know, we get that all the time. Here have a seat over here…

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