Ha! I personally find it hard to leave my macbook at a table at a cafe and get a drink, if its not in plain sight if I turn around
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Help: My MacBook Pro was stolen. Any advice?
- Thread starter Marcquito
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Ha! I personally find it hard to leave my macbook at a table at a cafe and get a drink, if its not in plain sight if I turn around
Does lead to an interesting idea though: what about if Apple log IP, computer MAC address and date and time when a computer queries Apple Software Update? Report it stolen to Apple and they can give you the IP it last connected from to pass on to enforcement agencies?
Thoughts anyone?
Just one further though though: I had a Marshall amp stolen from the back of my car (I know silly to leave it there overnight) so next morning I went to every second hand shop in the city, gave them the description and told them it was stolen. I had it back within a week.
Then look into a better door, hopefully one that looks intimidating enough that it will take a lot of effort to take down.
At the risk of being a Jobe's comforter, if I was of the breaking and entering persuasion I would take dead bolts and an alarm to be a good indication that there was something worth nicking...
At the college I go to, they have a tech person that can enter my user ID for a Cisco Clean Access agent and find what MAC addresses I've used under my ID. (My iPod Touch and my MBP)
(I'm assuming you're on campus as some point) See if you can get that info and if you can see if an alert can popup when they sign on with it.
Good luck!
(I'm assuming you're on campus as some point) See if you can get that info and if you can see if an alert can popup when they sign on with it.
Good luck!
When I'm on campus at EKU, I do not let my MBP leave my sight. If I go get a cup of coffee, the laptop comes with me. I treat it like I treat my carry-on bag at an airport.
Someone mentioned it wasn't Apple's role to get involved...
Maybe it should be.
I think it would be a great selling feature if Apple computers were more safe & secure that way. I've already heard that he iSight has been involved recovering Macs and helped in the theft charges by providing visual evidence along w/ the IP. Apple (or some other company) could offer a service that logs all IPs & digital serial numbers and coincide it with a data base of stolen machines and then report the police much like an alarm company does. Seriously, I'd pay $100 extra per machine to have that security. You know eventually your machine is going to go online somewhere. This could also act as a deterrent to thieves knowing that stealing a Mac could get them caught if they use it....also a deterrent to the black market as if you're buying a used machine you'll want to know for sure its clean.
Maybe it should be.
I think it would be a great selling feature if Apple computers were more safe & secure that way. I've already heard that he iSight has been involved recovering Macs and helped in the theft charges by providing visual evidence along w/ the IP. Apple (or some other company) could offer a service that logs all IPs & digital serial numbers and coincide it with a data base of stolen machines and then report the police much like an alarm company does. Seriously, I'd pay $100 extra per machine to have that security. You know eventually your machine is going to go online somewhere. This could also act as a deterrent to thieves knowing that stealing a Mac could get them caught if they use it....also a deterrent to the black market as if you're buying a used machine you'll want to know for sure its clean.
Thanks for the tip. Do you have Undercover? Just wondering if you could expand on what was said in that thread.
Do they take screenshots of your desktop or of the user through the iSight?
Sounds kind of creepy that you don't know if they're watching you or not.
Is it only when you report the computer stolen? Love to hear from anyone who uses it.
just a little comment here, crime can happen anywhere, and trust me you wouldn't get your wallet ripped out of your pants in Tijuana unless you were in a very f'd up neighborhood, but why would you be there in the first place? I don't know if you've had a bad experience while in Mexico, sorry if you have.
I'm not saying this is anyone's case, but sometimes when we are in other cities, countries, or even in a different setting, we think that we can somehow disregard the basic common sense safety practices we usually practice. I've seen many people having their cameras, computers, etc., stolen because they left them in a bench, their car, etc., while sightseeing. I've seen it happen in L.A., Vegas, NYC, parts of Mexico, parts of Spain, France, etc.
I for one take my MBP everyday to school, I leave it my office at 2 and come back for it at 5, but there's only 2 people in my office and the door is always locked, inside a hallway which is always locked too. I'm planning to get an imac very soon and that one will always be at home, so I'm considering one of these anti-theft things...
No I can't say I've had any bad experiences in Mexico. Then again I'm not careless in my travels, or at least I try not to be. I've only been in Tijuana for a short while, just over the California border...and trust me the vibe was much different than places such as Cancun etc. I can only go by how I felt and such although I have heard first hand reports from people who have lived all their life in Mexico City and you never phone the police there as they are as bad as anything.
Have you been in Japan? Perhaps someone here has and can share. From what I've heard the property crime is almost non-existent compared to North America. Its a different culture and maybe thats just the way things are. I can't speak for Europe, the UK, South America or other places. When you think about it you really shouldn't have to lock your car or home doors...there should be a level of respect in society that doesn't get betrayed...sadly where I come from that is not so.
No I dont use it cos I dont have (yet) an Apple notebook but as soon as I have a MBP I will buy it. Some people said that the Undecover could be watching you but I dont think so. The Undercover precedure get active only if you declare your notebook as stolen so I'm not afraid.
Tex
Hey, im not sure if anybody already said this, but do you think it would be a possibility of somebody that you knew? I mean they went right in and took ONLY the laptop? Im from FL and my family has a commercial landscaping company. Well some douchebag went overnight where we had the trailor and they squeezed through an Air vent and then stole all of the 2 cycle equipment, about $7500 worth. We have never gotten the equipment back, however, the clues that were left were that of an old employee. He left his old work gloves that had been gone since he was fired. Police can't find him ANYWHERE!!
Sucks, but I hope that you can get your Laptop bag.. I would check every single Pawn shop within a 20 mile radius!!
Sucks, but I hope that you can get your Laptop bag.. I would check every single Pawn shop within a 20 mile radius!!
I hope you all realize that the reporting of the IP to a law enforcement agency is only one small part of getting the stolen computer back. In order for a Law Enforcement agency to obtain the subscriber information from the provider is to obtain a search warrant then server it on the ISP and wait for the information to come back. That usually takes a couple of days because ISP's aren't in the business of providing information they prefer to bill people instead. Then once the police have the subscriber information they have to determine where the actual physical location of the stolen computer may be which means to obtain a second search warrant for the residence (assuming its not an internet cafe). Here is the stumbling block...what if that computer is borrowing the neighbors open wifi? OOPS, wrong house...my bad.
So it's a little more complicated than just reporting the IP.
Keep in mind that law enforcement agencies vary greatly in size and resources (or technical smarts), so the best thing you can do is to help out as much as you can by providing as much information as possible. If you get the IP the stolen computer is using, look it up. Call the ISP yourself and find out as much info as you can. Sometimes you can get hooked up to the security guys at the ISP and they have a bit more tech savy than most cops and they may provide you more info then they might normally release to the cops without a search warrant. Then take that info and provide ALL of it to the agency where you reported the theft. If you live in an area where that has a police agency with sufficient size and are lucky enough to have an investigator assigned to the case, remember that your case may not be the only one assigned to him/her. But, they are always looking to make an arrest or recover property to show that they are productive so making it as easy as you can for them may move your case up in priority.
To the original poster...Sorry for your loss. This just shows that crime can happen to anyone, anywhere. I hope you have success in finding justice.
Mark
It's more than just reporting the IP of the computer. The IP address, given the massive amount of wireless access points these days, can only give a relative location. Law enforcement can and will only do so much.
It might even be good to check local area pawn shops or give the police the serial number. Usually stolen stuff turns up there... and Pawn Shop owners are more than willing to give up stolen goods back to the police.
It might even be good to check local area pawn shops or give the police the serial number. Usually stolen stuff turns up there... and Pawn Shop owners are more than willing to give up stolen goods back to the police.
Norwich, England. To be fair, I was dealing with Norfolk crooks so it was kind of like outsmarting a root vegetable.
Thanks, but I really do not understand that site or see the benefit in it. I tried to submit my information, but it failed to work. Maybe I'm not doing it right.
Oh and an update:
The thief called me LAST NIGHT trying to get me to buy my laptop back. I traced his number and got his address. I reported it to authorities today and hopefully I will get my vulnerable machine off the streets.
Let me get this straight... the thief that stole your MacBook Pro called you on the phone, and tried to persuade you into buying the computer? Not only do they deserve an award for being 2008's dumbest criminal, but I believe that's also called extortion.
I sincerely hope that the authorities recover your computer and hopefully your other equipment as well. Good luck.
Let me get this straight... the thief that stole your MacBook Pro called you on the phone, and tried to persuade you into buying the computer? Not only do they deserve an award for being 2008's dumbest criminal, but I believe that's also called extortion.
I sincerely hope that the authorities recover your computer and hopefully your other equipment as well. Good luck.
That sure beats the hell out of buying Lojack
I hope the Police bust him and recover your computer. Odds are they will find a stash of stolen goods and we'll see him on The World's Dumbest Thieves.