Data Backup Service Helps Nab Thief
A data backup program recently helped Berkeley, California authorities solve a theft case. Soon after an unidentified Berkeley man's laptop was stolen from his car on May 5th, he took to the Web to examine his personal account on an online, data back-up program. Finding pictures the thief had taken of himself with the computer's built-in camera, the victim and police handily recovered the purloined PC, according to CNET News.According to a policeman's article that appeared in an e-mail newsletter issued by Berkeley City Council member Susan Wengraf (later posted to the Web by open-source advocate Bruce Perens), the victim then showed the photos to detectives. They quickly identified the thief as a man with the name Vega, who was released from jail earlier this year.
The story quickly unfolded from there. On May 5th, after the victim left his laptop in the backseat of his car (never a smart move), the thief broke through the window and snagged the laptop. He took it to a motel room, where he used the built-in camera to take photos of himself. Detectives identified the setting as a motel room and began using the IP address to track down the thief's location. Before the IP address could even be tracked, though, police officers who'd been dispatched to area motels spotted the man in a motel parking lot in Oakland, arresting him on the spot. The stolen laptop, along with stolen property from other burglaries, was recovered, according to CNET.
Technology 1, Stupid Criminals 0. [From: CNET News and Perens.com]
Busted... by Technology
Always Turn Off Stolen GPS Units
It was only a matter of time before some numbskull criminal stole a GPS-equipped car or phone, but we didn't expect someone to steal live GPS units. A group of crooks in Lindenhurst, NY swiped 14 functioning GPS devices from the Town of Babylon Public Works. Understandably, authorities had no trouble tracking them down.
Security Cam Catches Tattooed Thief
We're not going to pass judgement on the type of tattoo you get, but you might want to think about what it says before you start getting into crime. Aaron Evans, a 21-year-old U.K. repeat offender, was caught stealing a car's GPS unit because the nearby CCTV captured the tattoo on his neck. It revealed his birthday and name...
Laptop Auto-Uploads Photo of Thief to the Web
This guy may be the unluckiest thief ever. Several laptops disappeared from a Vancouver, BC company; fortunately, one particular laptop was loaded with software that snapped photos when opened. The images of this guy were uploaded to Flickr. As a result, the man became a mini-Internet sensation, and he turned himself in, claiming he bought the laptop from a friend, at a local police station.
Things Not to Do After Stealing a Cell Phone
Gary Walker, an Ohio resident, stole a woman's phone while she had temporarily stepped out of her car to check a street sign. He proceeded to snap a shot of himself with the hot phone's camera. Later, when the victim went online and downloaded her data to transfer it to a new phone, Gary's mug popped up. The rest, as they say, is history.
HighTube
This 25-year-old Brit cultivator of cannabis decided to post videos -- under his real name -- of his cash crop on YouTube. English police saw the clips and he was soon tracked down and arrested.
Girl Recovers Stolen Mac By Remotely Activating Its Webcam
A White Plains, New York girl was the victim of burglary; over $5,000 worth of electronics, including iPods, a flatscreen TV, and a new Macintosh computer were stolen. A few days later, a friend noticed that the burglary victim appeared to be online, but called her to make sure. Because the stolen Mac was running Back to My Mac, the victim was able to log into the computer remotely and snap a picture of the thief. Turns out the thieves were "friends" who had visited the victim's apartment several weeks earlier.
Teen Arrested After Bragging About Arson on Security Cameras
A pregnant Los Angeles teen was arrested earlier after allegedly starting seven fires near her home. 19-year-old Amanda Gessner was caught after convenience store cameras caught her chanting, "The fire company is gonna be
mad at me!" She was certainly right about that!
Would-Be Voyeur Puts Spy Cam in Restroom, Leaves Video of Himself
An upstate New York man installed a camera in a unisex bathroom. The camera was discovered soon after installation, and police found he'd left a video of himself on the camera. Police are still looking for the man.
Forklift Tricks on YouTube
If you're going to show off your sweet forklift driving skills to your buddies, it's probably best to just do it in person. 20-year-old Australian Matthew Garry Ward uploaded a video of safety-violating forklift tricks to YouTube, and was reported to authorities after a coworker passed the video along to the boss.
Laser Pointer Shenanigans
Remember those time-sucking high school pep rallies where some loser would whip out a laser pointer and temporarily blind people in the bleachers? This 15-year-old genius from California, was arrested after shining his laser beam at a police helicopter.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Loyd Reddig said 8:55PM on 6-01-2009
This is good. Hope thieves don't learn from this. I would rather they be in jail and have my computer back. Double good.
Reply