Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Tracking Down a Cell Phone Thief

Posted by Zonk on from the not-a-good-move dept.

Zone-MR writes "Last Saturday, MoDaCo (the world's largest smartphone community) held a get-together for their forum members. Unfortunately the positive community spirit was soured by an individual who decided to steal one of the charity raffle prizes - a C550 mobile phone. Check out the story of how we tracked the thief down, got the phone back, and secured the thief's place in the interweb's hall-of-shame."

8 of 254 comments (clear)

  1. Perfect Example by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    That story is a perfect example of stuff that matters. These Slashdot editors have it pinned down.

    Of course everyone wants to know how some guy in England tracked down a thief!

  2. Um... by Ecko7889 · · Score: -1, Troll

    The article seems well...interesting...to people who care....

    I guess I don't find it interesting...

    It's just that....I was expecting to hear a cool detective story about how everyone whips out massive Windows (r) Smartphones...and then the thief gets away by the skin of his BSOD

    --
    $sig$
  3. Re:But... never steal a camera phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    what a dumb nigger (is there any other kind?)!

  4. Set a Thief To Catch a Thief by Doc+Ruby · · Score: -1, Troll

    So this thief forced the issue over at the SMI-unlocker's backup repository: they keep a copy of your personal info handy. All it takes is a call from a usergroup president, or some other event that convinces the unlocker's CEO (or tech, or intern...) that it's OK to riffle through that personal info, and they're off. Then they do a little decryption of the personal info, and they can see whatever they want.

    I applaud their catching the thief - the thief is a scumbag, and a fool to steal from a group of passionate experts. In person, I'm enthusiastic about chasing down a thief, and beating the crap out of them until the cops come. But even though that's an overreaction (that I stand by), it still damages only the thief (as long as we got the right guy...). This invasion of privacy violated hundreds or thousands of people who did nothing to earn it. They possibly didn't even realize that their personal info was being "backed up" at the server.

    Some might say that they'd never know their privacy was invaded, and no damage was done. But I'm not talking about the damage or further loss. Their actual privacy was invaded. It's not OK to put your hand in my pocket and feel around, even if you don't take my wallet, even if I don't notice. This event has done us at least two services: one, caught a sleazy thief. Another, revealed that the trust people place in the unlocker is misplaced indeed.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  5. Violated the thief's freedoms by Drew+Curtis · · Score: -1, Troll

    This is no different from people tracking you down for dissenting against the Government, and yet you Slashdotters applaud this? You aren't pro-Freedom at all.

    1. Re:Violated the thief's freedoms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      Whilst I think what these guys have done is fantastic, you make an interesting point about the double standards. +1 Underated from me.

  6. Re:text of the article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Your use of that word in that way shows that have no respect for women. I feel sorry for the women in your life, you probably have some of them fooled.

  7. free gift certificate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    http://eriksonlinestore.com/swarm/ - go there for a free gift certificate on http://eriksonlinestore.com/ A 300 value....