[Dracko]

It happened while I was at work on Sunday, I came home during my break. Nothing seemed out of order until I went upstairs. Both my laptops have been stolen, the old wreck as well as the fresh Acer Aspire, not even a month old. Nothing else has been touched, not eveb ruffled with. They took the battery charger to the old one - which wouldn't work otherwise because the battery is dead - but not the the new one.

What annoys me though is it had to be someone familiar with my patterns. It's not like break-ins are an intelligent option on weekends, and neither the windows or doors have been tampered with. I think they jumped the garden gate - facing the street - and knew to expect that the back doors might be unlocked. Which in turn means they'd have to cross through the living room - where the TV, DVD player, PS2 along with a bunch of CDs, games, books and DVDs are - to go upstairs to my room and the study. Again, none of these things have been touched, even in my bedroom.

I'm betting some of the local kids might have done it and are trying to sell it. I'll try and see if anything dodgy pops up on Craigslist.

Honestly though, it's more of a nuisance because of all the files and data I had on them, rather than the actual physical loss. I'm not holding out much hope, and will sort things out with house insurance as soon as I get a crime number - forensics turned up this evening, but found very little - but with these sorts of contributing factors, who knows? Then again, they could both be in the drink by now.

So, I'm wondering if anyone here has advice? I'm dealing with insurance and the police response wasn't very inspiring, so I'm thinking about informing computer stores around here or something. I don't have any trace tech on either of the laptops, but is there any way to inform Microsoft or the like about these sorts of things?
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[spinach]

That sucks, sorry you got burgled. Check pawn shops, etc.

[Dracko]

hey guys anyone know any fencers in the cambridgeshire are? :(
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[Greng]

Man. Apart from checking out the usual second hand hubs (and yes informing shops), there's little to be done about this kind of thing.

It's kind of nice to think you don't need to lock your doors (and no I'm not suggesting it's your fault) but I guess that confidence is gone now. Whoever it was showed some good discipline not to grab anything else. When did you last see the laptops? Is there any possibility someone's just randomly 'borrowed' them?

Hopefully they will turn up but I guess the insurance is at least some compensation for the loss.

):
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Steam ~ Be Preying | Resident Evil.net ~ ElSpank

[Greng]

[CubaLibre]

Should have locked your doors.

Most crimes go unsolved. Don't hold out much hope that anyone will be found.

Your biggest problem is potential identity theft. Over here you can call the FTC and give them your information and they'll flag, e.g., lines of credit made out in your name (a helpful fact I just found out on Saturday after I got mugged and they got my driver's license). I'm sure the UK must have a similar kind of thing.
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Let's Play, starring me.

[Dracko]

The thing is, both of the back doors aren't very visible from street level, and I leave the gate to the garden locked constantly. I did manage to lock myself out of the house about five days ago, so jumped the gate and went through the garden doors, but if I'd have known to expect such things, I would have locked them both behind me.

It's worrying because it means someone had a rough idea of how my house is set up, how often I'm out and knew exactly what they were going for. I doubt it's a coincidence this happened after I bought the new laptop rather than before. Neither of them are visible through windows unless you're using binoculars or something, and when I had to carry it; it was in a featureless parcel.

The police claim they sent a CSI officer after I gave them my statement, but if they did, he never knocked on my door so I'm not certain I should take their word if they say they asked the neighbours if they saw anything.

[!=]

Sorry about the joke (I've been robbed of a laptop before) but maybe the guys who did it are enjoying your living room every afternoon? ;)

[shrugtheironteacup]

First a Cuba mugging, now this.

selectbutton Justice League is go.
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[shrugtheironteacup]

Vigilante League
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[shrugtheironteacup]

..my sympathies.
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[parker]

Sounds like somebody knew what they wanted. I think the worst part about these sort of things is having your personal space violated. I got in the parker-mobile recently and I noticed someone rifled through the damn thing and took all the change in there. I leave it unlocked because I'm lazy and there's nothing to take, but still. I felt like I should leave some kind of note: dear future cat burglars, these are not my hootie and the blowfish tapes you've dug up, in fact I forgot they were even still in here.
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[Internetics]

Always write down the serial number of your computer. Then, because they wear off so easily, record down the serial number of the battery, RAM and where else you can think of. Write down your name (with indelible ink) on the back of the RAM cover (which is usually screwed down).

Keep up with craigslist, pawn stores. If you had an extra GPS inside it, use that to track it down. Really, it's like a $30 tiny chip and you can just cram it inside the case. Totally easy to do.
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"Is Father's Day nine months after Mother's Day, or is it the other way around?"

[spinach]

[CubaLibre]

Yeah, the other thing is this crime is obviously done by someone who knows you. If you want to try and solve it yourself, the way to do it isn't by a top-down approach (canvassing pawn shops) but by a bottom-up approach, narrowing down who could have stolen it and then who would want to.
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Let's Play, starring me.

[scratchmonkey]

My sympathies, Dracko.

[Bo 0]

Yeah that really sucks

[Dracko]

[CubaLibre]

People honestly notice far, far fewer things than you might expect.
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Let's Play, starring me.

[sarsamis]

My bike was stolen this morning, but it's really nothing compared to this. Hope your insurance covers it.

[PianoMap]

Sympathies, man. I done got mugged last week, though the sweaty meathead didn't end up getting anything of significant value. I'd probably just lose it at this point if my laptop went "missing."
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o-/< --- o-\< --- o-|-| --- o^-<

[Daphaknee]

oh man when you messaged me i thought you said "getting buggered sucks"

im sorry dracko
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the internet's

[Bo 0]

Maybe the burglar will log in with Dracko's account and let us know a few more details.

[CubaLibre]

crime victims itt

I call Batman
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Let's Play, starring me.

[shnozlak]

I had two turntables stolen from the radio station where I worked about a year ago. They left the dust covers and bothered to detach the head shells.

We got the serial numbers but Im guessing anyone trying to steal old beat up Technics 1200's who is going to leave off the dust covers and needles isnt out to sell them.

Sorry about the lappy that sucks.
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Mixtapes galore ~ VG MUSIC
ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ http://phantom-photon.tumblr.com/

[Dracko]

[Mr. Mechanical]

[v84j3gs2uc7ns4]

[extrabastardformula]

Simon Belmont, I think I have a little more experience with breaking and enterring than you do and I'll say that locked doors are a deterrent in that people can see a broken door. Of course a back door that can't bee seen from the street is easily the most inviting thing since if you have to break in the door nobody will see it happen or see the door busted up.

Garage doors with handles you turn to lock are the absolute worst because someone can see from the street if the garage is unlocked or not, and that makes things really easy. And in most cases criminals like things to be easy.
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[CubaLibre]

All security measures are merely deterrents. If your house is locked but the one next door isn't, people will burgle the house next door, unless there's something specific about your house that they want. After all, why go to more trouble if it's unnecessary, especially if you expose yourself to more risk in doing so (as ebf points out)?

Also technically TOLL your house was not robbed but burgled!

Dracko, what I meant is that eyewitnesses as notoriously (and provably) unreliable. People aren't as aware as they assume they are. Even the direct victims of crimes often misidentify their attackers. "Noticing" "suspicious activity" of some undefined sort during a random hour of the day, at someone else's house? Forget about it. You could get lucky, of course - you could always get lucky, which is what criminal investigation essentially hinges on - but don't get your hopes up, is all. Most of all, don't get frustrated with your neighbors if they don't have any information for you because of some misguided assumption that they "must have seen something." Even (especially) if you don't think so, you're the same way. We all are.
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Let's Play, starring me.

[Dracko]

Oh right, sure. I thought you were referring to the notion that someone had their eyes on me so knew when to break in.
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[GalaxyHead]

[negativedge]

I did it

[spinach]

don't people still have back windows?

my car has been broken into twice. The second time, a window was shattered. Now I tend to leave it unlocked. I really don't care if anyone's been inside. Someone can get into a car without breaking glass, but I've seen enough broken glass on the street to know no one really cares. I hate replaces windows, guys.

[negativedge]

[manmachine plays jazz]

i used to leave my convertible unlocked, for fear that someone would just slash the roof open and steal my stereo.

the funny part is, someone did steal the same stereo, but it was in a different car after the convertible's transmission died, because i forgot to lock my driver's door one night.

i really wish i still had that convertible.

[Gironika]

Insurance (if you have one, that is) probably won't be much impressed by any claims you make after not locking your door, I suppose?
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[Dracko]

The police have closed the investigation.

Hooray.
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[GalaxyHead]

[Dracko]

Oh, they didn't find shit, incidentally.
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[Dracko]

Great news: The insurance company intend to replace both of them with equivalent models. So they're giving me this for the old Toshiba and a superior Asus model for the new Acer.

Anyone here have experience with Asus laptops? I hear they're solid and sturdy. Which is good, 'cause I still want a notebook that can endure transport and commuting. Better than Acer in that respect? Equivalent? I hear their hardware is second-to-none, either way.
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