Robbed

[hypernova]

Yeah...the literal sense of the word.

Came home from work today, noticed the closet door open.  Thought nothing of it.  Maybe wife got something out before leaving for work herself.  Then noticed the basement gate was broken ever-so-slightly in the wrong direction.  OK, maybe she came up the stairs, and stumbled forward a tad.  Then the revelation of one of the shittiest kinds starts to hit me.

I look left.

Wii.  Gone, along with 4 remotes, classic controller and Smash Brawl inside.  Lots of downloads too.  I've calculated $576 worth.  Good thing didn't have WiiFit or Mario Kart yet.
PS2.  Gone, along with a controller, and codebreaker disc inside.  It was a modded PS2 as well.  I was about 30 hours in on FFXII currently.
Sony DVD/VCR player.  Gone.  Meh, not so bad, as I've got no time invested in this.
Toshiba Laptop.  Gone.  Nothing sensitive, except a few downloaded movies, five reasonably hidden pr0n movies, along with about 10 other movies from torrents.
Maybe $50 worth of change from a coin bank.  Another $42 from daughter's piggy bank.
Wife's jewelry.  Jokes on them here.  It ain't worth much.  She's not a jewerly woman.
They rummaged through the chest with personal info.  Not sure what, if anything they got here.  We'll have to play it safe.

It's weird though.  All these things they took.  When they took the game systems, look left, and there's a good 25 games untouched.  They'd have found a PSP, had they looked.  Not only that, but FFXII was sitting ON TOP of the PS2, and they didn't take it, which furthur added to the confusion.  Neither TV was taken, I'm writing from my desktop, which they left as well.  On top of the desktop hutch is an HD camcorder in it's carry bag, a digital camera.

Right now, I'm just pissed that someone's got my stuff.  But the feeling that someone was in here walking around is starting to sink in, and it's really pissing me off now.

They came in the back basement sliding door.  Looks like it was pried open.  (We've now laid a stick down there to prevent it from sliding now.)

Went around with 20 copies of a letter to neighbors (we live out in the semi-country.)  Houses maybe no more than a few hundred feet apart each.  Heard many stories about people being home when someone, on foot, came in.  Two were chased off by large dogs.  One had a former foster child who didn't turn out so well and robbed the foster parents, and is awaiting charges or something.  Been a rash of break-ins a few miles away.

In what I thought was a quaint, quiet street in a serene neighborhood doesn't seem that way anymore.

They didn't touch my 'cade.  Probably a tad too big for 'em.

Any suggestions for watching Craig's List.  I can watch ebay myself, but I'm not familiar with CL.  Can anyone help and watch it for me?  I figure watch for these items within a particular zip code.

I'm so sad and angry.

[Daniel270]

Sorry to hear you've been hit... not fun when stuff comes up missing.

Hope you had insurance...

[SirPeale]

I'm really sorry to hear this. 

I had my eyes opened to how easy it can be when I caught a few episodes of that TV show "It Takes A Thief".  Likely the thieves were in and out quickly, so rifling thru your stuff wasn't a priority.

I'd advise stepping up your security quite a bit.  It can't help the way you're feeling now, but hopefully it will help from happening again.

[Cakemeister]

Make sure you file a police report. Maybe the Wii will show up somewhere and they'll be stupid enough not to erase your Miis. Even then, there's probably some identifying information on it somewhere to prove it's yours.

Definitely watch craiglist and Ebay. It might be difficult to watch pawn shops, there are so many, but it can't hurt to canvass ones near you.

[hypernova]

We had the boxes for the laptop, wii, and ps2.  I gave the serials for all three to the police.

My wife found something around 15 minutes ago.  Keys.  There's one I recognized the shape of immediately.  It was a forklift key.  So the guy's over 18.  Now I've got a question:

None of the keys looks like a regular car key.  There's one, maybe two that are close, but only one side of the key is jagged, instead of both like a normal vehicle key has.  Are there car keys/commercial vehicles that have just the single jagged side?

[Ginsu Victim]

Hypernova, if you still have your receipt for the Wii, the serial number is usually on them these days. That will help to identify yours.

(Edit: You pretty much just posted the same thing...)

[hypernova]

Here's a pic of the keys.

Is the one on the top right a car key?  It's long enough.  The one on the bottom left has a weird cutout, and has the word "Diamond" on one side, with a glimmering diamond on the other side at the head of the key.

By the way...think they got the balls to attempt to come back and get them?

[mccoy178]

That car key looks like a chrysler key.  I remember that type of key from my grandmothers car years ago.

[hypernova]

Quite a quick reply, mccoy.  With pictures, too.

So...

Where were you today between 8 and 5?   

[mccoy178]

Helping my grandma look for her keys.............................

[Daniel270]

Just did a search... found this pattern.


http://www.mysecuritypro.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=443


It's definitely a Chrysler key....

[shmokes]

Those keys have the perp's prints on them.  If he has a record, or even had to be fingerprinted for his forklift job, you've got him.  Take them into the police.  And for god's sake, quit getting your own prints all over them.

Additionally, you Nintendo basically has a built-in lo-jack, considering that it's got all your user account information basically hard-coded to the system.  I don't know if Nintendo helps out with this sort of thing, but they certainly have the capability of giving you an IP address when the Wii goes online.  Once the cops have the IP address they've got enough for a warrant to get a physically location from the ISP.

[SteveJ34]

Bum deal no doubt.....I have been in similar situation more than once and thought responding combined with a little luck might help catch a thief.

Based upon the items taken and the items remaining untouched it was likely a snatch, grab, and run as it appears the items taken add up to what they were able to carry in hands, pockets, or backpacks.

My own experience several years back with very similar items taken (though older consoles) turned out to be some teens in the neighborhood that my son had actually played ball with at the local park from time to time. He had been bragging it up on the court about the systems he had, etc and they used the information to steal from him.

He was actually home, upstairs asleep during the day when the actual theft occurred.

You indicate you live in the 'semi-country' but if you have Gamestop, Movie Trading Company, or similar establishments I would recommend paying them a visit and speaking with the managers along with a list of the console items that were taken particularly if you have serial numbers some other method of system identification.

We got lucky when we did this and the thieves showed up a day or two later 'pawning' the items to uptrade on a new console system at the time.

When the manager returned the following day and saw the items traded in the night before, he contacted me in addition to the police detective that had been assigned to the case. Based upon the fact that such trades require identity, we were able to track down the thieves.....the teens in my case being minors, used an older brother of one party to complete the transaction with Movie Trading Co.

Again, we got lucky and were dealing with stupid teen thieves out to make a quick buck....that did not travel very far to complete the 'pawn'. I live in Dallas/Fort Worth so there are a million places they could have chosen and never have been caught but they used the store closest to our neighborhood.

We ended up getting almost all items back and the little thugs were charged.

The detective on the case indicated our footwork no doubt was the reason for their being caught....I would add a lady luck was also on our side.

I realize the intrusion has much greater emotional impact than the actual loss of material items....take the necessary steps to protect your home and family.

Best of luck to you and yours in your recovery both financially and emotionally.

[ChadTower]

Those keys have the perp's prints on them.  If he has a record, or even had to be fingerprinted for his forklift job, you've got him.  Take them into the police.  And for god's sake, quit getting your own prints all over them.

They did, anyway, before hypernova started playing with them.  Prints on metal come off really easily as it doesn't absorb any oil. 

Question:  how did they drive away without their keys?

Dude, google on how to lock your credit.  They very likely stole enough paperwork to steal your identity and that is a billion times worse than anything else they took.  Lock the credit now.

[Ginsu Victim]

Could've stole someone's keys and left them behind to throw police off, but I doubt they were that smart.

[ChadTower]

Could've stole someone's keys and left them behind to throw police off, but I doubt they were that smart.

That would be pretty funny.   

[SirPeale]

Question:  how did they drive away without their keys?

They didn't.  THEY'RE STILL IN THE HOUSE!

Seriously though...I'd say it was more than one person, and one of them dropped their keys.

[ChadTower]

Question:  how did they drive away without their keys?

They didn't.  THEY'RE STILL IN THE HOUSE!

Seriously though...I'd say it was more than one person, and one of them dropped their keys.

Fire up the MAME cab.  Check the high scores.  Then figure out who you know with the initials DIK and COQ.

[shmokes]

If they drove out to the country to break into your house, no amount of beefed up locks is going to stop them in the future.  I take reasonable precautions, but I generally lock my doors only to keep them from blowing open.   

I think you are wrong here, actually.  Based on what they stole, these guys were kids, probably between 16-22 years old.  They were totally small-time.  And based on some of the inexplicable stuff they left behind, like the Final Fantasy game and their own set of keys, they were nervous, jittery and in a big hurry to get the hell away from there.

[ChadTower]

Why does FFXII indicate anything?  It's not new and it's not valuable.

[ChadTower]

Willing to break into a house but not willing to break a window?  C'mon.

Why break a window when a crowbar on the sliding door is just as fast and is quiet?  Odds are it was just some teens looking for meth money. 

[ChadTower]

Cause now he's got a stick preventing the sliding door from being pried open? 

So?  It's not like they're coming back.  Especially since one of them is bound to suspect he left his keys sitting there.

Maybe hypernova should drive around town and try the key on every old Chrysler he finds.  There can't be all that many old K cars floating around anymore.   

[shmokes]

Usable prints off a set of keys?  Stop watching so much CSI.

You're an idiot.

[hypernova]

Found out our small amount of prescription drugs are missing.  I had some percocets left too.  Those are awesome when something hurts really bad.  Comes in handy every few months.

If it's young adults, and they wanted the systems...they have to be selling them, because they took no games with them.  There were plenty of good games just feet away, so I'm going against my theory that they stole to keep them.

I'm guessing a backpack was used.  That's the only logical thing that wouldn't bust out from the weight of that amount of change ...or my laptop case.

Besides a pawn shop and ebay/cl, what else could you do with a password protected laptop.  (Assuming you don't have the ability to crack/format the HD to use it yourself.)

[SirPeale]

Why break a window when a crowbar on the sliding door is just as fast and is quiet? 

Cause now he's got a stick preventing the sliding door from being pried open? 

One one of those "It Takes A Thief" episodes they showed exactly how useless a bar holding a sliding door is.  It literally took the guy ten seconds to pop open the door.  You need a real bar lock if you want any kind of security.

[ChadTower]

Besides a pawn shop and ebay/cl, what else could you do with a password protected laptop.  (Assuming you don't have the ability to crack/format the HD to use it yourself.)

It's pretty easy to fence a laptop.  If they're not looking for cash now now now they could easily just sell that to a friend.  A lot of people would buy a $150 laptop no questions asked.

[shmokes]

I had some percocets left too.  

Those make me constipated.  I had to go to the hospital once because they made me so constipated    (there's somewhat more to the story)

what else could you do with a password protected laptop.  (Assuming you don't have the ability to crack/format the HD to use it yourself.)

Probably not a safe assumption, unless you actually have a BIOS password preventing the system from booting without entering a password.  Otherwise, it's safe to assume that they can format the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows.  And if they're even the slightest bit savvy, they can use google to find applications that can easily crack the Windows passwords.  You just boot to the disc and change any user password you want(including the administrator password).  If you can find your way through Nero to burn an ISO image to disc, you have the technical skills to break into a local Windows machine.

[ChadTower]

If you can find your way through Nero to burn an ISO image to disc, you have the technical skills to break into a local Windows machine.

And if they're spending hours backed up on the toilet they have all the time in the world to hack at a laptop, too.

[Dartful Dodger]

Sorry to hear about this.  This story makes me a little queasy.

I've a gun safe about the size of a school locker leaning up against a wall.  I've been meaning to bolt it to the studs in a closet for a couple of months now.  This is a sickening reminder to me.

Good luck with everything.

[ahofle]

what else could you do with a password protected laptop.  (Assuming you don't have the ability to crack/format the HD to use it yourself.)

Probably not a safe assumption, unless you actually have a BIOS password preventing the system from booting without entering a password.  Otherwise, it's safe to assume that they can format the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows.  And if they're even the slightest bit savvy, they can use google to find applications that can easily crack the Windows passwords.  You just boot to the disc and change any user password you want(including the administrator password).  If you can find your way through Nero to burn an ISO image to disc, you have the technical skills to break into a local Windows machine.

Why would anyone need to crack the windows pwds?  Just remove the hard drive and put it in an enclosure as an external drive on another computer.  Then you can see everything unless you used some form of low level encryption.

[ChadTower]

Because the person may want to actually use the machine as is rather than just access files on the hard drive.  And they can use the windows crack without opening the machine.

[myntik1]

If you do live out in the sticks you might want to think about a dog.  You can bolt doors and put clamps on things but unless you have enough neighbors around to take notice then everything else is useless. I have the safest neighborhood in America during the summer.  Most of the people on my street are teachers.  During the summer I have an active street from 7:30am to 10pm, but if I have a day off in the fall or spring my street is like a ghost town.  Sorry to hear about the break-in though.  It sucks when you work hard for your stuff and someone else is enjoying your labor.

[shmokes]

Why would anyone need to crack the windows pwds?  Just remove the hard drive and put it in an enclosure as an external drive on another computer.  Then you can see everything unless you used some form of low level encryption.

Heh . . . is it just me or is that not considerably more work than simply booting to a disc and clearing the password, particularly if you don't already have a 2.5" enclosure on-hand, which is the case for about 99.999% of the population?

[ahofle]

Heh . . . is it just me or is that not considerably more work than simply booting to a disc and clearing the password, particularly if you don't already have a 2.5" enclosure on-hand, which is the case for about 99.999% of the population?

That's true, but you implied that a BIOS pwd would make it a "safe assumption" that they would not be able to format the HD in your previous post.  Just correcting you.

[AtomSmasher]

Probably not a safe assumption, unless you actually have a BIOS password preventing the system from booting without entering a password.  Otherwise, it's safe to assume that they can format the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows.

All you have to do is change a jumper on the mobo to clear a bios password, so there really isn't any simple way to prevent them from formatting your harddrive.

[ChadTower]

At that point do you even care if they format your hard drive?  Seems to me like that's a good thing.  All of your personal data is destroyed rather than used by a thief.

[Ed_McCarron]

All of your personal data is destroyed rather than used by a thief.

Wait, wait, don't tell me.

You used to be a thief too, right?

[ChadTower]

You used to be a thief too, right?

Not thief, archaeologist.  Respect the tenure.


I just thought of something.  Maybe Mr C's laptop is booby trapped.  It would suck to steal someone's laptop, go to all that trouble of accessing the filesystem, only to discover 5000 pictures of schlongs.  Maybe Mr C is shrewder than we thought.

[shmokes]

Heh . . . is it just me or is that not considerably more work than simply booting to a disc and clearing the password, particularly if you don't already have a 2.5" enclosure on-hand, which is the case for about 99.999% of the population?

That's true, but you implied that a BIOS pwd would make it a "safe assumption" that they would not be able to format the HD in your previous post.  Just correcting you.

Ah ha . . .    I completely misunderstood where you were going with that.

[ark_ader]

I read all that and the thing that kept on coming back to me was the mods, downloads etc.

Was these mods and downloads legal ones?

Because if they are not, I don't think the police will help you.

It might be the other way around.