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MobileMe Vigilante Uncovers More About Computer Thief's Identity

by Caleb Johnson on September 2, 2009 at 07:39 PM


A few days ago, we reported the story of a man who used Apple's MobileMe program, which allows users to sync several computers, to spy on a person using his stolen Macbook. Having stumbled upon that trespasser's online job application, the amateur sleuth, identified only as 'Jim,' was able to glean an IP address and other information, all of which he then sent to police. End of story, right? Not exactly.

After gaining access to this initial information, Jim synced to the stolen laptop once again. According to The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), he discovered a JPEG on the desktop that, when opened, revealed the smiling face of the person Jim suspects to be the thief. Jim took the photo, which was taken with the computer's built-in camera, and forwarded it along to police. Until police recover the stolen computers (which should be real soon considering all the information they have), Jim told TUAW that he'll be sneaking in and erasing files that contain personal information.

If you ask us, the police should give Jim a medal for making their job so much easier. While they're at it, a shout-out is in order for Apple, too. With features like MobileMe, it might be easier to get away with stealing fine art than it is an Apple computer. So, if your Mac is stolen, don't fret, folks. With a little ingenuity and Apple's handy features, even you can crack the case. [From: The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)]

Tags: camera, criminal, dumb criminal, DumbCriminal, macbook, mobileme, police, top

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