Just been robbed!!! Help required

[Workaholic]

Basically just had a break into the house when it was vacant.
A quick check and only things missing are

1) My (2 month old) new laptop a Toshiba A200 26Q
2) Cash
3) Jewellery - Jade artifacts in fact.

Now what I need is a brainstorming plan on way to locating these.

The laptop serial has been reported to be stolen to Toshiba and the police, anything else I can do?!

[Rave]

Keep checking on ebay, some crims are dumb. Sorry to hear it BTW.

[MadduckUK]

unless your lappy has some kind of fancy "here i am" software on it. no.

cash no

jewellery - cash converters?

[Whiternoise]

Check all the local pawn shops, and CEX if there's anything electrical. The guy that broke into my dad's house got caught because he offloaded his goods into a pawn dealer nearby. If you have any pictures, then give them to the dealer if they'll let you.

As for the laptop, the serial number is a good start. I believe there's a database somewhere that you can register your property on that's used by law enforcement agencies to check good against to see if they're stolen. Best bet is to check everywhere near you that trades in old laptops. If you're lucky, it'll turn up somewhere. However, as MadduckUK says, unless you've got tracking software on there - it's pretty much no unless it gets flogged.

Firstly though change all your passwords and login details to everywhere immediately.

Cash i'm afraid you're not going to get back

Really sorry to hear about it, happened in our family before. Not fun.

If you do get a new laptop, it's really worth considering one of those applications that sits quietly on it so that if and when it gets stolen, you activate it and it does things like send you pictures of the thief (if a webcam is on there), sends you the IP of where it connected to the net and so on. Some of the latest programs even include BIOS installation support, so even if they physically trash the hard drive and replace it, it'll still install itself.

[Stringent]

Sorry to hear. Also have a browse around local markets were they sell such stuff 'on the cheap'.

[Workaholic]

Keep checking on ebay, some crims are dumb. Sorry to hear it BTW.

Now is there any way of filtering out all business sellers or sellers with a certain +ve feedback.
Toshiba A200 gives 88 results at the mo!

[Workaholic]

Check all the local pawn shops, and CEX if there's anything electrical. The guy that broke into my dad's house got caught because he offloaded his goods into a pawn dealer nearby. If you have any pictures, then give them to the dealer if they'll let you.

As for the laptop, the serial number is a good start. I believe there's a database somewhere that you can register your property on that's used by law enforcement agencies to check good against to see if they're stolen. Best bet is to check everywhere near you that trades in old laptops. If you're lucky, it'll turn up somewhere. However, as MadduckUK says, unless you've got tracking software on there - it's pretty much no unless it gets flogged.

Ive heard of the recovery police sites and auctions if they can't locate the owner if recovered, hence I've got the serial to the police.

Firstly though change all your passwords and login details to everywhere immediately.

Done for the sites I have saved passwords on there.
Credit cards and bank accounts all put on hold.
Just trying to get pass these "wait" message to let different companies known they won't be getting paid this month for certain things like mobiles, ISP, utilities!

Cash i'm afraid you're not going to get back

Really sorry to hear about it, happened in our family before. Not fun.

If you do get a new laptop, it's really worth considering one of those applications that sits quietly on it so that if and when it gets stolen, you activate it and it does things like send you pictures of the thief (if a webcam is on there), sends you the IP of where it connected to the net and so on. Some of the latest programs even include BIOS installation support, so even if they physically trash the hard drive and replace it, it'll still install itself.

Anyone want to sugguest one of these software. And is the only way of activating them over the web?

[TAKTAK]

bad to hear

Now is there any way of filtering out all business sellers or sellers with a certain +ve feedback.
Toshiba A200 gives 88 results at the mo!

i don't think there is TBH, but you could sort by distance... (working under the assumption that they would be nearer to you than further away...)

Anyone want to sugguest one of these software. And is the only way of activating them over the web?

i've just been reading about one (began with a z) on el reg, with a yearly fee of ~$50

but it would have to connect to the internet.. as thats how it is traced..

i'll try and find it...

edit: it's older than i thought it was...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/06...len_notebooks/

edit2:for future reference...

Tracing programs include zTrace (www.ztrace.com), CyberAngel (www.sentryinc.com) and ComputracePlus (www.computrace.com)

http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusine...topfromthieves

[TheAnimus]

As people have said, check the porn shops near by, use google maps or something and tick em all off, there is a high chance that the criminal will live near you (i think its 2miles or something the majority are within). So if you look at some of the near by shops you might get lucky. If the jewlry is specail, or you have any pictures, print some have you seen flyers and leave them with the jewlry pawn shop people.

[Jay]

If you trust me enough send me the details and i'll keep my eye out as well. Its a shame and the same thing happened to me at work, trashed my server room, stole everything they could.

Gutted but also a very strange feling that the place itsn't your own anymore. That passes though.

[HSK]

oh damn, sorry to hear this! like mentioned in the thread, keep an ear and eye out, inform local places which might be somewhere a local crim would have a chance to unload goods.

[Whiternoise]

As people have said, check the porn shops near by

Yeah, all that dodgy stuff on the Toshiba, the guy's probably worried someone'll catch him with it

[Workaholic]

If you trust me enough send me the details and i'll keep my eye out as well. Its a shame and the same thing happened to me at work, trashed my server room, stole everything they could.

Gutted but also a very strange feling that the place itsn't your own anymore. That passes though.

Same here,
After checking for missing items and making sure my driving license is in fact still there.
I went looking for keylogging attached to mine and my family's computers whether it was USB or internal card. Then I went looking for wireless cameras within the bedrooms and bathroom.

2 hours after that did I turn my computer on, check my email then realised that my wifi password was saved on the laptop so turned off the wifi on the router and the ssid and passwords!

Oh and I forgot to mention the frantic search for the house cordless phone after making sure I turned the base off at the mains to stop it being used! Found it (that phone) in the end!

[Workaholic]

If you trust me enough send me the details and i'll keep my eye out as well. Its a shame and the same thing happened to me at work, trashed my server room, stole everything they could.

Gutted but also a very strange feling that the place itsn't your own anymore. That passes though.

I'm quite certain I trust you all (ish)

It's this laptop (a Toshiba A200 26Q - retails at approx £600)
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Toshi...EN/version.asp
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/image...250&height=250

If anyone owns / knows someone who owns a pawn shop etc I can PM the serial number for you to cross check! (don't want them to be dealing with stolen goods do we?)

[TAKTAK]

Same here,
After checking for missing items and making sure my driving license is in fact still there.
I went looking for keylogging attached to mine and my family's computers whether it was USB or internal card. Then I went looking for wireless cameras within the bedrooms and bathroom.

2 hours after that did I turn my computer on, check my email then realised that my wifi password was saved on the laptop so turned off the wifi on the router and the ssid and passwords!

Oh and I forgot to mention the frantic search for the house cordless phone after making sure I turned the base off at the mains to stop it being used! Found it (that phone) in the end!

do you actually work for the CIA or something?

i would never think to do half of that!

and yet it's all so logical...

[SiM]

Sorry to hear that! Do you have theft insurance?