Before you start having a complete panic attack, let us inform you that this whole fiasco actually took place last year, but as these things have a way of going, it's just now coming to light. Reportedly, a 33-year-old captain in the Ground Self-Defense Force ganked a USB flash drive (along with ¥2,000 [$19] and a ¥10,000 [$94] airline coupon) and proceeded to "dump it." Aside from the laughably small amount of cash and prizes this guy accepted, the unfortunate part of all this is what resided on the flash drive: troop deployment maps used in Japan-US military exercises. Worse still, we get the idea that said USB key is still out there somewhere undiscovered (or unrevealed), so if you happen upon one with all sorts of undecipherable schematics on there, now you know what's up.

[Via The Register, image courtesy of University of Texas]

It was inevitable, really. We've seen quick-footed thieves swipe GPS units that eventually led to their arrest, a bank robber who didn't even bother to close his clamshell while holding up the joint and now, we've seen the Eye-Fi card really pay off. According to the outfit's PR firm Red Consultancy, one particular vacationer had her entire stash of camera gear (over $1,000 worth) stolen while taking a load off in Florida. Upon returning home and checking things out, she noticed that all of the snapshots taken prior to the theft were uploaded, and upon closer inspection, she even noticed a clear shot of the remarkably idiotic crook. After syncing up with the boys in blue, all of the gal's equipment was eventually returned, and some semblance of normalcy was finally returned. How's that for a feel good story, huh?

[Image courtesy of Al]

What else can we say? The concept here is pure genius, and it totally makes those pricey security systems seem way pointless (okay, slightly less critical). The FakeTV is a strobe that sets up in an occupied room at night and flashes up beams of light. From the inside, we can imagine it looks fairly curious, but from the outside, it gives prospective burglars the idea that someone is actually awake and watching a television program. It promises to produce the effects of "scene changes, fades, swells, flicks, on-screen motion and color changes," just like they were generated by a bona fide set. We can't speak for how well (or not) this thing actually works, but at just $49, we'd say it's a solid buy if you're the paranoid type.

[Via BoingBoing]

We're a bit frightened by the fact that high-ranking political officials are told to leave their BlackBerrys outside in an unguarded basket during high-level meetings (really, it's "common practice"), but nevertheless, one chap who tried to take advantage of the situation didn't quite make it out undiscovered. During a recent political meetup in New Orleans, a Mexican press attaché managed to slip a half dozen or so BlackBerrys into his pocket before darting to the airport with visions of black market markups in his head. Before he could exit the country, however, Secret Service had tracked him down after catching him via surveillance footage. As it stands, the responsible individual has been fired from his post, but there's been no word on whether the US will take any further actions. Reevaluating the whole "leaving them out in the open" practice may be a good start -- just sayin'.

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

There's depressing gaming stories, and then there are outright travesties. Unfortunately, this case falls squarely into the latter category, as a 7-year old cancer patient had his beloved PlayStation Portable swiped -- right along with his medical records, a backpack full of medication, his games and even his homework -- while en route to a chemotherapy treatment for a tumor in his brain. Apparently the boy's family had stopped at a restaurant while traveling from Oklahoma to Texas, and while inside, thieves had their way with what was left inside the vehicle. Thankfully, authorities from the Dallas police department came to the rescue by purchasing a brand new PSP and raising over $1,000 to repurchase the goods that were lost, and as for the crooks, we'll just trust karma to handle the rest.

[Via PSPFanboy, image courtesy of Flickr]

While we've certainly seen more dramatic heists before, this particular run-in with the law melds cleverness and ignorance in perfect harmony. After conjuring up grandiose thoughts of subversion, a less-than-reasonable fellow managed to snag a 42-inch Sanyo plasma, replace the $984 pricetag with a slightly less burdensome $4.88 sticker, and carry it to the front where he utilized a self-checkout register to all but steal a brand new PDP. Presumably grinning from ear to ear just basking in the glory of his brilliance, we imagine the mood went south quite quickly after store officers approached the man and demanded a receipt. Of course, he attempted to sweet talk his way out of the predicament, but the end result landed him in handcuffs at the Ouachita Correctional Center. Can't blame a guy for tryin', eh?

[Via BoyGeniusReport, image courtesy of NACOP]

We're beginning to wonder if someone isn't adding a little something to the water over in England, as a recent heist of Sigma Imaging's UK offices makes the country home to the second high-stakes consumer electronics robbery this month. The crooks, which were affectionately dubbed a "professional gang," reportedly broke into the offices and warehouse of Sigma UK in order to lift "a large quantity" of wares. So much so, in fact, that Sigma has warned that the incident could "temporarily disrupt supply to customers," but it failed to mention exactly what was stolen. Notably, the culprits must have momentarily forgotten that they were in the surveillance capital of the world, and now police are breaking down CCTV footage in order to garner more details.

Stealing £3 million ($5.94 million) worth of mobile phones sure sounds like a risky way to may a buck, but if you're going to jack mobile handsets, you might as well swipe the ones that depreciate the least, eh? A crew of four men in Europe apparently agreed with that mantra, as they got up the nerve to run a Vertu van off the road with their Subaru and reportedly swiped a fair amount of handsets before darting off. There was no word on just how many phones were actually stolen, but we're sure the boys in blue found a fully stocked trunk after it located the crashed vehicle in Slough, Banks. Two of the four masked bandits were later captured and arrested for their part in the heist, but the other duo is probably trying to figure out how in the world they would unload hordes of these highly sought after mobiles without garnering suspicion in the first place.

[Via BGR]

While it may look easy (and astonishingly lucrative) to pull a case of high-stakes espionage, one South Korean and three US-based individuals are learning the hard way that crime doesn't pay. The Seoul Central Prosecutors Office is accusing an unnamed employee of Posdata Co., a developer of WiBro, "of sending email with proprietary information to three former employees who live in the US." Additionally, it was suggested that the trade secrets (which cost about $95 million to fully develop) were being offered up "for around $190 million" to an unnamed US company. All in all, four culprits were arrested in the ordeal, and while "some data" was transferred, the boys in blue caught on and stopped the gig before any major secrets were divulged. Should've tried the bag drop method, eh?

While we knew the Brits were looking Apple's way to help curb the nagging gadget theft problems still going on across the pond, it looks like Cupertino may have the ability to offer up a few solutions after a 2004 patent filing was reportedly awarded. According to AppleInsider, a US patent around "acceleration-based theft detection system" for movable devices was granted to Jobs & Co., and while we're still taking this with a grain of salt, it's not too surprising to hear of Apple coming out with a more secure method to stop theft than that cutesy combination lock built into new iPods. The filing insinuates that an accelerometer could be paired up with recognition software that could theoretically differentiate between normal bumps and ill intentions, and while specific hardware wasn't exactly covered, we can certainly assume that the more portable devices would get the anti-theft treatment first. All in all, the concept here seems fairly novel, but considering that using your Nike + iPod kit would probably cause all sorts of false alarms to go off using such a deterrent, we'll probably stick with the "toss gadget at larcenists' forehead" approach to keep our handhelds secure for now.

It's one thing to have the cops roll up to the wrong retail location while you scurry away in the opposite direction, but to get away unscathed after cramming a mammoth projector down your pants is rather incredible. In yet another case of heists gone awry, a presumably desperate and unprepared Australian duo set out to snag what was likely the largest projector in the store, but rather than using a backpack (or eying one of those miniature models), the crooks decided that shorts were best. After wrestling with the device and even getting on both knees in an attempt to stuff it all in there, the primary suspect finally covered the excess up with his oversized tee and managed to waltz out with his accomplice as store employees probably dolled out sympathy thinking that that the poor lad had kyphosis. Regardless, we certainly hope the boys in blue manage to nab these fellas and throw in a count of abusing their rights to be idiotic while they're at it. Hit the read link for the comical video.

[Via Wired]

'Tis a sad day in society when nearly two months after London showed us all how a crime-free launch is supposed to go that two separate incidents involving a PlayStation 3 left one witness dead and another dazed. In a case of local bartering gone terribly wrong, a crook posing as an interested buyer reportedly snatched a PS3 without paying, and rather than listening to a witness who tried to inject reason, the culprit resorted to stabbing the man to death and darting off with the blood-stained machine. On the other side of the pond, the UK finally did fall victim to console crime, as a crazed robber entered a Blockbuster and demanded a PS3, only to find that the object of his desire was in fact "sold out." Being the bright lad that he obviously was, he hastily decided that settling for an Xbox 360, a handful of games, and a fistful of pounds would have to do. Best of all, the robber was probably able to get in a few rounds of Gears of War before needing to go underground, as the boys in blue were initially dispatched to the wrong store location while the bandit built a solid lead. C'mon folks, if you're going to steal, at least snag the one console that still isn't a common sight in retail locations -- or don't criminals understand the concepts of supply and demand?

Read - Fatal stabbing over PlayStation 3, via PS3Fanboy
Read - Crook settles for Xbox 360 over PS3, via Joystiq

Alright, so ShatterGARD Inc. definitely doesn't intend for its FogSHIELD PB 240 (pictured after the break) to actually be used in nightclubs, but ejecting "enough fog to cover 2,000 square feet in less than 15 seconds" could definitely get the mood set real quick like. Marketed at homes and businesses who feel that they should add yet another layer of security to their pre-existing systems, the device is wired up to trip sensors that are already installed, and when triggered, can emit a non-toxic fog that purportedly "gives the intruder no option but to scurry for the door." Humorously, the company even points out that the smoke carries a "pleasant mint smell and dissipates completely within 45 minutes," which should ensure that any future crooks not only get a breath of fresh air when invading your premises, but that they return in just under an hour to give it another go. No details on pricing were readily available, but it was noted that the initial installation comes with enough fog to erupt on 15 occasions, but if you seriously end up needing to stop over a dozen invaders from breaching your property, we'd suggest a change in scenery.

For those of you enjoying the free-flowing high-occupancy vehicle lane on the Capitol Expressway (in your HOV-exempt hybrid, no less), stay sharp, as it looks like those oh-so-valuable stickers that reside on your ride appear as gold to thieves. Apparently, "two to three dozen" victims per month are surfacing in California, where the now-extinct stickers are presumably fetching a pretty penny on the underground markets. The labels -- which were handed out to some 85,000 hybrid owners in years past to give them the same speedy privileges are carpoolers -- are no longer being administered by the DMV, which means that those that were able to take advantage are now targets. Interestingly, hybrid vehicles that are up for sale in the area are fetching "nearly $4,000 more" than comparative models so long as they come with the coveted sticker pre-installed. Notably, the DMV claims that the "carpool stickers are treated chemically so they crumble apart if tampered with," but that wee tidbit isn't likely to slow down a desperate bandit.

[Via Fark]

It's one thing to lose track of all the peripherals you need to gank whilst stealing a gaming console, but to leave behind digital snapshots of yourself at a crime scene is on an entirely different level of dumb. In a case filled with Darwin award nominees, a team of self-incriminating thieves managed to break into private property and jack about "$5,000 worth of expensive alcohol, including $800 bottles of wine and high-dollar scotch," only to forget a digital camera filled with photos of the party in progress. Interestingly, game designer Richard Garriott (Ultima Online, anyone?) actually owns the property, and has stated that he'll probably install a swank video surveillance / security system to prevent such an annoyance from happening again. But if you've been wondering how to make a quick buck in order to snag a few new pieces of kit flowing out of CeBIT, Texas police are offering "up to $1,000 in reward money" for leading investigators to the less-than-intelligent criminals.

[Via Fark]