Home burglary , PC and work stolen

HitmonInfinity

They got in through a window, broke it and ripped out the blinds. They took my PC, three monitors, wacom tablet, and worst of all... my back up harddrive. I'm going to be beating my head against the wall for months wishing I had hid it. I didn't have any tracking software on my pc. My xbox 360 was also taken. I should have most of the serial numbers to follow up with the police report, but I doubt I'll be seeing any of my stuff again.

I filed the insurance claim today; I'll be talking with them tomorrow morning. Some of my work is on servers, but this will be a huge set-back. Live and learn...

Has anyone else been through this before?

UPDATE: I forgot I had dropbox installed on my pc. I never realized your account info tells you the last ip address and time. They haven't been online yet, but I'll know it if they do.

UPDATE 5/20: So these guys FINALLY got online. The investigator has the IP address in hand. Now we have to wait for two search warrants to go through. One for the internet service provider and one for the home where the pc is. Hopefully it will still be there...

ScoobyDoofus

Well...Thats shitty. Good thing you've got insurance! I'd say invest also in an offsite auto-backup solution for your critical data, ala Dropbox or something similar.

Entity

Happened to me once, lost all my expensive photography gear and a laptop. My house is now rigged with multiple alarm systems and a couple of webcams that I can access online.

HitmonInfinity

That's funny you mention that Scooby, I actually just found this article:
http://lifehacker.com/5785518/use-dropbox-to-get-back-your-stolen-computer

I just remembered I installed dropbox about a week ago. They haven't plugged it up to the internet yet... but I'll be checking my account frequently to see if there's any new activity.

gsokol

Damn that sucks. Especially them taking your backup hdd.

Ferg

really blows... but if it makes you feel any better, I've lost 90% of my work to unlucky hardware failures, mainly motherboards shorting out and causing mechanical failures in my hard drives. Never caused me any real setbacks, the worst part was always psychological. You can always create more work, and hopefully you've got screenshots somewhere online.

Also might want to check local pawn shops over the next week or two. Good luck man.

HitmonInfinity

Ferg wrote: »

really blows... but if it makes you feel any better, I've lost 90% of my work to unlucky hardware failures, mainly motherboards shorting out and causing mechanical failures in my hard drives. Never caused me any real setbacks, the worst part was always psychological. You can always create more work, and hopefully you've got screenshots somewhere online.

Also might want to check local pawn shops over the next week or two. Good luck man.

Thanks. I'll be giving the police the serial numbers, which they'll put in the system for pawn shops. I've also been checking craigslist and ebay.

Poribo

So, is there anyway of protecting yourself against thieves. It's kind of something that I tell myself "It'll never happen to me." but I said that about the 360 RROD, so better safe than sorry.

Wahlgren

Trained raptor guard dogs.
Sucks ass bro. I put all my latest work on Dropbox just in case.

Maph

Jeez, I'd be freaking out like a lunatic if that were to happen to me... That's really, really shitty man!
I hope those arseholes are stupid enough to turn on your computer so you can track them down!

I really ought to get a dedicated external backup HDD come to think of it...

arrangemonk

i recomend a somewhat about 2 tb nas in the basement with gigabit ethernet attachment, hidden behind some old rubbish and saving all files there

doesnt save your hardware, but the work.

notman

I definitely recommend a NAS. That's what I use too. It's easier to hide, and is accessible by every device on your network. Obviously, offline storage would have been the optimal solution, but hindsight is....

Mark Dygert

That really sucks... I like Fergs comment that you can always make more art so they haven't stolen what is really important.

I guess its time to back up again and this time squirrel it away in the walls... online and just about any other place someone can't get their hands on it.

skankerzero

This sucks, and a good example why cloud based storage is something that we should push for.

Jeremy Tabor

arg.. I feel for ya. Hopefully that dropbox situation will lead to some leads.

My laptop was yanked by a school janitor 2 years ago and the student affairs department was unwilling to act in the face of overwhelming evidence. My bag turned up in one of the ceiling tiles on the same floor that it was stolen just 6 months ago. By then the guy had already been fired for another theft, but he had gotten away with my comp and the books in my bag. The school is still unwilling to look at the possibility that the thefts were related... :poly127:

All I can say is that you should be as reasonably proactive as you can be in helping the investigation along. I mean, don't get in the way, but if you feel like information is being ignored, push to have it looked at. Initially, the school wasn't going to review (or even let me look at) the security tapes, until I walked up to the director of facilities and personally requested to see them. Prior to that I had gone to the Dean of Student Affairs, where I was actually told, "Sorry, but it's not worth our time."

Sorry for the majority of that being my personal experience, but I was trying to make a point, and I think there may be a lesson in there somewhere. Bottom line, nobody had as much stock in this as you, so personally try to assure that no leaf goes unturned.

But good luck man. Keep your head up, and regardless of the outcome, I hope this doesn't set you back too far.

Adam Curtis

Sucks, I got burgled back in London - They took my wii, laptop, all my games etc etc. I could deal with that, but the fucker/s took some personal shit that would be worthless to anyone but me.
Luckily like you I had insurance! Hope you get sorted quick

Funky Bunnies

awww man that sucks, this just happened to a workmate last week.
I hope you're able to dig up a lot of your missing work and at least get some amount of compensation for your stolen stuff

greevar

Man, that sucks. If they're smart, they won't put that machine on the net until they wipe the disk with an empty partition. I'm hoping here they aren't smart. Good luck getting your gear and your data back.

If you can't afford to get a real security system (hardware and service fees are insane), just put breakage sensors on your windows and a loudspeaker that could wake the dead to scare them off (on a battery backup). Motion lights help too. Put deadbolts on all exterior doors, even the garage. Get yourself a NAS with a security case you can lock and bolt to the floor to prevent data loss. Bolt your desk to the floor if possible and use security cables to secure your displays to the desk. It's not perfect, but the harder they have to work to get your stuff, the more likely they will be to just look for an easier target. Don't place anything near the house that will give them access to the upper floors and always be certain to lock all of the windows (upstairs too), lock up your ladders out of reach inside the garage. If they get access to the garage, they will use your tools to break into your house and remove your stuff.

D4V1DC

Sucks hope you get them fuggers.

If you nail them down or make It impossible to take I bet they'd just get mad and break It to fug up your day even more, better than stolen I guess.

iconoplast

I feel for you! It must be really terrible, I know I'd be miserable if it happened to me. Best of luck tracking it down!

greevar

Hboybowen wrote: »

its someone near you so watch dropbox or find someway to track the ip on dropbox

Tracking the IP is a waste of time. It's too easy to conceal your location. A proxy will make IP tracking worthless.

[HP]

Fuck that's bad, sorry to hear this man.

percydaman

greevar wrote: »

Tracking the IP is a waste of time. It's too easy to conceal your location. A proxy will make IP tracking worthless.

Yes, and all home burgling hoodlums use proxy's. I think your giving whoever stole the guy's stuff a little too much credit.

iconoplast

People who steal aren't automatically masterminds. Case in point: someone once stole a family member's credit card number. Said thief was caught when, among other things, he paid his own cable bill with it.

Hitmon, I hope whoever broke in to your house is at least as dumb as the guy in my story.

notman

My brother has had his shit stolen 4 times now, in 3 different locations. Every time, they find the person, and it's someone in the neighborhood. One time, it was the guy next door. Typically, it's someone that knows what you have, and that's why they target it. Has anyone new been by your place lately? Or is it visible from the street? Usually there's a reason they targeted you, rather than the guy next door.

HitmonInfinity

notman wrote: »

My brother has had his shit stolen 4 times now, in 3 different locations. Every time, they find the person, and it's someone in the neighborhood. One time, it was the guy next door. Typically, it's someone that knows what you have, and that's why they target it. Has anyone new been by your place lately? Or is it visible from the street? Usually there's a reason they targeted you, rather than the guy next door.

I'm sure it was someone within a couple blocks of my home. We live in a "transition area." Remodeled houses, new houses, old houses all mixed in together. Our house is one of the more expensive homes on the street, granted were talking under 150k, but it's still a target because of what's around us.

They were probably expecting a lot more stuff. We still don't have a tv and my pc is long over-due for an overhaul. They took my intuos 3 but not the pen lol. These crooks have no idea what they stole. Still no internet activity though. I'm starting to worry they wiped it clean.

I had security film installed on the "high risk" windows instead of the whole house to save some cash. The window they broke into was the last window I would have expected to get broken into. Serves me right for cutting corners. We're doing it right this time. Every window is getting film and we're finally getting an alarm system. When I get a new machine, that sucker is getting bolted to the floor. Also, I'm going to start wearing my backup hdd like a chastity belt.

Learn from my mistakes! Back up online and and hide your backup drives!!!!

evilblah

Oh man, I feel for you! I hope everything is recovered okay. I haven't used dropbox before but after hearing about this and with me starting my own indie company I am gonna back everything up online right now!!

Good luck and I hope you bounce back from this stronger then before!

Joshua Stubbles

I hope they jump online soon so you can track them. Always a bitch dealing with theft.

HitmonInfinity

So these guys FINALLY got online. The investigator has the IP address in hand. Now we have to wait for two search warrants to go through. One for the internet service provider and one for the home where the pc is. Hopefully it will still be there...

Kovac

Damn, good luck man. Hopefully this doesn't fall flat, it'd be a pretty exciting story to tell justifying your detective skills .

Nizza_waaarg

yay, mad internet sleuthing dude.
Hope you bust some computer stealin peeps up (by which i mean police apprehend them and you can get all your stuff back ^^).

Jeremy Tabor

greats news! I really hope this pans out for ya

BadgerBaiter

Good news mate
Hope this works out positively for you

Thor Sowards

I hope you get those SOBs

HitmonInfinity

Thanks guys.

Now dropbox is giving me an ip address in Pennsylvania.... I live in South Carolina. The last ip was in my city just a few hours ago. Any thoughts on how this could be?

Kovac

Who knows if they're technically inclined or not but they could be using a proxy server which would be registering a different location. It could actually be in Pennsylvania though and had initially established the IP for your area since that's where it originally was. Guess you just have to keep an eye on the locations.

jarrede

this worth it?
http://www.carbonite.com/

i've been toying with the idea for a while now...

iconoplast

Hmm, a few hours ago? It's possible they hopped a flight -- I had to pick two random cities, but the internet tells me that a direct flight from Charleston to Philly is just under 2 hours.

Rai

Do you think someone would steal, knowing they were leaving the state within the next day or so? Assuming they really did leave.

greevar

Chances are, the thieves no longer have it and it's been sold to someone else. If so, they aren't too bright using it online before they wipe it or they're using a proxy. Who knows? It's hard to say when all you have to go on is an IP address. You really have no idea who is actually on that IP. It could be the crooks, it could be the buyer, it could be a hacked WiFi they're using. It would help to get a more concrete piece of identification like a credit card, if they aren't also using a stolen CC# too.

HitmonInfinity

greevar wrote: »

Chances are, the thieves no longer have it and it's been sold to someone else. If so, they aren't too bright using it online before they wipe it or they're using a proxy. Who knows? It's hard to say when all you have to go on is an IP address. You really have no idea who is actually on that IP. It could be the crooks, it could be the buyer, it could be a hacked WiFi they're using. It would help to get a more concrete piece of identification like a credit card, if they aren't also using a stolen CC# too.

I'm assuming it's the buyer. That would explain why it took a week for any online activity. Regardless of what really is going on, come monday that household will have an officer knocking on their door with a warrant. I'll take what I can get...

Lamont

Another use for DropBox. I hope it works out and some heads get busted.

r_fletch_r

if they were savy enough to use a proxy it seems unlikely they wouldnt have formated the system.

HitmonInfinity

Not too much going on, but I figured I'd throw an update out here:

Cops went to the address attained from IP with warrant. It was some kid that lives with his grandma. They supposedly just brought it over to "check it out" and then left. I also had internet content tracking software, and it looks like all they got online to do was google the CPU sticker on the case (probably to try and figure out what it's worth).

The most recent activity is still in PA a few days ago. The investigator is doing the rounds with that IP now, but I've pretty much lost all hope

On the bright side, UPS has been visiting me everyday this week Built the new pc last night, setting everything up today. I have it locked to my desk with a 1/4inch steel cable :> My new backup hdd is awesome! Western Digital My Passport - 1TB and usb 3.0 in the palm of my hand. Good buy if you're in the market.

Now to see if marmoset and 3dmotive will be nice enough to let me download their stuff again...

Mark Dygert

So the kid knows the people that brought it over, if there are even "other people"... so why aren't the cops knocking on their door? The kid knows the person in PA and probably tipped them off already, unless they bought it unsuspectingly...

Keep your new stuff safe, thieves like to come back and hit ya again once you get new stuff.

HitmonInfinity

Mark Dygert wrote: »

So the kid knows the people that brought it over, if there are even "other people"... so why aren't the cops knocking on their door? The kid knows the person in PA and probably tipped them off already, unless they bought it unsuspectingly...

Keep your new stuff safe, thieves like to come back and hit ya again once you get new stuff.

They got a first name and description. Unfortunately, the system has its flaws.

We've made a lot of security changes since it went down. But I still keep a glock 45 next to me when I'm home.

notman

Yeah, I suspect that kid knows exactly who it was, he just doesn't want to rat his friends. He probably goes to school with the crook. Do you know how close that address was to your house?

Zipfinator

notman wrote: »

Yeah, I suspect that kid knows exactly who it was, he just doesn't want to rat his friends. He probably goes to school with the crook. Do you know how close that address was to your house?

Well he lives in South Carolina and the address was in Pennsylvania, so not that close.

notman

Zipfinator wrote: »

Well he lives in South Carolina and the address was in Pennsylvania, so not that close.

That's the second IP. He didn't say where the first IP was :P

Zipfinator

notman wrote: »

That's the second IP. He didn't say where the first IP was :P

Ah, I don't think they have one. I think they only went online in his city and at that kids house in PA. I wouldn't think they'd go online again now after the police visited that kid's house.

HitmonInfinity

The kid was at the first ip, near me in Columbia, SC. I'm pretty sure the cops aren't allowed to tell me the details so I don't know exactly how close.

The warrant didn't go through till this Tuesday, and the PA IP was picked up last Friday. They're still working on the PA one.