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Buggy Bugging Backfires On German Police

Posted by timothy on from the wer-spricht dept.

Alethes writes "The BBC is reporting that German police have been caught bugging cellphones at the expense of criminal suspects who found a unknown and inaccessible voicemail number listed on their bills that was being used to record calls. Telecommunications authorities said that nearly 20,000 lines were currently being tapped."

18 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. hmmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    what's the German translation for "Do'h!"

    1. Re:hmmm... by whovian · · Score: 3, Funny

      Ach Du D'oh!

      --
      To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
    2. Re:hmmm... by Havokmon · · Score: 5, Funny
      what's the German translation for "Do'h!"

      Remember Wolfenstein?

      Halt!
      Kommentein!
      Aus Pass?
      Vonsaff!
      You panic and run into a wall:
      ###BERRP!###BERRP!###BERRP!###BERRP!###BERRP!

      Ok, so I KNOW the Vonsaff is wrong..

      --
      "I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
    3. Re:hmmm... by Dr.+Awktagon · · Score: 5, Funny

      I believe it's roughly:

      Scheißetwaswirklichschlechtesgeschehenundesüberras chtemichgroß

      Used in a sentence:

      Mein Automobil ist defekt. Scheißetwaswirklichschlechtesgeschehenundesüberras chtemichgroß!!!

      (sorry about slashdot breaking the word in two. They obviously have no respect for the German language.)

    4. Re:hmmm... by MacAndrew · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dontcha think Scheiße pretty much covers it?

      Ah German -- a word for everything. What was the one for "that feeling to get when your neighbor's house is on fire"? Ich vergesse.

    5. Re:hmmm... by CrystalFalcon · · Score: 3, Funny

      Actually, my favorite is schützengrabenvernichtungspanzerkraftwagen.

      The English translation would be "tank".

    6. Re:hmmm... by Phil+Karn · · Score: 3, Funny

      Babelfish won't translate this unless you insert some spaces in the German. So I entered

      Scheiß etwas wirklich schlechtesgeschehenundesüberraschtemichgroß

      and got this English translation:

      Shit somewhat really bad-happen-and-surprise-me-largely

    7. Re:hmmm... by macdaddy357 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Who were the ones in charge of this bungled bugging? Col. Klink and Shultz?

      --
      How ya like dat?
    8. Re:hmmm... by Lars+T. · · Score: 3, Funny

      Sankt-Florians-Prinzip (Saint Florian principle): ""Heiliger Sankt Florian, verschon mein Haus, zünd and're an!" - "Holy Saint Florian, spare my house, put others on fire". As in "If it has to happen, let it happen somewhere else".

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

  2. Great by (H)olyGeekboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now they've given Ashcroft an idea to both monitor possible terrorists AND increase revenue for the US govertment...

    Record all of their conversations in voicemails, then charge them for the priviledge. Go Patriot Act! :)

  3. It is too bad that this did not happen in England. by Prince_Ali · · Score: 4, Funny

    If it had happened in England the subject could have been, "Buggy Bugging Backfires On British Bobbies."

    --
    Slashdotter are stupid and biased.
  4. Amazing by RealTimeFreeAgent · · Score: 4, Funny

    Most of the paswords are simple, such as "1-2-3-4-5"

    That's the same combination I have on my luggage!

    --
    "You get what you pay for after all." --
  5. Quote... by Tyler+Eaves · · Score: 3, Funny

    Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb! - Dark Helmet

    --
    TODO: Something witty here...
  6. ironic by zenst · · Score: 3, Funny

    Its funny how in Germany they seem to want to charge the customer were in the UK all the mobile teco's got pissed off with requests for duplicate bill's from the police (which have all call's made and when) that they started charging them.

  7. Re:It is too bad that this did not happen in Engla by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 3, Funny
    "Buggy Bugging Backfires On British Bobbies."

    ...or "Buggy Bugging Backfires: British Bobbies Buggered"

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  8. How would the German police respond? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe the German police would say something like:

    "Das cellphones ist nicht usen fur trakken das badfolken. Das policen ist nicht snoopen das folken a la 3rd Reich. Relaxen und watchen das bills increasen. And Kwitchurbelliaken."

  9. Re:Oops! by HedRat · · Score: 4, Funny

    Funny Germans.

    Indeed. My wife is half German and half Mexican. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I never realized how quickly I'd get tired of sauerkraut tacos.

  10. But don't worry... by Puk · · Score: 5, Funny

    The US government/law enforcement/intelligence agencies would never use their powers to spy on people. Aren't you a PATRIOT?

    -Puk