Believed this laptop is owned by bleacher report company. They put this signal on the MacBook lost input. Now they might still not know it going online. But when they login iCloud will know your destination that last boot up. They will use lockup function on iCloud. Using this to bait on you.
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I was sold a stolen MacBook Pro
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This is one of the big problems on ebay. Feedback rating is no longer accurate. In the 90's it was. They changed the whole comment system and in the process skewered the results. I wish you luck but I seriously doubt the "cops" will do anything about it.
What he is seeing is the MAC DEP enrollment popup. The MacBook has been tied to BleacherReports MDM server with Apple DEP. It most certainly was theirs at one time, as thats the only way Apple Lets you add them to your MDM. You can ignore the pop up, but it will continue to prompt until you either enroll it, or find a way to deactivate that prompt. If you enroll it, they most certainly can track it, lock it, monitor your Screen etc.
We use DEP in our K-12 school system with our MacBook Air devices, So I know first hand the power of DEP. If your lucky you could contact Bleacher report and maybe they will reward you in some way, or remove it from the DEP Profile and disown it in their MDM. Thats truly the only way to get rid of the prompts.
Don't call the cops, yet. Do as gthompson20 said and contact BleacherReports, they will be happy to help you and find a solution that I think it will be better for you that going to the law enforcement. If they ask you to contact the police then do it.
Same here.
I spoke to my cousin who used to be s Genius and now works for IT in a large firm. He told me the MacBook was enrolled in a DEP from Bleacher Report.
We did. We reformatted it and did a complete new install from a USB.
I thought about this but it doesn't feel right.
I already did that.
The MacBook is usable but the popups kept occurring making me paranoid.
It's not connected to their iCloud. It's actually linked to my iCloud.
^This is it. My cousin reinstalled the macOS from a USB without connecting to the internet and was able to setup the MacBook as new machine but then I started getting prompts that Bleacher Report "can" setup the MacBook for me. I told him about it and he went into the system files and deleted some stuff that made the prompts go away. The MacBook now works perfectly but I just don't feel ethically right to keep it... On the other hand I would lose $1600 so I don't know what I will do for now.
EDIT: I think I will contact Bleacher Report directly first, maybe they will work something out with me. Hopefully.
I think you're making a mistake contacting anyone freely. If no one has come to you for it, you've done nothing wrong.
You will lose your money and the laptop if you contact them directly.
I get it doesn't feel right but in reality, you did nothing wrong. It's part of the game in my opinion, you didn't steal anything. You were possibly sold a stolen item but you have no idea if this person worked or didn't work for them so at this point you are assuming a brand new laptop was somehow stolen.
Right now it's all assumptions just from the pop up.
You're jumping to conclusions without further proof, the seller could have been an employee and was given a new work computer but instead he had a prior one that he preferred to use and sold the new one? Have you ever thought of that?
I mean I just bought a laptop from a student who used his financial aid to buy a new laptop but sold me the new one because his old one isn't old and works great just needed receipt as proof that he bought a new laptop ♂️
We can assume all we want but you have no proof it was stolen. All you're doing is just looking to lose your money and laptop IMO
You will lose your money and the laptop if you contact them directly.
I get it doesn't feel right but in reality, you did nothing wrong. It's part of the game in my opinion, you didn't steal anything. You were possibly sold a stolen item but you have no idea if this person worked or didn't work for them so at this point you are assuming a brand new laptop was somehow stolen.
Right now it's all assumptions just from the pop up.
You're jumping to conclusions without further proof, the seller could have been an employee and was given a new work computer but instead he had a prior one that he preferred to use and sold the new one? Have you ever thought of that?
I mean I just bought a laptop from a student who used his financial aid to buy a new laptop but sold me the new one because his old one isn't old and works great just needed receipt as proof that he bought a new laptop ♂️
We can assume all we want but you have no proof it was stolen. All you're doing is just looking to lose your money and laptop IMO
Do you hear OP said he wipe clean install the macOS 2 times but pop up still. Is not the AD pop up. It a iCloud lost track function. The function let you put beep sound and send msg before you definitely lock down the device. OP better make a police report before too late.
This is iCloud lost message everyone. You don't need to link to you iCloud to see this. OP login internet first time will activated this. Now the owner of the machine can track you. I bet you never login internet at Starbucks.
maybe there is possibility to remove DEP "turning off some services", I'm not sure if it will work or not, but you can try, instructions you can find online
I never mentioned AD... This is Apple's DEP (Device Enrollment Program) ... it also has nothing to do with iCloud.... Read up on DEP
Dude I mentioned this in my post above. The laptop's iCloud and Find My Mac is linked to my iCloud account. This is not and iCloud issue at all....
Then you in good hand. Why worry. Just keep it if not iCloud. If iCloud will be stealing item, but if not then is clean.
Because thats what its designed by Apple to do.. read up on DEP.
To the OP: This is now a matter of (personal) ethics (as the DEP enrollment seems have to be eliminated by your cousin).
You can choose to do nothing and likely you will be fine, but you will be working with a "possibly" stolen computer. I don't know the U.S. laws well enough, but I recall there is something like "purchasing in good faith", i.e. even, if stolen, you may not have to return it to the owner.
I would consult an Attorney (I am sure you know somebody who knows one) to understand your rights and then go back to BleacherReport to have peace of mind.
You can choose to do nothing and likely you will be fine, but you will be working with a "possibly" stolen computer. I don't know the U.S. laws well enough, but I recall there is something like "purchasing in good faith", i.e. even, if stolen, you may not have to return it to the owner.
I would consult an Attorney (I am sure you know somebody who knows one) to understand your rights and then go back to BleacherReport to have peace of mind.
OP- my humble opinion is you should keep the laptop and get on with life. Don't contact eBay (as others said, you are SOL because you paid cash). Don't contact the cops or an attorney, you have no solid proof (or even a strong hint) that the laptop was stolen and most lawyers will want something up front (and/or just scoff at you). Why would you pay a $500 retainer fee plus legal fees at the end of the day for a laptop (you didn't state how much you paid). Don't contact BR either. You were able to remove the pop-ups and everything works perfectly if I read your posts correctly. Just let it go and don't feel guilty. You've done absolutely nothing wrong or fraudulent.
You are a 'bona fide purchaser' which I won't even get into, you are fine even if the laptop ends up being stolen. If that even is the case it is up to the original owner to deal with the fraudulent seller / get compensated.
You are a 'bona fide purchaser' which I won't even get into, you are fine even if the laptop ends up being stolen. If that even is the case it is up to the original owner to deal with the fraudulent seller / get compensated.
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I believe DEP is tied to EFI (firmware). So even an erase and install will not kill it.
Got it.
If the laptop indeed is stolen that mean the serial number had been register under different user. So how you gonna use the warranty or apple support? Even unable to bring back to apple for fixing.
https://www.google.com/amp/abcnews....top-thief-called-apple-tech/story?id=23272720
If the laptop indeed is stolen that mean the serial number had been register under different user. So how you gonna use the warranty or apple support? Even unable to bring back to apple for fixing.
https://www.google.com/amp/abcnews....top-thief-called-apple-tech/story?id=23272720
I don't think you can unless you can get the original owner to remove that DEP enrollment as @gthompson20 described.
Then just hope the machine don't break down and always keep in mind don't call apple, if not will end up like that guy.
This.
If you do anything else, other than informing the authorities, you are knowingly using stolen property, and the excuse of "oh but i got it off some random guy on ebay (who has since disappeared) if/when the law comes after you isn't going to cut it.
The sooner you report this, the more likely you'll get a better outcome.
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You know that knowingly buying and trading in stolen goods is a crime right?
Well, even unknowingly doing it is an offence, but if you know about it and do nothing you really have no leg to stand on.
Laymans explanation:
https://www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance/why-purchasing-stolen-goods-thief/
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Also...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_of_stolen_goods
Given that you have publicly announced that you know/suspect that the goods are stolen (and the laptop itself indicates as such - i.e., corporate ownership via MDM - when you try to use it), i'd be calling the cops to report it. Pronto.
Receiving stolen goods may be a felony in your state.
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It's call possession of stolen good. Is a crime.
Felony Receiving Stolen Property Penalties. If the value of the stolen property exceeds $950, the offense can be charged as a felony under Penal Code 496 PC. If you are convicted of a felony receiving stolen property charge, you face 16 months, 2 or 3 years in county jail and a maximum $10,000 fine.
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