Unsolicited laptops sent to state governments never get used, now under investigation

Tempting though it may be, shipments of HP and Compaq (another HP brand) laptops sent to various US state governments have been sent either back to the manufacturer or to local investigators with nary even a game of Spider Solitaire in its account logs. As it turns out, the packages of three to five machines sent to each state -- West Virginia, Vermont, Wyoming, and Washington -- were never ordered, and in at least three of the cases were purchased with fraudulent credit cards of unknown origin. Even with the shipments apparently coming from HP directly, officials are playing it safe and working under the guise of the machines possibly having malicious code running through its circuitry. You know who the biggest victim in all this is? That guy in Human Resources who legitimately bought a Mini 1000 and had it shipped to the state's office for pickup. Worst. Timing. Ever.

[EthanExplosion Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:31PM]

Sucks For That Guy.

[jol Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:21PM]

Filled... with drugs.

[KGBSmurf Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:39PM]

Tylenol, Advil.. to help with headache they caused!

[msspurlock Posted Aug 30th 2009 5:35PM]

"Beware of geeks bearing gifts."

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 30th 2009 6:49PM]

stop molesting the machine yo,
send it over, i need a new machine as my seedbox.

[THizzle7XU Posted Aug 31st 2009 12:39AM]

At least they can't lose them with SSN's on the harddrive if they sent them back.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:36PM]

Cool story, bro.

[edf Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:49PM]

My mother always told me, "Never accept candy or a laptop from a stranger".

Ed

[Rinum009 Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:57PM]

Hey kid, want a netbook........come here it's in my van

[TjK Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:22PM]

"why don't you have a seat, right over there" >.>

[Murkurie Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:53PM]

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[Fanman Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:51PM]

Am I the only one who doesn't get the jist of the story? Some new laptops were sent from HP to some offices and the mystery is that they're new?

[Gery Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:53PM]

You're not alone ..

[bhtooefr Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:58PM]

The mystery is that the state governments didn't order them, so they're wondering where they came from.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:01PM]

If laptops ordered with fraudulent credit cards show up with someone intending gov't data to be installed on them then that is a big deal. They could be set up to transmit secrets to ...whoever. Clearly that is why they are investigating.

[loocas Posted Aug 30th 2009 6:31PM]

Oooooooh! Government data being transmitted to a 17yr old, 320 pounds, dude without life to... brag to his fellow guild members!

I think we have a perfect script for another Die Hard film! :)

[amuro98 Posted Aug 31st 2009 12:07PM]

I also don't fully understand this.

Ok, so someone bought a bunch of laptops from HP with a fraudulent account and sent them to politicians across the country. The politicians didn't accept them, and the FBI is doing an investigation on who actually bought them - that much I get.

But where's the worries about malicious code coming from? If these came directly from HP's factory, shouldn't they just be bog-standard machines, with HP/Compaq's typical machine-crushing load of useless trial junkware? Or, were the machines coming from a private address?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 30th 2009 12:58PM]

How can you send 3-5 laptops to 4 places?

[Fanman Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:00PM]

I would imagine that the exact figure is four.

[dez Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:03PM]

more likely, 3-5 laptops were sent to each location.

[aznofazns Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:21PM]

I'm pretty sure it's 3-5 sent to each state

[Contradictions Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:02PM]

Now that's what I call a Trojan Horse.

[robochris Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:02PM]

Hey those are mine. Big shipping mistake please send them back to me.
Email me for the address : ]

[admlshake Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:30PM]

DHS, CIA, and FBI agents will be at your house shortly.

[robochris Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:35PM]

Maybe I should run out and get some donuts then.....

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 30th 2009 3:45PM]

I would have just wiped the computers and installed Windows 7 on them. The IT department probably has a site license of whatever copy of windows they are using. That way they can be assured that no information will be stolen.

Also, why would they be worried about malicious code if the notebooks came directly from HP? I could understand if the package was opened, but these seem like they were straight from the manufacturer.

[samjung23 Posted Aug 31st 2009 11:26AM]

This is crazy. Did the laptops come straight from HP? Then what are they so worried about?

[Miral Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:31PM]

haha whether the laptops have a virus or not they should send them back because they didnt pay for them. You can just see them keeping them all if they found out none of them had trojans or crap like that.

[Average White Boy Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:34PM]

They send them free Windows PC and they're not even used. Tsk, tsk.

[Poop Chef Posted Aug 30th 2009 1:48PM]

Wu-Tang Clan represent represent

[rickane58 Posted Aug 30th 2009 2:00PM]

Man, if only Wisconsin had gotten a set, then it'd be the last 5 states alphabetically.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 30th 2009 5:03PM]

Nope..you're forgetting Virginia. Blows the scheme.

[Average White Boy Posted Aug 30th 2009 7:14PM]

They do use the Mac notebooks.

[boomer7638 Posted Aug 31st 2009 9:37AM]

They probably were sent to Virginia and Wisconsin- They probably just decided to take them home and give them to their kids. Heck they may have been sent to all 50 states, and some of the states just so happen to be honest/scared.

[devil Posted Aug 31st 2009 3:23PM]

They are my laptops......i was going to install Linux on them and use it. :)