Tracking My Stolen Laptop please all read and reply if you can

[shadowx 0]

Well 5 am arrives and instead of being fast asleep im awake worrying about where my laptop and loads of othger stuff has got to... what a great day this is turning out to be, oh and the police dont seem to think were being honest they think were tryin to do a dodgy insurance claim...fantastic!!! My laptop dual boots windows and linux the default being windows so the ******* that stole it will most likely use windows if they use it atall, so what i want is a way of pinpointing its location, i have remote help installed that is activated whenever the laptop is turned on into windows and i know i can use this to control the laptop if it ever comes online. but thats not helpfull as i forgot to install robotic legs so i could tell it to walk home...(my attempt at humor on such a crappy day...) so anyone know how i can do this? if i can find out exactly where it is ill be able to send the police there or ... well you get the idea. Any ideas? i was thinking of using the remote help software (found at logmein.com if anyone is interested) to install a backdoor program as my firewall only has one day left anyway and then i can use that whenever i want access hopefully. I doubt it will stay around for long itll probably get wiped and ill never see it again but its a bit of hope ive still got so any feedback would be very very helpful in this.Thanks

[Hadi 0]

Option1:My advice for you is to forget this laptop, and take your credit card, then head down to your local computer store, and buy a similar laptop then return home. Tara!!! You have now a new laptop like the other one.Option 2:You can beg and pray God to return ou your laptop 24 on 7. Maybe that will work.Option 3:PM one of the technologicly advanced member to help you out.Good luck with finding your laptop, just a question does it have valuable information that you can't let go? Or any important data for you?

[BuffaloHelp 24]

I'd like to know how was it stolen? Did you lose it when someone broke in to your place or someone just took your bag or did you misplace your bag?Because chances are, if it was stolen because the theif wanted to steal it the theif will sit on it for a while until he/she can find a sucker who's willing to buy a hot merchandize. That could be in matter of hours, days or weeks. And by the time another user turns it on and connect, either it will be to wipe out with a restore disk or fresh install. All you can pray is that you remembered to backup your Windows registration number and just notify Microsoft that the serial number of your laptop is stolen and no longer valid.

[command-prompt 0]

Like Hadi said kiss it goodbye if you don't have a type of tracing software or gps software into that computer, it will be next to impossible to locate it.

Edited June 12, 2006 by command-prompt (see edit history)

[shadowx 0]

humm i was afraid of that...if i do notify microsoft what happens if it is recovered? can i just ring up prove my ownership and get it unlocked again?the stuff on there isnt absolutely vital, i can get my coursework off my tutors again easy enough to work on, still annoying tho, had some good programs and loads of pics of my stuff and more annoyingly all my site backups but i can make them again. had to go and change all my important passwords just in case, ive got my history on it and all my passwords are saved on it but i changed those. i would go buy another one but im a student at college so only get ?30 a week and it cost 600 when my dad got it for me just hoping that it gets found in great condition or the insurance pays for another one. ill keep looking out for it with the software though...gah! cant wait to get my hands on the guy that done it, now that would be fun!

[iGuest 3]

Laptop was stolen, but i know who did it. What do i do now!?!

Tracking My Stolen Laptop

 

Yes, it was stolen on my 21st birthday this past saturday march 22. I wasnt havent a party, just went out for some drinks and came back with a couple good friends, then my friend annie invited over 3 of her guy friends. Only 3 people at my apt. That I didnt know. They were getting loud so I asked them to leave. 2 of them started ganging up on my boyfriend accusing him of stealing money(which after they left I found 21 dollars on the floor)(jerks). 2 or the guys then enclosed my boyfriend against a wall attempted to choke him. While everyone was standing there (this all was in the same room within 10 feet between the laptop and where they were trying to choke my boyfriend) the third one who I didnt know, was sitting right next to my laptop.* after I told everyone to get out, I was calling the police, the one who was sitting next to my laptop ran out first in a hurry and while the other ones were leaving (in a rush too) I noticed it was gone and called the police. I have thier names, where they work ect. Its a felony theft from a dwelling, probably one out of a 100 the police here are investigating and the guy who I'm 99% sure did it lives in the neighboring county. I do want my laptop back, but more want the guy who did it to pay sinse he stole my laptop on my birthday. Should I hire a Privit investigator, an attorney where do I turn now?

 

-reply by Speif

[iGuest 3]

Stolen laptop!!! but i know who did it. Where do i do now??!?

Tracking My Stolen Laptop

 

I was coming home on my birthday with a couple good friends and my friend invited over 3 guys I didnt know. They were getting loud so I asked them to leave and 2 of them started ganging up on my boyfriend accusing him of stealing 20 dollars, the other one was sitting near my laptop, during the commotion and left quickly and as I hearded the rest out I realized my laptop was gone and was on the phone with the police with in 5 minutes. I got all 3 of thier names from my friend that invited them and where they work. It a felony theft from a dwelling, but probably 1 out of a 100 the police are investigating right now and the guy who did it lives in the neighboring county. Should I hire a privite investigator and attorney, and the only evidence I have is what my friends have told me. I thought I saw something shiney he was holding under his shirt, but with the commotion of my boyfriend being choked for no reason. I just was dumfounded. I could definately recognize him, but thats all I got. WHAT do I do know. I do want my laptop back, but more want to make the low life who steals laptops to pay.

 

-question by Speif

[jopak134 0]

you can try the ip of your laptop. i know this can be done but dunno how.

[iGuest 3]

My Stolen Laptop has turned up at someones house, how to I get it back from the criminals?

Tracking My Stolen Laptop

 

I have the Mac Address of my laptop, and I have a friend who's sister asked why her boyfriend/friend had my laptop. Suposibly she seen the pictures. I don't know this guy but I know he has friends that I know are shady *bottom* fools that steal. Now how do I recover my laptop? Should I just walk up to the door, and kick his *bottom*? I tried the cops but they said they cant do anything because they need hard core evidence like a picture Of it. So basically who do I go to that will be able to track this Laptop using the Mac Address and the criminals home address or home internet? I know Someone could help me. I also have heard that he is enjoying the 50 inch plasma they stole to in his room. I'm going to do something really crazy if I cant get it back legally. They have all my pictures in that laptop. Seriously, I could go to jail because of a this criminal. I'm furious.

 

-reply by Cesar

[iGuest 3]

How to track a stolen laptopTracking My Stolen Laptop

Each network interface card (NIC) hasAn unique address called media access control (MAC) address. ThisAddress can be spoofed by software, but the original address will notBe changed and can be used to track down stolen laptops. This must beDone by creating a list of stolen laptops MAC-addresses and softwareChecking against this list. I think many end users of stolen laptopsDoesn't even know its stolen and will at some point or anotherDeliver it to a computer repair shop or connect to a network withLaptop tracking software. This is how we can regain at least moreLaptops than we do at the moment, which is basically none. You can helpOut, have a look at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ more information.

-reply by Tor Arne

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing as the above post. If there is any way to track the MAC addresses you can pull off the IP that the person is at, and the PD can trace them.Without any software on the laptop, I'm unsure how you could do this, HOWEVER. If they have your accounts saved on the laptop(email or whatever) it is possible to get a trace on their IP as they log into said accounts.Now, this isn't 100% solid as they could be using a free wifi hotspot somewhere, but the chances that they're smart enough to know about the trick are pretty low.Did you save your email accounts or anything on the laptop? More or less anything that they can log into(even FORUMS) with your account.

[triplebtalk 0]

I looked around about this and the answer is yes BUT it is inpracticalas there is software to change your MAC address. Also I read an article in the New York Times where a thief was caught thanks to Remote Desktop Software:

WHITE PLAINS — The thieves were voracious, filching flat-screen televisions and computer games, purloining iPods and DVDs, even making off with a box of liquor and a set of car rims in a burglary two weeks ago at an apartment three young people shared here. Luckily, they also took two laptop computers.Skip to next paragraph
White Plains Police Department, via Associated Press

Edmon Shahikian, top, and Ian Frias were arrested.

One of the laptops was a Macintosh belonging to Kait Duplaga, who works at the Apple store in the Westchester mall and thus knows how to use all its bells and whistles. While the police were coming up dry, Ms. Duplaga exploited the latest software applications installed on her laptop to track down the culprits and even get their photographs.

On Wednesday, the police arrested Edmon Shahikian, 23, of Katonah, and Ian Frias, 20, who lives in the Bronx. Virtually all of the property stolen from the apartment was recovered at the two men’s homes. They face charges of burglary and possession of stolen property; Mr. Shahikian was released on $3,500 bail, while Mr. Frias was at the Westchester County Jail, held in $7,500 bail.

“It doesn’t get much better than their bringing us a picture of the guy actually using the stolen property,” Daniel Jackson, the deputy commissioner of public safety in White Plains, said in a telephone interview on Friday. “It certainly made our job easier. The fact that they knew who these guys were certainly added solvability.”

The high-tech solving of the White Plains burglary, which was reported Friday in The Journal News, is one of several recent cases in which the police and crime victims have turned the keyboards on their adversaries, so to speak, taking advantage of computer software and other high-tech tools.

In March in Modesto, Calif., for example, the police recovered a stolen computer containing vital personal information, including Social Security numbers, belonging to the public school system’s 3,500 employees. Detectives used tracking software on the computer to apprehend a suspect, who had a long criminal record. The police said he had stolen the computer from a data processing firm, perhaps with the intention of committing identity theft.

Here in White Plains, a break in the case came on Tuesday when a friend of Ms. Duplaga’s sent her a congratulatory text message on the return of her stolen computer. “She said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ and her friend said, ‘Well, you popped up as being online,’ ” Mr. Jackson said.

He said that Ms. Duplaga immediately signed on to another Macintosh computer and, using a feature called “Back to My Mac,” was able to gain access to her missing laptop remotely. She could see that that the person who had her computer was shopping for beds, Mr. Jackson said. Then it occurred to her that she could activate a camera on her laptop and watch the thief live.

At first, the photo application revealed only a smoky room and an empty chair, Mr. Jackson said, but then a man sat down. Ms. Duplaga, again using remote technology, typed in the command to snap a photo. “When you take a picture with that computer, it shows a countdown, and when it does, this guy figures out what’s going on,” Mr. Jackson said. “It all clicks for him, and he puts his hand up to cover the lens, but it was too late. She had already taken the picture.”

Had the suspect been a complete stranger, the photographic evidence would have been a “great lead,” but not the decisive clue, Mr. Jackson said. He said that when Ms. Duplaga described the tattooed subject of the picture to one of her roommates, the roommate replied: “Oh, I know exactly who that is — it’s Ian,” referring to Mr. Frias.

Mr. Frias and Mr. Shahikian, it turns out, had been among the guests at a party at the apartment weeks before, and were friends of friends of the victims, as Mr. Jackson put it. Ms. Duplaga was able to retrieve a photograph of Mr. Shahikian from the laptop as well, but Mr. Jackson was not aware of the circumstances. Mr. Jackson said that Mr. Frias and Mr. Shahikian were arrested last year on a felony marijuana possession charge, but are not career criminals. The disposition of their cases was not known.

Mr. Jackson said that Ms. Duplaga did not wish to be interviewed. On Friday, no one answered the door at the beige colonial-style house on Ridgeview Avenue where she rents an apartment diagonally opposite a church. The neighborhood is on the edge of the city’s downtown; in recent years, many of the prewar homes have been renovated.

An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the case or on the phenomenon of tracking criminals through computer software.

“Back to My Mac” is part of an online service that costs $99 per year and allows users to gain access to their personal computer from any connected Macintosh computer with the operating system Leopard. The software that Ms. Duplaga used to take a picture of the thief, called PhotoBooth, is standard on all newer Apple laptop models, perhaps an unintended new frontier in crime-fighting.

“It’s certainly a great use of what was probably meant as a business product,” Mr. Jackson said. “But if she had taken the picture and didn’t know who he was, we wouldn’t be in the same place as far as the investigation goes.”

Edited December 30, 2008 by triplebtalk (see edit history)

[rpgsearcherz 5]

I looked around about this and the answer is yes BUT it is inpracticalas there is software to change your MAC address. Also I read an article in the New York Times where a thief was caught thanks to Remote Desktop Software:

It's kind of funny - your story. Everyone seems to think that they can do anything they want and not get caught, but most end up getting caught anyways.

The fact that the men had access to the social security numbers is somewhat bothersome though. There's no telling who all got ahold of those, and these days social security numbers are a huge thing when it comes to getting into other people's lives and/or using false ID's.

[iGuest 3]

IP Sneak could have helped you hereTracking My Stolen Laptop

 It's a windows service that reports the IP back to a webpage... Log in with a cell-phone or another PC, to get the location. To late for you, but might help others in the future.

-reply by Peter Munkholm

 

[iGuest 3]

Replying to (G)Tor Arne

Hi my name is MatheaCooks I have a couple of statement, inquiries, questions,I just rcently have had my laptop stolen frome me around Sep 15th 2008, an todays date is Feb20th 2009 an around that time in Sep 15th 2008, I was at my apt in thee bed asleep an befor I went to sleep I had my laptop sitting on my kitchen table an it was ok at first than I feel asleep an when I woke up my laptop had became missing when it came missing I hurried up an called thee law inforcement an they came an took my statement from the laptop comin up missin in my home then they took thee report and than they told me from that point on that it was going to be in investagation an it has been ever sence but sence then I haven't had a feed back or anything after that if prayed an done everything that I could possibley do an I still haven't located my laptop back yet an now I'm sitting here hopein an praying that you all can help me through this an try to track/traice my stolein laptop down I have all thee information reguarding my laptop when I went to thee store witch was BEST BUY and I even still have thee reciept with me from the time of the purchase so please I ask of you I even begg of you please help me locate my stollen laptop back if you can whatever the cast may be I would love too pay you for thee search in return thank you for you attention Sinceraly Mathea Cooks, Thank you!