thieves
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Cancer patient has Xbox 360 stolen whilst in hospital
There's inhumane, and then there's despicable, but unfortunately for a 17-year old cancer patient receiving treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital, he knows all too well about both of them. A Vermont-based teenager had been suffered from osteosarcoma, bone cancer in the leg, and was "recovering from surgery" a few hundred miles away from home. Apparently, someone(s) the family actually knew broke into their home while they were obviously away, and proceeded to jack his Xbox 360 as well as "over $1,000 worth of games and DVDs" while they were at it. Local police suggest that they "do have some good leads involving current and former students at local high schools," and while none of the culprits have been apprehended just yet, folks have been more than generous in helping Jeff return to some state of normalcy by donating funds to help with family expenses, and one individual actually dropped off a new Xbox 360 console for a local radio station to deliver.[Via Xbox360Fanboy]
Thieves balk at 13-inch CRT television, refuse to steal
Although we've seen our fair share of zany criminals pulling off (or at least attempting to) incredible feats in order to snag a few good pieces of electronic kit, it seems that our era has all but eliminated the value previously associated with low-end, old fashioned electronics. Sure, there's a few folks out there shopping for bulky, cumbersome, and cheap 13-inch CRT televisions, but in numerous dodgy neighborhoods in and around Canada, researchers simply couldn't convince thieves to take one. In a ploy to track a thief from the moment the crime happened to where it ended up, the crafty schemers discretely installed a GPS device in the TV, and then proceeded to leave the functioning set in various unlocked cars around less-than-amicable boroughs for thieves to jump on. After nearly a month of trying to get a single thief in all of Canada to jack this thing, their attempts proved overwhelmingly futile. So while there's no exact moral to this story, we'll just assume that potential larcenists might be a tad more apt to pass on by your crib if you're caught watching snow-filled soaps on a 1982 RCA than say, a $10,000 plasma, but you already knew that, eh?[Thanks, Camperton]
Thieves jack 14 GPS devices, forget to turn them off
Yeah, we've seen quite a bit of mishaps happen in conjunction with operating a GPS device, and the list of brainless criminals is (fortunately) seeming to get longer each day, but this heist made the cops' jobs so easy it's almost implausible. A few crooks with a potentially bright idea set out to swipe a dozen or so cellphones from the Town of Babylon Public Works garage in Lindenhurst, NY, but unfortunately for them, the 14 units they swiped turned out to be GPS devices. As expected, Suffolk County police didn't have any qualms tracking the bandits down, and actually found the head criminal holding one of their prizes when they entered his home, as he was presumably trying to call his mother (or partners in crime) and explain all he'd accomplished. Nevertheless, the father and his 13-year old son, along with another 20-year old culprit, were all taken in on charges of grand larceny and stupidity, but at least justice prevailed, eh?[Via Fark]
Guangzhou crime dog "trained" to swipe cellphones
Alright, so we're taking this one at face value, but according to an admittedly weird report in Asia, Guangzhou residents should be on the lookout for a clever pup who looks mighty innocent, but is reportedly a "hardened criminal." After locating the dog in a Panyu District home, the owner was surprised to see the mysterious creature cease playing with his daughter, dart over to his cellphone, and make a break for the exit. According to local police, it's becoming somewhat common to see "thieves training canines" to sneak into homes and swipe cellphones for crooks to resell. While it would certainly be easy to brush this off as completely ludicrous, the idea actually isn't that far-fetched, as an English Springer Spaniel is already on patrol in UK prisons sniffing out and retrieving mobiles that were brought into the jails without consent. So if you're strolling through Guangzhou, make sure that cellie is well covered, cool?[Via Textually]
More console-related crime to stuff the stockings
At least with the Wiinjuries popping up left and right, they're primarily self-inflicted wounds that don't involve the police, but it seems the Xbox 360 (and old Xbox, sometimes) and the PS3 are jacking up crime rates in cities everywhere. While we already knew hot game consoles brought out the absolute worst in people, we've got two more stories to persuade you to watch your back when snagging that last unit from the store's stockroom. After lucking up and grabbing herself an oh-so-coveted PlayStation 3 in a Florida retailer, Missy Robinson was followed to her home and held at gunpoint (along with her brother). Of course, she intelligently surrendered the console in exchange for safety, but she's not apt to go console hunting again anytime soon. On the Microsoft side, dedicated thieves "burrowed through the back wall of the video game store and stole 13 Xbox 360 game consoles." Notably, employees reported a scattered mess of PS3 boxes, but when the bandits realized they were all empty display cartons, they jacked the Xbox 360 assortment in order to not go home empty-handed. Look folks, we realize the markup on eBay is fairly extreme, but it's probably less costly than the bail money you'd need to put up after pulling a stunt like this.Read - Woman held at gunpoint for PS3Read - Burrowing bandits snag 13 Xbox 360s
Crime spree hits New England game stores
Investigators believe that the theft of $20,000 in systems and games from a Hooksett, N.H., EBGames could be connected to a string of similar thefts across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The thieves are targeting Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 systems because intense interest is driving high resale values according to a report from the Concord Monitor.Detective Matt Fleming warned that thieves may soon expand their focus from stores to homes with new systems, warning owners to "secure them in your homes as best you can." We wouldn't be too worried though -- according to an AP report the thieves in Hooksett "tried to steal the floor model PlayStation 3 ... but couldn't get into the metal cabinet housing it." Foiled... by a kiosk!Read - Concord Monitor reportRead - AP Report
Quick-footed thieves snag 39 iPods in 15 seconds
Okay, so iPods might be easy to flip on eBay, but cruising around with 39 hot PMPs in the trunk of your car (and a stash of PlayStation 2 games to boot) probably isn't the best way to welcome yourself to Utah. Three New Yorkers apparently took those crime dramas a bit too seriously as they acquired "maps of every Target store in Utah and Nevada," and flew off to Riverdale with a heist in mind. When the thieves couldn't break open the iPod display at their primary target (ahem), they sped off to execute plan B, but alerted authorities to their ill intentions in the process. Nevertheless, the crooks finally pulled off the job with utmost haste, as they stuffed 39 iPods (and possibly a few PS2 titles) down a presumably gargantuous pair of "oversized pants" in a blistering 15 seconds. Although the second time proved to be a charm, their sloppiness in round one landed them in police custody less than 24 hours after arriving in the Beehive State. While flying across the country to jack $7,000 worth of 'Pods might make for good television, you're probably better off trying to outwit one of those yet-to-be-altered cash-flinging ATMs if you're feeling frisky.[Via PowerPage]
Kensington's MicroSaver products lockdown your laptop
In the past, Kensington's security solutions have been far from infallible, but they're hoping their new line of locks will raise the bar when it comes to thwarting would-be laptop snatchers. The MicroSaver uses a carbon-tempered steel cable and traditional locking mechanism, while the MicroSaver DS adds a "nearly impenetrable multi-disc locking mechanism" to make sure only the person with the key can get your device off your desk. If you don't want another key battling your gadgets for pocket space you can opt for the combination lock, which simply requires a 4-digit code to open. Prices range from $40 (for the combo version) to $70 (for the Twin model that'll secure two machines at once), which seems like a reasonable price to pay for the privilege of knowing your brand new Superman-themed desktop replacement will be safe and sound while you're gone.
"Undercover" software helps recover your stolen MacBook
So you coughed up some dough for that iAlertU program to protect your MacBook, but wouldn't you know it, your laptop got jacked anyway by a clever thief who simply removed the battery before taking off. Luckily for you, all is not lost, at least not if you'd installed another program called Undercover on your machine, which not only sends out an IP-address-containing SOS if it's reported stolen, but actually uses your machine's built-in iSight to snap a photo of the perp before simulating a screen failure that makes the Mac unusable. Every six minutes, Undercover pings a database maintained by developer Orbicule to check if the machine it's installed on has been stolen; a positive reply from the server initiates a sequence of events that hopefully ends with law enforcement officials breaking down the door of the nefarious Macjacker's pad and recovering your beloved notebook. In case the crook was smart enough to never reconnect to the Internet after the heist, however, you'll still need to file an insurance claim and head down to the old Apple store -- looks like they still haven't found a software solution that beats the trusty Kensington Lock.
7 easy steps to keep your laptop safe
Folks, this ain't rocket science, however, it is a good reminder. Macsupport.ca has posted 7 tips that'll help keep your shiny Mac laptop out of the hands of thieves (or will at least foil them when they attempt to get your precious, precious data).As I mention the tips aren't mind blowing, but they are good solid steps that very person using a portable Mac should be doing. The biggest one is turn off automatic log in, make the miscreants who took your Mac work a little.[via Digg]
Watch out for game thieves
Playing a thief in a video game is all very well, but becoming the victim of crime is less pleasant. Opposable Thumbs brings a warning that is worth heeding now and bearing in mind for the future; video game theft is on the rise.It's easy to believe that you will never be the one to suffer the loss of all your beloved games, but it's a cruel world; the used-game market is booming, and there are few ways to trace your property back if it gets stolen. As a victim of game theft -- my entire collection was stolen about eighteen months ago, eerily about the same time that Ben at Opposable Thumbs suffered the same loss -- here is some advice that, with hindsight, I wish I had followed: Don't leave your games piled up in plain sight to anyone peering through windows or on a casual stroll through your house. Don't keep expensive portable gaming systems on show. Do what you can towards your general home security. Do try to make your easily-portable, easily-sold games less appealing -- for example, take them out of their boxes or mark them. Do get insurance -- replacing rare and well-loved games is hard, but it's even harder if you're footing the entire bill. Keep a note of any especially rare items, and if you're the forgetful sort, maintain a list of all your games (with receipts) for easier claims. Do report the crime immediately, if you are unlucky enough to suffer; there may be a wave of thefts and your information may help prevent more.
