Man tracks down his stolen MacBook Pro, helps teen found using it

[SLM]

Man tracks down his stolen MacBook Pro, helps teen found using it

By Nadine Bells | Good News – Thu, 30 Aug, 2012



When Boston computer graphics designer Fran Harrington discovered that his MacBook Pro had been stolen from his Jamaica Plain apartment, he logged into the security software installed on it and started spying on the laptop's new user.
It was Harrington's third stolen computer. This time, he would track down the thief.
Harrington could view a teenager watching cartoons on his computer.
"I watched for about four days. I was giving information to police, and the whole time he didn't know this was going on at all, that I could see what he was doing," Harrington told CBS Boston.
The security software included a GPS-like feature that helped police locate the computer. They found it in Boston's South End's Cathedral Public Housing Complex.
"Computer: Recovered," Harrington tweeted.
The computer had been purchased by a low-income family for their son who was heading to college — "and they had no idea they were buying a stolen computer," Harrington added, admitting that the high of chasing a thief quickly turned into a low.
"I felt bad for the family."
Harrington decided to help out the family and asked friends online to help him raise enough money to purchase the family a new computer. In three days, he raised more than $900.
"I just felt that I should help them out," he told CBS Boston.
Harrington still hopes the thief will get caught.


Man tracks down his stolen MacBook Pro, helps teen found using it | Good News - Yahoo! News Canada


I hope they catch the thief too. Good of the guy to have a heart and care about the other victims in this particular crime too.

 

[skookumchuck]

Problem being, given where they live the family who bought the stolen computer are unlikely to identify the seller.
I wonder why cops do not use laptops the same way they use bait cars?

 

[Niflmir]

Problem being, given where they live the family who bought the stolen computer are unlikely to identify the seller.
I wonder why cops do not use laptops the same way they use bait cars?

Actually, I'm sure they told the police who they bought it from, otherwise they would face charges of purchasing stolen property or obstruction.

"A guy on the corner of Tremont and Concord," just isn't going to lead anywhere.

 

[gerryh]

Actually, I'm sure they told the police who they bought it from, otherwise they would face charges of purchasing stolen property or obstruction.

"A guy on the corner of Tremont and Concord," just isn't going to lead anywhere.

I don't know the guy is a valid answer and will not lead to any charges.

 

[Niflmir]

I don't know the guy is a valid answer and will not lead to any charges.

It also is an answer that doesn't make any sense. The question is not, "Did you know the person you bought it from," the question is, "Who did you buy it from." The only way to say you didn't know the person is to say you bought it from someone on the side of the street, which is what I was getting at.

There is much more evidence in the OP that these people cooperated with the police if you don't buy that reasoning: nobody would go out of their way to buy a laptop for the people who possessed their stolen laptop if they told the cops to go screw themselves.

 

[SLM]

It also is an answer that doesn't make any sense. The question is not, "Did you know the person you bought it from," the question is, "Who did you buy it from." The only way to say you didn't know the person is to say you bought it from someone on the side of the street, which is what I was getting at.

There is much more evidence in the OP that these people cooperated with the police if you don't buy that reasoning: nobody would go out of their way to buy a laptop for the people who possessed their stolen laptop if they told the cops to go screw themselves.

There are more possibilities than just either knowing well who you buy things from or buying from someone on a street corner. There are tons of bulletin boards up all over the place, or online sites like kijiji, where people list things for sale. You may get a look at someone but it could easily be a fake name and fake circumstances. Honestly if the price is reasonable (meaning not unbelievably inexpensive) I probably wouldn't think twice about purchasing something that was in strangers ad. For all I know it could be stolen goods.

But I'm sure they told the police everything that they knew, it just probably wasn't very much.