Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Help: My MacBook Pro was stolen. Any advice?

Marcquito

Marcquito

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 6, 2008
71
2
Hey guys, I posted this exact thread in another forum. I really need any help it anyone can supply any. Thanks in advance.


Hey all,

This morning was truly hell. Some of you may not remember, but I posted a thread on how someone attempted to break in while one of my roommates were home. To make a long story short, she (as well as the neighbors) phoned the police and the kids were caught before they could do any real harm and were arrested one block away. I believe that was last Wednesday or so, I don't really remember, but it hasn't exactly been a week.

Anyway- this morning at exactly 8:45 I woke up to a loud 'BAM!!!' and heard some shuffling and it was over. I thought it was one of my roommates having a rough morning getting to school so I just continued laying there wondering what was wrong. I decided to get up and wander downstairs when I saw the door hanging open with the wooden frame in splinters all over the floor. They kicked the deadbolt right through the frame.

I checked the room to see what was missing and immediately noticed my Macbook Pro missing along with the bag, some software discs, mouse, USB calbes, firewire cables, etc. They also stole my Nintendo Wii with about 10 games. Total for the loss was about $2700 or so. Not as much as it could have been, but I'm a bit worried about what to do with my laptop missing.

I filed the police report and did the whole 9 yards anyone else would do. My insurance should cover my loss but I'm still a bit uneasy about my computer out there with my personal information on it. I doubt the thieves have any brain activity to know how to run/access my files (I don't keep ultra personal stuff on there, like CC info or bank info) but some of it is scanned blueprints and drawings of personal projects and other ****. I just don't want my personal **** out in the open.

Luckily it's password protected. If they turn the laptop off it will prompt them for a password and everything may be safe and the only thing left to do would be to do a clean sweep of the system I'm guessing. I left the computer asleep, so it wouldn't prompt them right away.

I finally was able to post now at work rather than after it happened for obvious reasons. Any advice on what to do? I figured this may help since I will not be able to use these programs for awhile:

Usernames:
Skype - marcquito8318
AIM - LKornBizkit
AIM - marcrmiller@gmail.com

Those automatically come up as soon as the computer is turned on and is connected to the internet. Is there a way to view the IP address of a computer that is online if you see my s/n appear? Is this possible to do? Would it help me relocate the laptop? What are my chances?

Also, here's for info about the laptop if anyone sees it on craigslist or anything:

MacBookPro15/2.4/2X1GB/200-5400/256VRAM

Part Number: MB133LL/A

Serial number: W88109KHYJX


Thanks, guys.

Also, is there any way to flag the serial number as being stolen?? Thanks, again!

::edit:: the laptop was purchased LAST Feb/March (I don't remember) so it's not even a year old.
 
i think you should report that to Apple. Probably they'll ask you for the serial. I don't think it's safe to post it here. Not know what can happen but....
 
I'd advise reporting it to Apple. That really stinks :( Change your passwords and such too, but I doubt they'll be able to recover your personal information.
 
do you know your ip address?
if you do you can call the police give it to them and as soon as the guy who stole it tries to log on to the interwebs then they can pinpoint his location. bam. macbook is back
 
SpEnCeR132 said:
do you know your ip address?
if you do you can call the police give it to them and as soon as the guy who stole it tries to log on to the interwebs then they can pinpoint his location. bam. macbook is back
Click to expand...

Disregarding for a moment how incorrect that statement is, these are local cops not the NSA. It isnt going to happen. They will take a police report and might even pass it on to whoever keeps an eye on pawnshops in the department. That is it.

I saw someone on another forum report that Apple was no longer maintaining a database of stolen serial numbers. You milage may vary but I wouldn't be surprised if it is true. They arnt the police and it isnt their obligation to track down stolen property or make any such accusations.

OP: change your passwords, report it to insurance and use full disk encryption next time. That is about all you can do.
 
Thanks.

Luckily I used time machine the night before to backup my system... so I guess things aren't that bad, I think.

:(
 
Oh, .. got to hate when thing like that happens.. I really hope you can get the machine back, even if it's unlikely. :(

Something that everybody should do is to install something like DNSUpdate.

The daemon/application will update an dynamic hostname with the current IP adress in use. Among others; DynDNS EasyDNS or ZoneEdit provides dynamic hostnames.

That way you'll just have to ping the hostname to get the current IP of the Macbook. I think that's something good and easy to setup to always know the IP adress of your laptop.

Then again.. I don't think the police will do much even though I've heard of success stories.
 
Did you happen to have MobileMe? If so, perhaps you can keep an eye on back to my Mac and see if it becomes available. (If nothing else, this may allow you to delete the sensitive files.)
 
It's password protected and it was likely stolen by some idiot that won't access your personal files. They could be dumb enough to not even known how to use it without the password. I would be pissed off, too, if someone stole my computer, but there is one really good thing about this: You're getting money back from your insurance company. You'll probably be able to get one of the new, redesigned MacBook Pros that are coming out really soon. That's a lot better in the long run. Good luck either way.
 
My Mac Robbery story

I had two laptops (iBook Blueberry and a Wallstreet PB 300MHz) stolen from me in 1999. It was a kid up the street that I had known for 2 weeks, that I had tried to make friends in the neighborhood (he was a Mac user like myself), I was only 17 at the time. I had let him over to my house once and I showed him my setup in my room...didn't realize the whole time he was scoping us out to rob us. The robbery was committed when nobody was in the house, and I was at school. We reported the crime immediately to the police dept. This fellow up the street was the only person I could think of that might have committed the crime, but I was so hestistant to turn his name over to the Private Investigator (the police sent a PI to our house to work on the case), but I really wanted my PowerBooks back. After checking into the guy's record, he found out the kid had been truant from school for 33 days that year, and later discovered that he had been linked to about 40 other robberies in an area north of here. After talking to the kid's father, and telling him about his son's activity, the PI was allowed into HIS house to inspect for the stolen goods... both of my PowerBooks were found under his bed. He had also stolen my digital video camera (about $1k camera at the time), stolen jewelry from my parents, two other cameras, and several other items. I had the serial numbers to software installed on my machines, which were registered under my name. This allowed me to confirm to the police that these were my laptops. (I did get lucky) -- but the whole thing was an absolutely horrible deal. I am 26 years old now, and I am still very very hesistant to let ANYBODY in the house that I do not know extemely well, mostly only family and close friends of the family.

Word to the wise -- Don't let strangers see your equipment, or at least be careful and know who you are dealing with for certain before you let them scope out your equip with their own eyes. You might have a party at your place and some punk sees something he wants, scopes out your place with a plan to come back and rob you. All I am saying is be CAREFUL and know exactly who has seen or who has access to your high dollar items at all times. And make sure you trust people who do have regular access to them. I think that sums it up.
 
When I'm at the library at uni, I'll regularly leave my laptop and VX Nano mouse on a desk in a really public area. I'll go to the toilet and leave it there, or sometimes, I'll leave for 30 minutes and have lunch, grab a cappuccino, etc. :eek:

I really should be more careful.
 
Abstract said:
When I'm at the library at uni, I'll regularly leave my laptop and VX Nano mouse on a desk in a really public area. I'll go to the toilet and leave it there, or sometimes, I'll leave for 30 minutes and have lunch, grab a cappuccino, etc. :eek:

I really should be more careful.
Click to expand...

:eek:
 
I do it every single day, as do many people here. Welcome to Australian university?


However, I must say that while I was at McMaster (Canada), I wouldn't leave my laptop on my desk alone for any amount of time. I'm not sure if it's a cultural difference in Australia, or if I'm simply becoming increasingly lax.
 
No I really think it is a cultural difference. I've only been here 3 weeks in Auz but I already feel much more secure in terms of theft. Compare that to Tijuana where you could have your wallet ripped out of your pants at any given moment. In Vancouver I wouldn't leave a laptop out of your view for any length of time...it will be gone in a heartbeat. Property crime is terrible in Vancouver. At the same time, I've heard in Japan there is practically no theft at all. You can leave your wallet on a bench and no one will touch it. I've also heard they really don't have much vandalism either...or perhaps its just the areas where my friends were. Honestly, I've toured through the campus & library at a University in Sydney and would feel comfortable walking away from a laptop to get a coffee, no problem. If someone hasn't been here & lives in North America I'm sure that would be hard to understand.
 
Abstract said:
When I'm at the library at uni, I'll regularly leave my laptop and VX Nano mouse on a desk in a really public area. I'll go to the toilet and leave it there, or sometimes, I'll leave for 30 minutes and have lunch, grab a cappuccino, etc. :eek:

I really should be more careful.
Click to expand...

Well, I did much of the same thing when I was in college, studying in the library. All the folks there were students (library is ID-only) and it was a small school, and everybody looks out for everybody. I would leave my laptop out on the table when I went to the restroom or to the snack bar, because I would be in the middle of something...but it was also a public area like you said, and lots of (responsible) students sitting around looking out for each other. Felt pretty safe but I still felt like I shouldn't leave it sitting there for more than 5 minutes.
 
Yeah, the guy is online. I'll try to start a conversation with him to see if I can help you out.
 
Thanks for almost catching the thief. Too bad it was me.

I'm going to create new AIM accounts and stop using the current ones to make them more obvious to log-in.

Thanks to anyone who has helped! :cool:
 
Marcquito said:
Thanks for almost catching the thief. Too bad it was me.

I'm going to create new AIM accounts and stop using the current ones to make them more obvious to log-in.

Thanks to anyone who has helped! :cool:
Click to expand...

That was disappointing. I thought we were on a chase.

The apartment I used to live in was broken into while I was asleep, too. Our neighbors also were broken into during the time I lived there. Since I moved out my former roomate has been broken into 3 more times. Twice the apartment, once his car. People make me sick.
 
Man you have my sympathy you did not deserve this, get your police report and show this to Apple, hell email a scanned copy to Steve, you never know your luck, in the long run and real life you may get some money from insurance but with some luck your folks will stump up and help you afford a new one.

My advice get some shed bolts those nice 3inch thick, about 8 inch long bolts you use on exterior gates and shove them on the inside of your door, makes booting a door in ten times harder.
 
A security alarm and a few dead bolts? If you do get them, and have an alarm sign out front, the chance of your house getting broke into decrease quite a lot. Even get a sign, without the alarm. It's the thought that counts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back