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Prison Inmate Emails His Own Release Instructions To the Prison

Posted by Soulskill on from the just-crazy-enough-to-work dept.

Bruce66423 writes: A fraudster used a mobile phone while inside a UK prison to email the prison a notice for him to be released. The prison staff then released him. The domain was registered in the name of the police officer investigating him, and its address was the court building. The inmate was in prison for fraud — he was originally convicted after calling several banks and getting them to send him upwards of £1.8 million.

122 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds like Prime Minister material by smittyoneeach · · Score: 5, Funny

    Amiright?

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  2. This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by americanpossum · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sounds like this guy is more clever than most of the constables and prison officials in the article. Perhaps MI5 should hire him for penetration testing instead of putting him in jail!

    1. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by present_arms · · Score: 2

      Sounds like this guy is more clever than most of the constables and prison officials in the article. Perhaps MI5 should hire him for penetration testing instead of putting him in jail!

      That's the rest of the population then. Disclaimer, I am a Brit.

      --
      http://chimpbox.us
    2. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by dotancohen · · Score: 5, Funny

      Perhaps MI5 should hire him for penetration testing instead of putting him in jail!

      I think that having inmates penetration test each other is common only in American jails.

      --
      It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
    3. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by pushing-robot · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dotan, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    4. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by hey! · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Well, in the end you have to ask "did he get away with it?". Or, given that he turned himself in later, "did he have some purpose in escaping that he fulfilled?"

      Intelligence is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. It includes things like thinking through unintended consequences before acting that quite clever people are sometimes bad at.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    5. Re: This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by Barny · · Score: 4, Funny

      You ever seen a grown man naked?

      --
      ...
      /me sighs
    6. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by JoeCommodore · · Score: 1

      Ive heard of this before...

      http://www.bing.com/videos/wat...

      --
      "Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
    7. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by rs79 · · Score: 2

      You don't hear about the ones that get away with it, they tend to report crimes they solve.

      That's crimes you know about, some just aren't reported - ask any cop about babies in dumpsters and why these never show up in newspapers.

      --
      Need Mercedes parts ?
    8. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by dotancohen · · Score: 1

      I've been to a Turkish spa. I think you're right, I've seen all I needed to see in the spa.

      --
      It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
    9. Re: This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 2

      At least a few of us caught the quote.

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    10. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by Mashiki · · Score: 2

      That's easy, because the media doesn't report it. If however, you head down to your local police department/service, you can request a crime log for the week, some places even have daily reports you can pick up. Which lists all arrested offenses, and minor calls(vandalism, theft under, non-violent domestics, etc) out. In many cases these are published to the media every day, and they decide what they're going to tell the public.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    11. Re: This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by elgatozorbas · · Score: 1
      Have you ever been in a cockpit before?

      On a side note: security was a lot more relaxed those days...

    12. Re: This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by maseo126 · · Score: 1

      #str8baller

    13. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Do you have a link the rest of the world can enjoy?

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    14. Re:This Guy's Talents Should be Put to Good Use by JakeBurn · · Score: 1

      We have a local paper that's free and has a list of reported crimes in the last 24 hours for the neighborhoods the paper covers. Pretty scary sometimes when you realize how many of your neighbors are victims/criminals on a daily basis.

  3. He's good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    He won his freedoms and deserves them. Not to mention that defrauding banksters isn't the crime it is made out to be. Godspeed to the guy, let's hope he gets to spend his hard-stolen $1.8mil.

    1. Re:He's good. by GoddersUK · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Not to mention that defrauding banksters isn't the crime it is made out to be

      Actually, even if you've managed to delude yourself into thinking that it's OK to steal from people you don't like, defrauding bankers hurts us all here. Here's why: 1) It costs the bank's customers through higher credit interest and lower debit interested 2) If the bank fails customers are likely to lose out (although most individual customers will have their deposits guaranteed by the state) 3) The state guarantees deposits of individual customers (up to a certain limit) so, if the state has to bail out those customers, we all pay.

    2. Re:He's good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      a) he's not stealing from people, but from criminal organizations; b) you people with bank accounts are only hurt because you allowed the banksters to latch themselves onto you in ways that hurt you whether they win or lose, so it is your fail, not his.

    3. Re:He's good. by electrosoccertux · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not to mention that defrauding banksters isn't the crime it is made out to be

      Actually, even if you've managed to delude yourself into thinking that it's OK to steal from people you don't like, defrauding bankers hurts us all here. Here's why: 1) It costs the bank's customers through higher credit interest and lower debit interested 2) If the bank fails customers are likely to lose out (although most individual customers will have their deposits guaranteed by the state) 3) The state guarantees deposits of individual customers (up to a certain limit) so, if the state has to bail out those customers, we all pay.

      banks don't fail over $1.8m if they weren't going to fail already.

      The banks can't just raise rates to make up for it, either, then customers will go elsewhere. If anything this just encourages banks to operate with more efficiency.

    4. Re:He's good. by Shimbo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This thread is all kind of moot, since the victims weren't banks anyway. He defrauded companies by claiming to from a bank.

    5. Re:He's good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Well, that's what happens when you trust banksters. The bad karma gets you even if they don't.

    6. Re:He's good. by Bomarc · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "he was originally convicted after calling several banks and getting them to send him upwards of £1.8 million."

      I want to know what you say to a bank to get them to release that kind (quantity) of money!

    7. Re:He's good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Incidentally, banks are for poor people.

      Of course, that must be why they pay me under 2% on my savings but expect over 10% on loans.

    8. Re:He's good. by timmyf2371 · · Score: 3, Informative

      That's precisely his point. If you were a rich person, you would have access to investment vehicles with a larger return than 2%, and access to credit lines at lower rates.

      --

      Backup not found: (A)bort (R)etry (P)anic
    9. Re:He's good. by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 2

      stuff like "hi, my name's romney." or "hi, my name is bush." or any other super rich person.

      they really are different from the rest of us little people.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    10. Re:He's good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That's precisely his point. If you were a rich person, you would have access to investment vehicles with a larger return than 2%, and access to credit lines at lower rates.

      There might be a correlation, the question is which way around it works. With access to higher gains and lower rates its easier to become rich in the first place...

    11. Re: He's good. by BlackHeron717 · · Score: 1, Informative

      You are so wrong it hurts. 1) interest rates are set by LIBOR and have already been proven to be chosen arbitrarily by bankers. 2) Banks are too big to fail, yes even in the UK, there is no chance of failure. 3) the country has access to fiat currency printing, meaning they will print as much as they need to cover any loss to insured deposits, also tieing into point number one, that interest rates are arbitrary in relation to actual banking.

    12. Re: He's good. by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      the country has access to fiat currency printing, meaning they will print as much as they need to cover any loss to insured deposits

      ... which will boost inflation and reduce the value of everyone's money.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    13. Re:He's good. by Sarten-X · · Score: 4, Informative

      Having worked in finance, I can assure you that pretty much everyone* has access to investment vehicles with a larger return than 2%. The problem is that those investments are significantly more risky than a bank, and losing the investment is unlikely to be catastrophic to someone with a large supply of other diversified assets, but it could be catastrophic to someone with only a weekly paycheck to fall back on.

      The solution to that problem is to properly diversify your investments for safety. An investment adviser can help with that, but they'll charge a fee for their work, and many people feel (accurately or not) they can't afford that service. There are books and other resources to assist someone in wisely choosing their own investments, but that requires ambition, effort, and the admission that one is not naturally a financial expert. That last part seems to be the most difficult to come by.

      * American, not already in excessive debt, with a stable income... some disclaimers apply, but the vast majority of the American population qualifies, not just those who fall under the "rich" label.

      --
      You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
    14. Re:He's good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The attitude that financial institutions deserve to be ripped off is troubling. Every industry has bad players, but most institutions provide very necessary services to their customers. I work for a small local credit union. It is amazing how many people who stop paying their debts have the attitude that we can just write off the loss and there is no harm done. Unfortunately the losses caused by members who don't pay their debts are passed on to the other members in the form of higher interest rates and higher fees.

    15. Re:He's good. by dala1 · · Score: 1

      The banks have insurance for this.

    16. Re:He's good. by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      Interesting that you'd pick those names. A quick google for wealth of US Presidents (adjusted for inflation), puts Bush at 15 (the elder) or 17 (the younger).

      And this is as opposed to, say, John Kennedy (1), Lyndon Johnson (7), FDR (9), Clinton (10), who all have that peculiar D after their name.

      And note that Obama is #21. Hardly poor by any definition of the term....

      Note that I ignored the rest of the top 10 because they served far enough back that the Party they were part of had no real similarities to the current version of the Parties of the same name (once upon a time, the Republicans were the anti-slavery Party, not the Democrats, for instance).

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    17. Re:He's good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So if you worked at a bank and got a call from someone claiming to be JFK, LBJ or FDR, you're thinking "this isn't a scam, he's really rich!"
      I'll have to warn my bank not to hire you.

    18. Re: He's good. by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ... which will boost inflation and reduce the value of everyone's money.

      which will boost inflation and reduce the value of everyone's money so little that you wouldn't even notice. FTFY. Rich people might have enough money affected that it might be a minor inconvenience to them, which is why they, their news organizations, and their useful idiots in politics think this needs to be such a worry for all of us.

      --
      That is all.
    19. Re: He's good. by BlueTrin · · Score: 1

      LIBOR is set by the LIBOR panel. The central bank is actually deciding of the central bank rate and this is not directly influenced by LIBOR. Banks will set the spread to charge you. What you said above in point 1) is quite wrong. As someone else pointed out, during the crisis the banks were manipulating LIBOR down not up. I think you should get a bit more information before to talk about stuff you do not understand.

      --
      Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
    20. Re: He's good. by BlueTrin · · Score: 1

      So what's your point ? Are you saying it is okay ? You are really weird and amoral.

      --
      Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
    21. Re: He's good. by BlackHeron717 · · Score: 1

      In a fiat currency system no ones money is worth anything, there is nothing backing it.

    22. Re:He's good. by sjames · · Score: 1

      There may exist a theoretical construct that is necessary and isn't itself criminal but I am not convinced that we have an actual example of such at this time.

      Bank fraud is not a desirable thing but at the end of the day it's just crooks stealing from crooks currently.

    23. Re: He's good. by BlackHeron717 · · Score: 1

      You are trying to prove me wrong with incorrect information. Well done troll.

    24. Re:He's good. by sjames · · Score: 2

      Poor people can't even open a bank account anymore.

    25. Re: He's good. by sjames · · Score: 2

      You mean it will reduce the value of everyone's debt.

    26. Re:He's good. by HiThere · · Score: 2

      You can tell me that, but I have noticed that as soon as a particular good investment becomes available to those not "well connected", it stops being a decent investment. E.g., CDs and Treasury bond consistently produce less than the rate of inflation. Back when they were only available to a few they produced quite good rates of return. (And actually, for a few years after they were opened up they still beat inflation...but not for long.)

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    27. Re:He's good. by Serge_Tomiko · · Score: 1

      Banks don't lend deposits. Loans create deposits. You really don't understand banking at all. Start here.

      https://www.youtube.com/playli...

    28. Re:He's good. by Grishnakh · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't think he's calling all banks everywhere evil, he's really talking about the big banks. They are evil: they wrecked the economy, then got paid for it with taxpayer dollars.

      There are other banks that aren't so bad, but they're usually much smaller, confined to one state or local area usually. Credit unions are also usually pretty good.

      But banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and worst of all HSBC are evil through-and-through.

      As for regulation, that'd be nice, wouldn't it? Too bad we can't have that.

    29. Re: He's good. by dala1 · · Score: 1

      I was responding specifically to OP's claim that either the state or the customers would foot the bill. Not sure where it is you think I made a moral judgement.

    30. Re: He's good. by BlueTrin · · Score: 1

      Ah I see what you mean, it is still wrong but in a different way ... You have to pay for insurance premium, if frauds increases the premium is higher. On pure expectations the premiums of insurance are higher than if you were bearing the cost, the insurance offsets risks by pooling risk together and charging a small premium.

      --
      Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
    31. Re: He's good. by dala1 · · Score: 1

      Sure, there's insurance premiums. But those would be there regardless, and as you say, they will only go up if fraud in general trends higher. The impact of this particular case is negligible.

    32. Re: He's good. by BlueTrin · · Score: 2

      Read and educate yourself, you are the one without facts here.

      About why Barclays was pushing the submissions lower:

      At the onset of the financial crisis in September 2007 with the collapse of Northern Rock, liquidity concerns drew public scrutiny towards Libor. Barclays manipulated Libor submissions to give a healthier picture of the bank's credit quality and its ability to raise funds. A lower submission would deflect concerns it had problems borrowing cash from the markets.

      Source

      About what index is used for variable mortgages (*hint* it is not LIBOR):

      What is a Standard Variable Rate?

      A Standard Variable Rate is (rather obviously) a type of variable rate – this means your payments can go up or down according to movements in interest rates. Unlike a tracker, a Standard Variable Rate (or SVR) does not track above the Bank of England Base Rate at a set percentage.

      What is the Bank of England Rate

      Changes are recommended by the Monetary Policy Committee and enacted by the Governor.

      Link

      The comment I replied to is just a random mix of poorly used facts to bash against banking without understanding and jumping from imprecise facts to incorrect conclusions.

      --
      Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
    33. Re:He's good. by Troed · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I can assure you that pretty much everyone* has access to investment vehicles with a larger return than 2%.

      By definition it's not possible for everyone to be able to beat inflation.

      Having worked in finance

      Understandable. Daniel Kahneman has some amusing anecdotes who people who work in finance really don't seem to figure out what it is they're really doing.

       

      --
      it's in my head
    34. Re: He's good. by BlueTrin · · Score: 1

      It is negligible because it is spread across a large number of people, the argument still stands that you pay for fraudsters.

      --
      Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
    35. Re: He's good. by Cederic · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Oh look, a broken record.

      Tell me, if my fiat currency isn't worth anything, how come I'm able to use it to acquire land, a house on that land, the contents of that house and a nice car that lets me travel to and from it?

      Might not have value to you, but it's been pretty fucking useful to me.

    36. Re:He's good. by Cederic · · Score: 1

      You don't understand modern finance. That website is full of shit.

      If I credit your account with $10k as a loan, I'm not creating $10k I'm transferring $10k of my assets to you.

      No money creation going on. Now shut the fuck up until you've learned basic double-entry bookkeeping.

    37. Re:He's good. by Cederic · · Score: 1

      You really don't understand banking at all.

      Neither, it would appear, do you.

      I can't open a bank and magically create money to deposit into your account in the form of a loan. That money must come from somewhere - and does come from somewhere.

      Shit, have you even heard of capital adequacy, and the regulations mandating it?

    38. Re:He's good. by SuricouRaven · · Score: 2

      Not quite. There's a little trick, fractional reserve. The bank loans you $10k, you put it in the bank, they immediately loan $9500 of that to someone else, who puts it in the bank... Effectively the amount of currency in circulation can be vastly greater than the amount of currency that actually exists. Debt itsself becomes currency.

      The big down-side to this is that it becomes possible, in theory, for the bank to run out of money and hundreds of thousands of people to lose everything they have through no fault of their own. But this is a very unlikely event - it shouldn't be even remotely possible unless the economy is pretty much ruined anyway. Besides, if it did, the government would have no choice but to bail the bank out.

    39. Re:He's good. by Cederic · · Score: 1

      Debt itsself becomes currency.

      But that's the point. They haven't created money, they're recognising the value of the asset.

    40. Re:He's good. by Sarten-X · · Score: 1

      By definition it's not possible for everyone to be able to beat inflation.

      Only for very wide definitions of "everyone", including VC investment, R&D, government subsidies, international trade, and every other economic influence, many of which are high-risk investments that effectively dump most of their money into lower-risk investment vehicles.

      I'm not suggesting that if everyone invested in a widely-diversified portfolio, they'd be rich. That's ridiculous, since that's exactly what banks do with their abysmally low-return (but very safe) accounts.

      I'm saying that if someone wants to invest and have a good chance of a good return rate, they have access to such things.

      Understandable. Daniel Kahneman has some amusing anecdotes who people who work in finance really don't seem to figure out what it is they're really doing.

      Well, that's nice, but beyond a thinly-veiled insult, do you have a point?

      --
      You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
    41. Re:He's good. by linuxrocks123 · · Score: 1

      (once upon a time, the Republicans were the anti-slavery Party, not the Democrats, for instance)

      Both major parties in the US are anti-slavery today, as well as most minor parties.

      --
      vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.
    42. Re:He's good. by Troed · · Score: 1

      Yes. My point is that for someone to beat inflation someone else mustn't.

      It's that simple.

      --
      it's in my head
    43. Re:He's good. by Cthulhu's+Physicist · · Score: 1

      "Understandable. Daniel Kahneman has some amusing anecdotes who people who work in finance really don't seem to figure out what it is they're really doing."

      Daniel Kahneman is highly suspect, he's friends with Nassim Taleb https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    44. Re:He's good. by Troed · · Score: 1

      Sounds reasonable. No one who's understood the message in either Taleb's "Black Swan" or Kahneman's "Thinking Fast and Slow" would support the scam that is the financial markets.

      --
      it's in my head
    45. Re:He's good. by bingoUV · · Score: 2

      No, it is not only not that simple, but it is plain wrong. Productivity improvements using, say, technology, can help a vast majority of people beat inflation, sometimes even everyone.

      For someone to get market beating returns, someone else mustn't. But don't conflate market beating with inflation.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    46. Re:He's good. by Troed · · Score: 1

      Thought experiment: Everyone beats inflation. That causes inflation.

      --
      it's in my head
    47. Re:He's good. by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      Beating inflation doesn't cause inflation.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    48. Re:He's good. by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      Not to mention that defrauding banksters isn't the crime it is made out to be

      Actually, even if you've managed to delude yourself into thinking that it's OK to steal from people you don't like, defrauding bankers hurts us all here.

      And that's ontop of the hurt from the bankers defrauding us all already. Fuck the banks. Their whole model is based on other peoples money. They use your money to make their money, don't share profits and pass losses onto you. Fuck the bankers, fuck them all.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
  4. Talented by Harry_Bawls · · Score: 1

    That man should be in politics.

  5. Did he roll out of the prison? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    With balls like this, he is probably unable to walk...

  6. He watched Idiocracy by nitehawk214 · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Hey, guys, let this dumbass out!"

    Every day it seems more like a documentary. At least this time it wasn't Americans being the complete idiots.

    --
    I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    1. Re:He watched Idiocracy by ebvwfbw · · Score: 1

      "Hey, guys, let this dumbass out!"

      Every day it seems more like a documentary. At least this time it wasn't Americans being the complete idiots.

      Coming soon. When Obama leaves I'm sure he'll empty the prisons again just like Bill did his last few days. I'm sure he'll release the worst of the worst. Just like he released 5 worst of the worst for a deserter. A guy we should hang, hang 'em high! At least 13 people died looking for him.

  7. It happens... by JonWan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The place I worked as a guard had this happen. We held inmates from a bunch of counties in several states. One of the PDs fax machine broke and they would go across the street to Kinkos and fax release orders on their letterhead. After a while they would just use paper without the letterhead. An inmates wife simply faxed an improvised release form and we sent her husband home. He got cought when he arrived because the PD had no release on file. Everything changed after that, a phone call was required with proper ID.

    1. Re:It happens... by TWX · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I had to go through jury selection a few months back for a capital case, going through three or four rounds of appearances and interviews. Part of what struck me about the experience is how incredibly poor the paperwork was. They gave us number cards when there were 250+ people to go through in my group, they were all handwritten even though the numbers corresponded with the computer-generated numbers we were assigned when the original mailing for service was sent. Forms and questionnaires looked like they were generated in Clarisworks by first-time users in elementary school. Nothing had letterhead, nothing had any sort of official feel.

      Your story about no letterhead and using fax machines is totally believable to me, and I'm amazed that it isn't abused more often.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    2. Re:It happens... by causality · · Score: 2

      And, as a guard, you never thought, well this is fucking stupid ??

      Have you ever tried to reason with a PHB? Especially when your argument, however correct and well-supported, doesn't come from someone who has that specific responsibility?

      --
      It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
    3. Re:It happens... by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

      Ya, because letterhead if a foolproof security measure.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    4. Re:It happens... by Etherwalk · · Score: 1

      I had to go through jury selection a few months back for a capital case, going through three or four rounds of appearances and interviews. Part of what struck me about the experience is how incredibly poor the paperwork was. They gave us number cards when there were 250+ people to go through in my group, they were all handwritten even though the numbers corresponded with the computer-generated numbers we were assigned when the original mailing for service was sent. Forms and questionnaires looked like they were generated in Clarisworks by first-time users in elementary school. Nothing had letterhead, nothing had any sort of official feel.

        Your story about no letterhead and using fax machines is totally believable to me, and I'm amazed that it isn't abused more often.

      Courts have no money for electronic upgrades, and when they have the money they have to fight a bureaucracy to get them. Seattle is still using DOS-based systems.

    5. Re:It happens... by RyoShin · · Score: 1

      I have a history of depression, and there's a common survey that medical offices use to get a rough feel for a person's depression and/or anxiety level. In fact, it is so common that in the four states I have filled out the survey, I'm pretty sure that every single one was a generational photocopy of the same document. In many cases it has a slight "right" lean and offset that is recognizable; in others there's a "blur" along the left side, as though it was copied with a stack of papers on top of it or from a book.

      The same thing happened in the military with "official" forms that were readily (and sloppily) photocopied.

      Not that a letterhead should be what makes something legitimate, but when I'm paying a few hundred for a 15 minute visitation it would be nice if the photocopies looked decent...

  8. What!?!? by nbob221 · · Score: 1

    How could he even do that?

    1. Re:What!?!? by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

      Easy, he used a British accent. We always believe anything someone says if they have a British accent. The hard part was getting that accent into the email.

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    2. Re:What!?!? by dave420 · · Score: 1

      That's why we use lots of Us and spell things without Zs. It's all part of the ploy. I've said too much.

  9. Re:somebody get this man a job. by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    he's obviously talented

    He's obviously stupid! Otherwise, he would have cut and run after getting the initial 1.8 million pounds.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  10. A for Effort by JimSadler · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I know the actions were criminal but I sort of admire the guy. It makes me wonder about human nature and it did take a lot of talent to do what he did. Somebody will make a movie out of this and we will hear from this guy again. With his talents he just has to keep on doing this stuff.

    1. Re:A for Effort by argee · · Score: 1

      Is Leonardo DiCaprio going to have the leading role ?

  11. Re:He should run for political office by Xenx · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why? Because he'd know how to use email?

  12. You are wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Some people who run banks have committed crimes and gotten away with them. That does not make banks "criminal organizations," equivalent to drug mafias. Also, stealing from a bank has harmful consequences to plenty of innocent people which stealing from a drug cartel does not.

    Your rationalization of "well if you get hurt when I steal from them that is your fault and I am innocent" only applies to actual criminal organizations, not to ones that you have personally decided to label "criminal" even though they are not.

    What you propose is both illegal and morally wrong, and you can't weasel out of that with your bullshit semantic game.

    1. Re:You are wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
      On the contrary, it is the bank institutions that are the problem, not the individuals that work for them.

      Why is a mobster a mobster? Because she believes she is above and beyond the law, by using either violence or criminally obtained money as a lever of influence. How is a bankster like a mobster? Well, she uses other people's money as a lever of influence.

      How is a bankster worse than a mobster? Well, she has managed to manipulate the system on such a broad scale, that her usage of other people's money as a lever of influence is now legal and, in the perceptions of the sore losers like yourself, moral. Not only that, she has shifted practically all responsibility from herself and her organization onto those same losers, that is, you.

      Keep telling me how this is highly moral and peachy ;)

    2. Re:You are wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Its the 99% of bad banks that give the other 1% a bad reputation.

    3. Re:You are wrong by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 2

      Keep telling me how this is highly moral and peachy ;)

      Well, moral I don't know about, but it seems just peachy for the bankers, doesn't it?

      --
      That is all.
    4. Re:You are wrong by Grishnakh · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      That does not make banks "criminal organizations," equivalent to drug mafias.

      Complete bullshit; this is a lie.

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

      HSBC has been laundering money for drug cartels for quite a while now, and nothing's been done about it, and no one is prosecuting them. Money laundering IS a crime, so this by definition makes this bank a criminal organization.

      You are a liar.

    5. Re:You are wrong by man+bear+nerd · · Score: 2

      how is convincing banks to send u money stealing the bank managers should go to prison for being as thick as clotted cream, that's been left out by some clot, and now the clots are so clotted, you couldn't unclot them with an electric de-clotter,

    6. Re:You are wrong by linuxrocks123 · · Score: 1

      Why is a mobster a mobster? Because she believes she is above and beyond the law...

      Dude, not all mobsters are female. Use "he" or (cringe) "they".

      --
      vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.
    7. Re:You are wrong by linuxrocks123 · · Score: 2

      I'm sure most women wouldn't object to not being called mobsters, but if you're really concerned about it, use they and get the number agreement wrong. Using "she" is just distracting.

      Also, it's not sexist. Defaulting to one gender, usually male, is how most languages deal with the issue. It's just understood that the gender is indeterminate. For instance, Spanish uses "ellos" for a group of mixed gender people, while "ellas" is referred to a group of only women. No one gets confused by this.

      --
      vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.
    8. Re:You are wrong by linuxrocks123 · · Score: 2

      lol. Why bother avoiding accusations of sexism? You're an anonymous coward on Slashdot. What are you afraid they're going to do to you?

      Anyway, the right way to treat people who are too easily offended is to brush them off, not acquiesce to their neurosis. If enough people call them on their bullshit, they'll grow a thicker skin and stop being so easily offended, and that's better for everyone in the long run.

      --
      vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.
    9. Re:You are wrong by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      I'm not calling women mobsters, I'm leveling the pronoun usage playing field, while working hard to avoid any accusations of sexism.

      Well then you shouldn't have picked a sex and just gone with they.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
  13. Kicking themselves by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 4, Funny

    I bet those guys in Quebec are kicking themselves. Here they went to all of the trouble to get a helicopter to break them out of jail and all they had to do is send an email!

  14. Don't jump to conclusions so fast by bussdriver · · Score: 1

    You only know because they caught the man; in the USA the guy would still be free and nobody would be the wiser.

    If somebody noticed anything fishy the usual lazy excuse of "It's not my job" would prevent actions from being taken; unless, you can be fired or sued few people here lift a finger.... and if you do take selfless initiative you are equally at risk of being fired or sued.

    --
    Democracy Now! - uncensored, anti-establishment news
    1. Re:Don't jump to conclusions so fast by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      "You only know because they caught the man;"

      It came out because his lawyers came to see him unannounced.
      Perhaps he would have been back from his 'mission' undetected otherwise, with a similar trick.

  15. Free by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2

    "I should have known when the instructions told me to give him £50 out of my wallet, too."

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  16. I heard he called slashdot... by Ecuador · · Score: 1, Funny

    and convinced them to drop the Beta. This guy is good.

    --
    Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
  17. No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A mobster is not a mobster for believing she is above the law. A mobster is a mobster for running a mob, which is an organization that breaks the law (and uses violence) as a routine part of their business. Banks do not do this...their routine business is perfectly legal. Therefore banks are not mobs, and those who run banks are not mobsters.

    One who believes one's self to be above the law, but still acts within the law's boundaries, is neither a mobster nor a criminal.
    One who does break the law is a criminal, but that does not automatically make that person's business criminal. The business itself is criminal only when its routine operations are criminal...not when individual employees independently break the law.

    Of course, the laws may be bad laws. And the special exemptions given to banks and the wealthy people who run them might be evil and harmful. But that doesn't make them criminal. If you don't like the laws, you should do what you can to change them.

    And it is ok for you to refuse to participate as much as you can. But once you start breaking the law yourself, you are walking on a very fine line. Breaking a truly unjust law is noble, but breaking a maybe-unjust-maybe-not law, and harming innocent people by doing it, is not noble.

    1. Re: No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The poor banksters. Everyone abuses them. Politicians step on them to get elected.

      I don't know what to do to help them! Here, take my money. And don't cry, a better day will come, for sure...

      I know what I'll do. I'll enter Politics and help the poor banksters with special laws. But how? It's expensive to get elected. What, banksters? You have money? Lots of it? Yay, I'm gonna be elected!

    2. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Umm... forcing people out of their homes is violence. Even when it is done by the police.
      Who arranges the garnishments and seizure of wages?
      So who instigated that violence?

      The banks/credit companies...

      A mob by any other name is still a mob...

      The only difference is the amount of paperwork involved, and how many people approve of it.

  18. Remember 'Catch me if you can?' by Bruce66423 · · Score: 1

    In that case the FBI did have the imagination to hire the perp. One can only hope someone in the UK's security services does have a similar attitude - though he does deserve a few months inside to discourage him from a repeat.

    1. Re:Remember 'Catch me if you can?' by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 5, Funny

      You don't think Charles will make a good Queen?

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    2. Re:Remember 'Catch me if you can?' by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      You don't think Charles will make a good Queen?

      For about the 3 years he'll be in the job before popping his own clogs. Then we get Billiam as queen and he will be a shit queen..

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
  19. so? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You think that makes it okay? Insurance is expensive because of criminals like this, he stole from everyone.

    1. Re:so? by dala1 · · Score: 1

      Not sure where it is you think I made a moral judgement. I was responding specifically to OP's claim that either the state or the customers would foot the bill.

    2. Re:so? by linuxrocks123 · · Score: 2

      Yes, and the customers or state would still foot the bill, because the insurance premium raises the cost of doing business for all banks, making the interest rate spread offered to customers higher and a bank in trouble more likely to fail, due to the increased difficulty of making profits when the cost of business is higher.

      Stealing from someone where insurance will cover it just means you're stealing from a lot of people instead of just one.

      --
      vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.
  20. Re:I think I'm in the wrong line... by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 1

    I'm supposed to be getting OUT of prison... that guy sat on my face and everything..

    You're in the wrong line dumb ass.

  21. Re:Broken system by rubycodez · · Score: 1

    You mean like traditional signed release orders written on paper? No chance of forgery there...

  22. Year old story by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

    IDK why BBC are reporting this now, it happened a year ago, summary also doesn't mention that he handed himself back in within a week of escaping.

    --
    Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
    1. Re:Year old story by Bruce66423 · · Score: 2

      My guess is because it's just emerged in court probably at his trial. The article states he will be sentenced on 20th April, implying that the pre-sentence reports are now being prepared. Before now the prison service probably kept it quiet; and hopefully will have improved their procedures by now.

  23. victim shaming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    > "The solution to that problem is to properly diversify your investments for safety. [...] There are books and other resources to assist someone in wisely choosing their own investments, but that requires ambition, effort, and the admission that one is not naturally a financial expert. "

    So somebody who does not have enough spare income for a whole portfolio of investments lacks ambition? Or does he merely lack effort? or is it the third reason, his arrogant pride?

    1. Re:victim shaming by Sarten-X · · Score: 2

      Let's assume that someone without "enough spare income for a whole portfolio" has the desire to invest, and the ambition and effort to do their own research. They'll find a whole class of funds and brokers that will pool several clients' investments into a single security purchase, and those brokers will often accept even a few dozen dollars' investment at a time. Most will also diversify investments appropriately, as well, as a part of their normal business.

      Several investment vehicles have purchase minimums. The investment manager doesn't want to deal with the expense of managing accounts for thousands of small-scale clients. However, they'll often happily deal with a single broker purchasing on behalf of his own clients, as long as that broker manages all the busy work of distributing returns appropriately.

      The brokers will take their cut from the returns, but it's still usually higher than a bank's low-risk-and-low-reward savings account.

      --
      You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
  24. Bad. Ass? by adosch · · Score: 1

    'Nuff said. Social Engineering FTW.

  25. An Inspector Morse fan? by Archtech · · Score: 1

    Sounds like an imitation of the Inspector Morse episode "Masonic Mysteries", in which a criminal whom Morse has had imprisoned pulls a similar trick. And then the fun begins!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt06...

    --
    I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.
  26. Sounds like by FrozenGeek · · Score: 1

    a process problem: either the process sucks or the prison staff are not following process.
    Release notices by email? By email from an unofficial email address? By unencrypted, undigitally-signed email from an unofficial email address?

    --
    linquendum tondere
  27. Hire him! by gadget+junkie · · Score: 1

    Jeez, that' s talent, reminds me of the Italian forgerer who placed a 300 EUR bank note. But that was a bet, I reckon.

    " my EURO bank notes are better than the official version!"
    "so prove it, you clod!"

    --
    "If a boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty." (John Boyd, 1927-1997)
  28. Re: You know nothing. by EdwardFurlong · · Score: 1

    What gives 15%?

  29. "One cross each" by Pro-feet · · Score: 1

    Coordinator: Crucifixion?
    Mr. Cheeky: Er, no, freedom actually.
    Coordinator: What?
    Mr. Cheeky: Yeah, they said I hadn't done anything and I could go and live on an island somewhere.
    Coordinator: Oh I say, that's very nice. Well, off you go then.
    Mr. Cheeky: No, I'm just pulling your leg, it's crucifixion really.
    Coordinator: [laughing] Oh yes, very good. Well...
    Mr. Cheeky: Yes I know, out of the door, one cross each, line on the left.

  30. Re: You know nothing. by EdwardFurlong · · Score: 1

    Past performance does not mean it will always get that high of a return. In the long run mutual funds almost never beat the market. Especially once you add in the fees.

  31. If he was really good,.. by herbierobinson · · Score: 1

    why did charge him with escape from custody? I.e., They must have been able to prove that he sent the e-mail.

    --
    An engineer who ran for Congress. http://herbrobinson.us
  32. Movie plot? by ebvwfbw · · Score: 1

    Seems to me they did this back in the 1970s in a movie. Don't remember which one. Used a letter in that case.

    Silly prison system. They should use encryption and such. Just rot13 the note. No criminal would think of that. heh.

  33. HSBC by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    http://www.businessinsider.com...

    Heck they don't even follow what little regulation that does exist. The fines look large, but when compared to profits, the term "cost of doing business" comes to mind...