Computer and DATA Theft Victims

2009-11-14T10:59:00.001-05:00

KENTUCKY COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/1019027.html

Friday, Nov. 13, 2009

Five men sought in Lexington electronics robbery

Lexington police are looking five men who stole from Sam's Satellite and Electronics, 510 East New Circle Road, early Friday morning.

According to police, the men pried their way into the store through the back door, smashed two display cases and got away with laptop computers and cell phones worth $6,000.

The incident was captured on security video cameras, and police with dogs inspected the scene. As of Friday night, police said they did not have any suspects in the case.

2009-11-14T10:45:00.001-05:00

UK COMPUTER AND DATA THEFT http://www.phiprivacy.net/?p=1445

UK: Primary Care Trusts breach the Data Protection Act
By Dissent, November 13, 2009 8:17 am

Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust and Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust have taken remedial action after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found them in breach of the Data Protection Act.

Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust (PCT) informed the ICO of the theft of two desktop computers containing sensitive personal data relating to over 1,000 occupational therapy patients and staff members. The data included information about people’s physical or mental health and, in some cases, details about their trade union membership. The personal information was held on the computers rather than on a network server and was not password protected. The premises did not have an intruder alarm system, the internal office doors did not have security locks and the computers were not protected with any form of encryption software.

Gloucestershire PCT informed the ICO of the theft of six desktop computers holding personal data relating to 2270 patients. The computers were used by medical secretaries for preparing letters and notes relating to diagnosis and referral of patients. Although the computers were password protected and were held in a locked office, the patient data should have been held on a local server, rather than on the hard drives of the stolen computers.

Formal Undertakings have now been signed by both Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT and Gloucestershire PCT, committing them to take a number of steps to ensure that personal data is processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act. The PCTs will ensure adequate security measures are in place to prevent unauthorized access to personal data, that any personal data required to be held on a portable device is suitably encrypted and staff are aware of the policies for the storage and use of personal data.

Source: ICO

2009-11-13T17:32:00.001-05:00

HAWAII COMPUTER THIEVES CAUGHT Three teens arrested in school burglaries - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information - The Maui News:

Three teens arrested in school burglaries
Police recover 9 of 10 stolen laptops, a document camera

By LILA FUJIMOTO, Staff Writer

POSTED: November 13, 2009

WAIHEE - Police arrested three teenage boys and recovered nine laptop computers that were stolen when Waihee School classrooms were burglarized last week.

The arrests were made Wednesday after Wailuku patrol officers investigated an anonymous report of a possible suspect in the break-ins, which occurred between Nov. 5 and Saturday at the elementary school, said Capt. Jody Singsank, commander of the Wailuku Patrol District. She said officers developed additional information leading to the identification and arrests of the three suspects.

Two Wailuku boys, ages 16 and 14, and a 14-year-old Waihee boy were arrested and charged with eight counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of attempted second-degree burglary, police said. They were later released to the custody of their parents, with the cases to be sent to Family Court for prosecution, police said.

Police recovered nine of the 10 laptop computers that were stolen, as well as a document camera that was taken. One computer was heavily damaged while the other eight didn't have visible damage, police said. The tenth laptop computer wasn't accounted for.

"This is such good news," Waihee School Principal Leila Hayashida said Thursday after learning the computers had been recovered by police. "I'm so appreciative of the community pitching in to help."

She said she would be contacting police to see when the school might be able to get the computers back. "We'd like to recover the computers as soon as possible so we can put them back into service," she said.

With computers taken from student work stations, some students couldn't do online portions of their studies this week and some teachers lost lesson plans stored in their computers, Hayashida said earlier.

School officials discovered the break-ins at 7 a.m. Saturday when they showed up for an academic planning workshop on campus.

The thieves broke doorknobs to enter classrooms.

Eight classrooms were burglarized and attempts were made to break into two others, police said.

Singsank credited officers Darren Agarano, Kyle Badayos and Emiterio Alvarez for apprehending the suspects and recovering the stolen property, as well as Sgt. Jayson Kozaki, who supervised the investigation. The officers were the same ones who initially responded to the report of the break-in.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.

2009-11-13T17:28:00.001-05:00

OKLAHOMA ATTEMPTED COMPUTER THEFT Open Window For Thieves - FOX23 News:

Open Window For Thieves

Reported by: Abbie Alford
Email: aalford@fox23.com
Last Update: 11/12 10:52 pm

Flat-screen TV’s are hot items during the holiday shopping season but for thieves they’re hot year-round.

Crooks are finding flat-screen TV’s in homes and in a lot of businesses.

FOX23’s Abbie Alford spoke to one business with plenty of pricey items but it was the flat-screen TV that made it a target.

Behind the glass windows there are rows of expensive computers and laptops. At Modern Computers police say a thief wanted the flat-screen TV that was standing on an entertainment center.

Police say many thieves duck from the surveillance cameras but their images are still caught on tape.

In the early morning hours on October 31^st, surveillance pictures show a thief casing Modern Computers near the 81st and Memorial location.

"He peers through the glass and looks at what they have and sees the flat-screen TV,” says Tulsa Police Burglary Detective Donnie Wright.

The infrared camera caught a clear shot of the crook as he bashed in the glass door with a rock. However, the thief doesn’t go straight for the computers.

"That was the first thing he saw when he looked in the glass. Through the glass he saw the flat-screen TV and that was his main target," says Wright.

Jeremy Lance with Modern Computers says after the thief loaded his black 1997 Cadillac Sedan Deville with the TV he went back to try to steal an expensive computer.

"He tried to get it but it was locked to both desks so he gave up on that," says Lance.

Lance says the thief ended up getting away with the cheapest laptop and a 37 inch flat-screen TV.

However, Lance says he wasn’t expecting the business to be targeted because of its TV.

"We kind of assumed that we didn't have a huge TV and it wasn't extremely expensive and maybe they would notice that and not come after us," says Lance.

That wasn’t the case for the thieves who went after Bodean’s Restaurant in South Tulsa.

"They tried to get the television and they couldn't get it off the wall," says Wright.

They even tried to destroy the evidence.

"Covers his head up too late looks straight at the camera," says Wright. "He busts the [camera] and it's still playing."

After twenty minutes of ransacking the restaurant and shouting orders to each other the four thieves got away with cash and their images on tape.

"Obviously they know the camera is there but again they make mistakes, you'll see them come back out without their hoodies," says Wright.

Mistakes that police hope will get the thieves caught.

Police say a majority of the stolen flat-screen TV’s are not ending up in pawn shops but they are being sold on the street. However, they recommend you keep track of your serial numbers on high dollar items. Police say when they arrest the bad guys they’ll find stacks of TV’s in the bad guy’s homoe but say they cannot prove the TV’s werestolen unless the TV and the serial number were reported stolen.

To learn how to better keep track of your serial numbers click on the free “Business/Home Watch” link on the top right side of this page.

If you have any information about these crimes call Crime Stoppers at (918) 596-COPS (2677) or text a tip to “CRIMES” (274637) and begin your message with “TIP918” or you can submit a tip online at www.tipsubmit.com. Remember you never have to give your name and your tip could lead to a cash reward.

2009-11-13T17:21:00.001-05:00

NEW MEXICO COMPUTER SECURITY GAO: Los Alamos National Lab's Cybersecurity Lacking - PC World:

GAO: Los Alamos National Lab's Cybersecurity Lacking

Grant Gross, IDG News Service
Nov 13, 2009 5:00 pm

Cybersecurity efforts to protect a leading U.S. nuclear laboratory's classified computer network remain lacking even after a series of security lapses, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory, which has suffered multiple security breaches in recent years, continues to have "significant weaknesses ... in protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information stored on and transmitted over its classified computer network," the GAO said in a report released Friday.

The lab has vulnerabilities in several "critical" areas, including identifying and authenticating users, authorizing user access, encrypting classified information and maintaining secure software configurations, the GAO report said.

"A key reason for the information security weaknesses GAO identified was that the laboratory had not fully implemented an information security program to ensure that controls were effectively established and maintained," the report said.

The lab has not conducted comprehensive risk assessments to ensure against unauthorized use, has not marked the classification level of information stored on its classified network, and has inadequate training for users with security responsibilities, the GAO report said.

In January, there were reports of the theft of three computers from a lab employee's home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Later reports said as many as 67 computers were missing from the lab.

In July 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy moved to fine the lab for an October 2006 breach that exposed classified data. A contract worker illegally downloaded and removed hundreds of pages of data from the lab using USB thumb drives.

Also in mid-2007, U.S. lawmakers criticized the lab after reports that several officials there had used unprotected e-mail networks to share highly classified information.

There were other security problems at the lab, including instances in 2003 and 2004 when the lab could not account for classified removable electronic media, such as compact discs and removable hard drives.

A lab spokesman did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment on the GAO report. The DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), while it said it generally agreed with the report, said the lab has made progress in its cybersecurity efforts.

Many of the shortcomings have been addressed, said Michael Kane, associate administrator for the NNSA, in a letter to the GAO. In response to a DOE compliance order issued in 2007, "a number of key technical issues and policy implementation concerns have been or are currently being addressed," Kane said.

The DOE oversees the lab, a multidisciplinary research institution working on strategic science on behalf of U.S. national security. The lab is jointly operated by several groups, including NNSA and the University of California.

2009-11-13T13:41:00.002-05:00

UK COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.thelondondailynews.com/heathrow-armed-robbery-appeal-high-value-computers-taken-p-3532.html

13 November, 2009 17:56 (GMT +00:00)

Heathrow armed robbery appeal, "high value computers" taken

Article

Video

Photos

Met Police appeal for witnesses of "high value" computer robbery

Crime Desk

Police are appealing for witnesses after armed robbers posing as police stole a consignment of high-value computer equipment.

Shortly before midnight on Monday, 9 November, a Silver Ford Transit van carrying a shipment of electrical components was stopped at a bogus police census point set up on Stanwell Road near the junction with the A30 at Heathrow.

The driver and his companion were sprayed with CS gas and forced out of the vehicle.

It is believed that one of the victims was threatened with a Taser gun.

The van was then stolen by up to four white male suspects two of whom were dressed in high visibility jackets and caps similar to those worn by police traffic officers.

It was later found abandoned in the Stanwell Moor area of Staines. The back doors of the van had been forced open and the goods had been taken.

Two other vehicles, a dark BMW 5 series and a dark coloured Audi A4 saloon, are believed to have been involved in the robbery.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ian Wilson from the Metropolitan Police's Operation Grafton, said: "This was a well-organised and targeted attack aimed at a specific vehicle that the robbers knew would be carrying a high-value consignment.

"These criminals were not afraid to use violence to carry out the robbery and the experience has left the driver and his passenger very shaken.

"I'd appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time - 11.18pm on Monday, 9 November - and who may have seen the false traffic census point being set up or the van being stopped by the bogus police officers to come forward.

"Anyone who has any information that may assist the investigation should contact Operation Grafton on 020 8246 9972 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

2009-11-13T07:37:00.002-05:00

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.danvilleweekly.com/news/show_story.php?id=2360

Break-in leads to stolen property for 45 victims
Danville police give six tips to help prevent thefts from vehicles

by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

Maybe Someone was watching as would-be burglars at a church inadvertently led police to stolen property from 45 recent victims.

Employees at Rolling Hills Church in the 1500 block of Green Valley Road in Danville apparently interrupted a burglary in progress when they arrived at the church Oct. 31 to find that computers and game systems had been unhooked and placed in the hallways of the church.

Danville police Officer Paul Murphy arrived at the scene and began to look into the crime. The employees told him that those responsible for moving the property had entered by unknown means.

"Information was developed by Officer Murphy that led him to a residence in the 1600 block of Poplar Drive in the city of Walnut Creek," said investigations Sgt. Dan Hoffman. "A search of a residence at this location led to the discovery of stolen property belonging to approximately 45 people from the central Contra Costa County area."

Matt Harris, 29, of Walnut Creek and Amanda Bruntz, 19, of Pacheco were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, which was mostly documents, checks and credit cards, said Hoffman.

"These items were primarily stolen from victims' mailboxes, and also from vehicle and residential burglaries," Hoffman explained. "A large majority of the victims were not aware that they had been a victim of mail theft."

Some of the stolen documents had been used to commit identity theft by the suspects, he added. Computers were seized from the residence and are being forensically analyzed by the Northern California Computer Crimes Task Force.

"Over the last month we have seen an increase of thefts from vehicles in town," said Hoffman.

He also noted that nearly all of the vehicle-related thefts are a result of residents leaving valuables in plain view in the passenger compartment.

"It is important that we reach out to our communities and educate the public in current crime trends," said Hoffman.

He gave the following tips to prevent auto thefts:

• Take your valuables from your car inside your house or lock them inside your trunk when you get home. A large majority of local thefts from autos are due to citizens leaving valuables in plain view in the passenger compartment of their vehicles.
• Park your car inside your garage if at all possible. As a side note, please shut your garage doors at night and when you are not in the garage. We are experiencing an increase in open garage door thefts.
• Keep your vehicles locked.
• Utilize lighting to deter thieves from lurking in your area.
• Do not leave your car running and unattended.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the Danville Police Department dispatch should you see a suspicious person in your neighborhood.

The non-emergency telephone number is 820-2144.

2009-11-13T07:30:00.002-05:00

NEW JERSEY TRACKING STOLEN COMPUTERS http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/pc_guy/69940367.html

By PETER GRAD
THE PC GUY

Losing a personal item to theft is always an unpleasant experience. With stolen computers, the grief is compounded because in addition to the cost of the unit itself, we also must deal with the loss of often irreplaceable data. In a corporate environment, that may well involve databases containing sensitive personal or financial information. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could expose the company to not only severe financial loss but serious legal liability as well.

A favorite target of thieves is the laptop computer. Laptops are lightweight and small, and, especially these days, most have built-in wireless and multimedia devices that make them particularly appealing.

Statistics are sobering: An estimated one in 10 computer laptops is stolen, and, according to the FBI, there is only a 3 percent chance a pilfered laptop will be recovered.

But there's some good news. A new wave of anti-theft devices is giving thieves a tougher time, and these programs may well chip away at the miserable recovery rates.

One such anti-theft program is Gadget Trak. I gave it a spin recently and was impressed. Here's how it works.

You install Gadget Trak software on your laptop in a hidden directory. The thief will have no way to know that monitoring software is embedded on the hard drive.

You must register the program from your laptop in a simple process at the Gadget Trak Web site. You'll be given a security code, which you'll need in order to activate tracking should your laptop be stolen.

I tested the program by switching the activation on. When I turned on the "stolen" laptop, I immediately received e-mail notification that the laptop had been switched on. The notification provided me with a remarkably accurate location of the laptop – latitude and longitude numbers, an approximate street address and a link to a Google map pinpointing to within a few dozen yards the image of my street where the laptop's Internet connection was detected.

Were I using the laptop while moving, map images would be updated periodically.

In addition, Gadget Trak quietly instructed my laptop to snap photos every half hour, capturing the thief – in my test, me — in flagrante delicto, which in this case was basically me feasting on a pint of H*agen-Dazs.

The images were automatically uploaded to Flickr, a free photo-sharing Web site, which can be accessed from anywhere.

So Gadget Trak not only zooms in on your stolen equipment's location, but it accumulates enough hard data and images to help prosecute a criminal case.

Gadget Trak can be used with camera-equipped smart phones as well.

There are other software programs that will help you nab the bad guys. Absolute Software is similar to Gadget Trak, but goes a step further; it allows the owner to remotely block any access to the hard drive, or, if circumstances demand, permits the owner to remotely wipe all or selected data from the lost laptop.

It also lets the owner establish physical perimeters beyond which alerts will be transmitted to the laptop. For instance, if a laptop — stolen or not — is detected outside a pre-determined boundary, say a mile radius of a company, a warning message can be sent that pops up on the user's screen when the perimeter is crossed.

Another software program lets computer owners send custom messages to perpetrators; I can think of some pretty descriptive commentary I'd deliver to someone who rips off my notebook. But I think wisdom would dictate that, lest you prod a thief to ditch or destroy your property, the best approach would be to send a firm but calm message, perhaps with an offer of a reward for its return.

FrontDoorSoftware Security, despite a clumsy interface, offers a cool feature: It lets you prerecord a message that can be triggered to play by remote. Imagine a thief sipping a latté at a coffee shop booting up the laptop, only to hear it bellow "Hey, the guy using this computer is a thief! Stop him!"

Gadget Trak seemed the most practical and reasonably priced program for general use. A subscription is $25 annually. For more information, go to gadgettrak.com. Businesses may prefer the more sophisticated approach of Absolute Computrace Complete, offered at $53 annually. For more information, visit absolute.com.

Encrypt your precious documents with a simple keystroke so no one can read them but you. AxCrypt is small but powerful. Send me an e-mail with the word PCGUYAX in the subject field for your free copy.

Questions? Contact The PC Guy at thepcguynj@gmail.com.

2009-11-13T07:24:00.002-05:00

NORTH CAROLINA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/police/authorities-seek-clues-to-school-break-ins-952477.html

Authorities seek clues to school break-ins

By Geoffrey Cooper
Rocky Mount Telegram

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Authorities continue to investigate a recent rash of computer thefts at Pope Elementary School.

For more than a week, unknown suspects have entered the school grounds and removed computer hardware from multiple trailers, causing significant damage in the process.

School officials reported the first break-in on Nov. 5, when they noticed trailers at the rear of the school used for speech therapy classes and storage had been broken into. A glass window was broken in at each trailer, but nothing was reported taken.

Another break-in was reported the next day at the speech therapy trailer, and a Dell 360 desktop computer was reported stolen.

Damage to the trailers and the cost of the computer in those incidents totaled $2,000, authorities said.

Authorities also reported that a suspect used an unknown object Tuesday evening to forcibly enter other trailers at the school used for nurses, music, TAG and behavior support. The suspect allegedly broke out the front window of two of the units and stole an HP computer, a Dell hard drive and a Yahama keyboard.

Police said they are unsure how the suspect entered two of the trailers but said nothing was reported stolen from those trailers.

During the break-ins, the suspect allegedly disengaged the electrical breaker on all the units.

Rocky Mount police Capt. Laura Fahnestock declined to comment on the matters because she said the investigation was ongoing. Police have not yet confirmed whether multiple suspects are involved in the break-ins.

In wake of the break-ins, school administrators continue to ask questions about what could have spurred the suspects to steal from the school multiple times.

Principal Sheila Wallace said she did not want to speculate but said the economy could be a factor.

“A lot of people are desperate right now,” Wallace said. “It’s unfortunate (the suspects) feel they must take our resources that help boost academic standards.”

Wallace, who is in her fourth year as principal, said she never has run into a problem like this.

Wallace said she was not exactly sure when all the stolen computer equipment will be replaced, but school officials are working to replace the items.

Anyone with information about the break-ins should call Twin County Crime Stoppers at 977-1111.

2009-11-12T17:14:00.001-05:00

UK COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/wmncornwall/Man-charged-theft/article-1508540-detail/article.html

Man charged with computer theft
Thursday, November 12, 2009, 08:33

A MAN has appeared in court charged with stealing computers worth nearly £2,000 from a Plymouth IT company.

Martin Wildman, aged 37, is accused of burglary at SMARTnet in Mutley Plain between October 23 and October 27.

Plymouth magistrates heard that he allegedly took a hard drive and three laptops worth £1,975.

The bench ruled that the case was so serious that it should be heard at crown court.

Wildman, of Cornwall Street, Devonport, indicated a 'not guilty' plea.

He was remanded in custody to appear back before magistrates on November 17.

2009-11-12T13:45:00.001-05:00

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.mercurynews.com/milpitas/ci_13771667?nclick_check=1

Two laptops stolen from Martil Way home

On Nov. 3 at about 4:35 p.m., police responded to a residential burglary on the 500 block of Martil Way.

Police said two laptop computers were stolen from the home after someone broke into the residence.

Total loss was $1,500. No suspects are known, police said.

2009-11-12T13:41:00.002-05:00

MASSACHUSETTS COMPUTER STOLEN http://www.hgazette.com/local/local_story_316113917.html

Published: November 12, 2009 11:39 am

Police log: Computer stolen from Haverhill High School

Computer stolen from classroom

A teacher at Haverhill High School told police an Apple laptop computer was stolen from her classroom sometime between 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, and 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, police said.

The teacher told police the computer belongs to the School Department and are in a wheeled storage cart in the classroom, which students have access to, police said.

An officer spoke with a student who was near the cart working at another computer on the day of the theft, police said. The student stated she didn't observe anyone near the cart, police said.

The incident was reported at 9:59 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6, police said.

2009-11-12T09:57:00.001-05:00

GEORGIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/111209/cop_515321551.shtml

Computers taken from vet practice

Athens Banner-Herald

Published Thursday, November 12, 2009
Buzz up!

Burglars broke a window of Crossroads Veterinary Hospital, 1785 U.S. Highway 29 N., sometime before 4 p.m. Monday and stole two computers with a total value of $1,400, Athens-Clarke police said.

2009-11-12T09:43:00.002-05:00

TEXAS STOLEN COMPUTERS ON EBAY http://www.prweb.com/releases/LeadsOnline/eBay/prweb3196044.htm

eBay Uses Online Database to Connect with Police to Keep Stolen Items Off the Popular Website

LeadsOnline, the Nation's largest online investigation tool, is the link between eBay and law enforcement that helps keep stolen property off the virtual shelves

Dallas, TX (Vocus/PRWEB ) November 12, 2009 -- eBay is committed to keeping stolen items from being posted and sold on their popular site. The world's largest online marketplace uses LeadsOnline, the nation's largest online investigative tool, to help keep their site free of stolen property that has been listed for sale or sold on eBay.

The First Responder Service through LeadsOnline is available to police 24 hours a day and provides search results within seconds. The online system can locate seller ID information for property listed on eBay and locate seller listings and sales history for property listed on eBay.

"LeadsOnline is a strong and important connection to law enforcement for eBay," says Paul Jones, director of retail partnerships with eBay. "This also helps us combat any other business and stolen goods issues that arise in the marketplace." LeadsOnline has been an official partner of eBay's for the past four years.

In addition to helping police find and recover stolen property posted on eBay, the LeadsOnline system is invaluable in helping break up larger crime rings where high-value bulk items are stolen and sold on the site. Because the system allows police to search eBay in a variety of ways, from names to seller history to serial numbers and item descriptions, stolen items are quickly uncovered.

"LeadsOnline is committed to helping eBay ensure a safe buying and selling environment for their millions of online customers," says Dave Finley, president and CEO of LeadsOnline.

Law enforcement agencies from across the country use LeadsOnline to search eBay for stolen property and report many successes. Listed here are just a few of the many stories of success from detectives who use LeadsOnline and eBay to solve cases:

Police in Maryland recovered a stolen $3,000 Cartier watch. The watch had not even been reported stolen yet when the police recovered it on an unrelated search warrant for drugs. Police found the watch on LeadsOnline web site in about ten minutes and had all the information they needed to go forward with charges.

A large corporation in Dayton Beach, Florida, reported the theft of eight new laptop computers from an IT storage area. Police were able to determine the seller's name, who just happened to be the brother of a former employee who had knowledge and access to the storage facility where the theft occurred. An elaborate sting using the US Postal inspectors, a local eBay sales store, and the police was set up. The police purchased the computer on eBay and had it delivered to an undercover operative in California who delivered it to the Daytona Beach PD. After some search warrants and hours of questioning police obtained warrants for the arrest of the former employee and the eBay seller. Police recovered four of the stolen computers and two others that the company didn't even know were stolen.

Police in Summit County, Colorado received a tip about a $3000 mountain bike for sale on eBay. The bike was stolen along with another $2700 bike from a motor vehicle. LeadsOnline allowed police to quickly obtain a name for the seller, which led to a windfall of information. Police made three arrests and recovered $25,000 in stolen property. Police credit LeadsOnline for providing the very first lead in the case.

Police in California received second-hand information related to stolen merchandise being offered on eBay by a seller in a neighboring city. After review police confirmed the merchandise (clothing) appeared to be stolen. Using LeadsOnline police not only identified the seller but found approx $42,000 worth of prior sales of the same clothing during the previous 90 days. Police immediately secured a search warrant and after service of the warrant an additional $25,000 of clothing and cash was recovered.

In one day, police in Grinnell, Iowa used LeadsOnline to find information about a suspicious seller, obtain a search warrant, and recover $20,000 of stolen property, and make an arrest.

LeadsOnline is the nation's largest online investigative system used by more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies to recover stolen property and solve crimes. Each day, millions of items are added to the LeadsOnline database by businesses including second-hand stores, scrap metal recyclers, pawnshops, and Internet drop-off stores across all 50 states. Those records are instantly available to law enforcement agencies, meaning crimes can be solved in seconds, not months. The LeadsOnline system, compatible with the NCIC, serves as an indispensible, efficient, and money-saving resource for detectives because it provides a cross-jurisdictional, instantaneous, and accurate database that stops criminals from escaping detection by selling stolen items in another city. An official eBay partner, LeadsOnline helps prevent illegal transactions on the eBay website by giving law enforcement access to the world's largest online marketplace through automatic upload of all eBay transactions into the LeadsOnline database. LeadsOnline also includes LeadsOnlabs, a system for tracking those involved in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamines; a Metal Theft Investigation System designed to track copper and other metal thefts; and cross-checks names of pawn customers against the OFAC SDN list of known terrorists and narcotics traffickers. Each year, LeadsOnline is credited with recovering millions of dollars in stolen goods and solving thousands of crimes that are often associated with bigger crimes, such as homicide, identity theft, and arson. Based in Dallas and led by President and CEO Dave Finley, LeadsOnline works with thousands of agencies throughout the country, including the New York Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, and the San Francisco Police Department. www.leadsonline.com

Public Relations/Media Inquiries:
Anne Clarrissimeaux, 214.552.0910
www.leadsonline.com

2009-11-11T17:24:00.002-05:00

GEORGIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.ajc.com/news/special-prosecutor-sought-to-193984.html

A North Georgia district attorney asked that a special prosecutor be named to decide if criminal charges should be brought against a Superior Court judge accused of taking state computers, insulting and threatening court staff and repeatedly failing to rule on cases.

Joe Hendricks -- district attorney for Pickens, Fannin and Gilmer Counties – made the request of state Attorney General Thurbert Baker on Wednesday, two days after the Judicial Qualifications Commission officially brought 11 counts of judicial misconduct against Judge Oliver Harris "Harry" Doss Jr.

Doss has said he will resign effective Dec. 5.

Hendricks wrote in his letter an outside prosecutor was needed because his office already had a “general awareness” of the alleged misconduct and because some of the “acts of misconduct have been directed personally against members of my staff.”

Baker’s office was closed for the Veterans Day holiday so no one could be reached for comment Wednesday on whether a special prosecutor will be appointed.

Doss did not respond to a message left on his cell phone and his attorney, Norman Underwood, declined to comment until he had spoken with his client.

Hendricks, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, repeated in his letter to Baker some of the 11 charges made by the Judicial Qualifications Commission. The allegations were the subject of a Nov. 1 Atlanta Journal-Constitution story.

Hendricks suspects Doss:

 May have committed simple battery or simple assault when he allegedly made contact with a law clerk and his secretary in an “insulting and provoking manner.” Hendricks also references an occasion when Doss allegedly threw documents at a Gilmer County clerk while in court.

 May have falsified a public document when he allegedly asked a probation officer to change paperwork to indicate that a Gilmer County defendant was give pre-trial diversion, a form of incarceration, instead of probation.

 May have stolen public documents when he “routinely and improperly took from the courthouses in Pickens, Gilmer and Fannin Counties the original and official clerk’s file of pending cases.”

 May have committed theft by conversion by a government official when he allegedly used county money to buy a baby seat for an employee and to allegedly distribute $300 in bonuses to his staff.

 May have committed theft by conversion also when he allegedly took four state-owned laptop computers.

Hendricks said Doss gave one laptop to his wife. “A significant amount [of] work for Ms. Doss’ private law practice was discovered [on the computer] as well as files that appeared to be related to Judge Doss’ judicial work,” Hendricks wrote.

The DA said Doss’ son got a laptop for his school work.

A laptop delivered to the judges office on May 30, 2008, “remains missing,” Hendricks wrote. “Reportedly it was disposed of when it failed to operate properly. This is suspicious given the fact that the computer was likely still under warranty when it disappeared.”

As for the fourth laptop. Henderson wrote that an inspection of the hard drive revealed “some disturbing pornographic images.”

One of those laptops -- it's unclear which one -- went to Doss' former law clerk to use in her private law practice.

Hendricks wrote that Doss claimed he was allowed to use the laptops for "non-judicial" purposes to compensate him for "the hours of of work done by my spouse and her staff and the use of my spouse's professional equipment for the benefit of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit."

The commission's charges also touch on his temperament and his competence, accusing him of undignified behavior and bias.

The commission, which is composed of seven volunteers, serves as judge and jury in formal trials of judges accused of misconduct. It then makes a recommendation to the Supreme Court of Georgia, which has final say on whether errant judges should be removed from the bench.

2009-11-11T17:17:00.004-05:00

PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTER STOLEN http://www.bloomutoday.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1053&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2533&hn=bloomutoday&he=.com

Stolen Laptop Contained Social Security Numbers of Students & Alumni
Bloomu.Edu 11.NOV.09

Bloomsburg-

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is notifying current and former students who were enrolled in psychology professor Julie Kontos' classes from spring 2004 through the summer of 2006 about the possible loss of their social security numbers when a laptop was stolen from a campus office.

On Nov. 1, several computers and small digital devices were stolen from offices in BU's Centennial Hall. One of the devices is a laptop computer owned by the psychology department for the use by Kontos, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Bloomsburg University Police are conducting an investigation.

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, it was determined that the laptop's hard drive contained student rosters for psychology classes Kontos taught, beginning with spring 2004. Class lists from spring 2004 through summer 2006 included student grades and social security numbers which, at that time, were used as student identification numbers. The university replaced social security numbers with alternate student identification numbers in fall 2006.

"We have identified and are in the process of contacting all of the 574 students who were enrolled in Professor Kontos' classes during that time period and alerting them to what has taken place," said Wayne Mohr, assistant vice president for technology. "We are encouraging them to sign up for free credit monitoring with one of the three major credit bureaus to watch for any suspicious activity.

"Bloomsburg University is diligent in maintaining the privacy of student information," he said. "Social security numbers are no longer available as student identification. As we move forward we will take appropriate steps to ensure that all information on individual university computers is more secure."

Affected students and alumni may direct questions to Wayne Mohr at (570) 389-4303.

To comment on this article in the forums click here.

- Bloomu.Edu

2009-11-11T13:47:00.001-05:00

PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTER STOLEN http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/local/ci_13756044?source=rss

Police log: Laptop stolen at hospital
CARL LINDQUIST -- The York Dispatch
Updated: 11/11/2009 09:45:44 AM EST

An encrypted laptop was stolen from a conference room at York Hospital, according to police and a hospital official.

The Dell laptop was stolen from the Knoch conference room, according to York City Police. An officer took the report at about 2 p.m. on Monday.

Hospital spokesman Barry Sparks said he didn't know whether any confidential patient information was stored on the computer. But he said it was encrypted, which means a user needs a code to access information on the computer.

He said it's common practice for health care workers to encrypt their computers to prevent unauthorized access. Police are investigating the theft.

2009-11-11T07:54:00.002-05:00

UK MoD COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6539725/MoD-loses-100-computers.html

MoD loses 100 computers

More than 100 Ministry of Defence computers and dozens more memory sticks have gone missing so far this year, it has been disclosed

Published: 7:00AM GMT 11 Nov 2009

Some 91 departmental laptops were lost or stolen in the first 10 months of 2009, as well as 23 desktop computers, according to official figures.

Another 47 USB flash memory devices have also disappeared.

They are the latest in a catalogue of losses over the past decade. About 1,500 MoD computers have now been lost or stolen since 2003.

Defence Minister Kevan Jones, who disclosed the latest figures to Parliament, said the problem was taken ''very seriously'' and that new measures were being introduced to tackle it.

While the number of laptops lost or stolen has fallen from 120 in the same period in 2008, the number of table top computers going missing has risen.

There have been 14 stolen and nine lost so far in 2009, up from eight stolen and four lost in the first 10 months of 2008

Mr Jones said: ''The MoD takes any loss of information and associated media storage devices very seriously and has robust procedures in place to mitigate against such occurrences.

''New processes, instructions and technological aids are also being implemented to mitigate human errors and raise awareness of every individual in the Department.''

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said the figures were the latest example of MoD incompetence under Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth.

He said: "It is deeply alarming that a department as sensitive as the MoD is continuing to lose large numbers of computers and memory sticks.

"The apparent increase in the number of desktops lost or stolen over the last year is of particular concern.

"Report after report has uncovered incompetence throughout the MoD. It is time Bob Ainsworth and his department got their act together."

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: "Despite repeated public embarrassment, nothing seems to change. It is beginning to look as if nothing goes right under Labour."

2009-11-11T07:45:00.002-05:00

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/EXCLUSIVE-Sheriffs-Dept-Same-Suspect-s-Stole-from/YykUWrC3GU638cEkb8AhqQ.cspx

EXCLUSIVE: Sheriff's Dept: Same Suspect(s) Stole from Dozens in the North County

Reported by: Elex Michaelson
Email: elex.michaelson@sandiego6.com
Last Update: 12:17 am

VISTA--Sheriff's detective believe the same person or group is responsible for dozens of burglaries at North County businesses.
Here is how Detective Robert Johnson of the Vista Sheriff's Department describe the criminal's MO:
The burglar generally waits until its dark and a business or industrial park is mostly empty
Then, they break into the lower-third of a window.
Next, they crawl into the building and steal electronics they can carry (i.e. TVs, computers, etc.)
Finally, they crawl back out of the building and run away.

Sunday night there were two burglaries at the 1400 block of Poinsettia Avenue in Vista, including Chad Gibson's G+B Marketing.

"I came here Monday morning and saw the glass all over the place and thought sure enough, this was a break in," said Gibson.

He noticed the thieves had checked out all the rest of the local businesses, but decided on his because of easy access. "There were greasy hand prints all over every suite up and down here...You can see the prints of their hands from looking in and checking this out."

Detective Johnson says Gibson is far from alone. "We've had 12 within the last month, I think we've had 50 cases within the last year." But that's just in Vista; Gibson said there have been dozens more in Carlsbad and San Marcos.

"It has to be the same group or same person, its the same MO...Whoever is doing it is doing the same thing every time and getting away with it," he said.

The burglar almost always hits areas that do not have video surveillance. Therefore, there is currently no suspect description.
As the search continues, Johnson has the following tips for business owners:
Install a loud alarm
Keep lights on after hours
Write down serial numbers on all electronics

Without serial numbers, Johnson said, you are basically "out of luck" when it comes to stolen goods. "If a deputy finds it in the back of the car, runs the serial number, if its in the NCIC system, we can get a hit as a stolen computer, otherwise if it is just a make or a model, there's hundreds, maybe thousands of those."

Sheriff's are asking for your help in trying to find the suspect. If you have any information, call (858)-565-5200.

2009-11-11T07:41:00.001-05:00

PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.timesherald.com/articles/2009/11/11/news/doc4afa43e60990b533902036.txt

Ex-Peco worker admits burglaries

Published: Wednesday, November 11, 2009

By KEITH PHUCAS
Times Herald Staff

COURTHOUSE — A former Peco Energy worker admitted stealing computers and other equipment at three of the company’s offices in 2007.
Robert Gravinese, 48, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty Tuesday burglary, according to Montgomery County court papers. His sentencing was deferred.

During the investigation, the defendant turned over at least 70 stolen items that he had taken from Peco offices in Montgomery and Chester counties.

Gravinese, who quit working for the energy supplier’s Facilities Department prior to the burglaries, still had master keys to buildings. He was identified on surveillance video inside the Peco Training Center, 2001 Gallagher Road, in Plymouth Meeting, according to a criminal complaint.

An office burglary was reported April 5, 2007 at a Peco office on Swedesford Road in Tredyffrin Township.

Five days later, the Peco Gas Plant offices on River Road in West Conshohocken reported a IBM Thinkpad computer, a computer monitor and other accessories missing, authorities reported.

On April 29, 2007, the former employee used a key to get into the training center in Plymouth Meeting and took a Lenovo T-60 laptop computer. Around this same time period, Gravinese returned to the Swedesford Road office and took a Canon scanner and digital camera, color printer, and IBM docking station, memory stick and a floppy disk drive.

As well, the burglar got into locked offices and employees’ cubicles and stole assorted tools, a wireless mouse and two pairs of binoculars, according to the affidavit.

When first confronted with the allegations by Plymouth Township Detective Jeffrey McGee on May 7, 2007, Gravinese denied having anything to do with the theft, but days later he admitted to the burglaries.

2009-11-10T17:11:00.002-05:00

OKLAHOMA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.edmondsun.com/local/local_story_314160645.html

November 10, 2009 03:06 pm

Business reports theft of laptop computers

Police are investigating the theft of two laptop computers and a video game system from an Edmond business.

On Sunday police met with an employee of Edmond TV Service, 721 W. Edmond Road, who told police that during the weekend someone had forcibly entered the business and stole the equipment, according to a report filed by Edmond Police Officer Paul Sinclair.

Police said someone used a large piece of wood to break out a window and then used it to knock in a piece of plywood covering the inside of the window to gain entry. The video game system was worth $200, and the laptop computers were worth $500.

No suspect information was available.

2009-11-10T15:55:00.003-05:00

HAWAII (UPDATE) COMPUTERS STOLEN

Principal: Children ones who suffer after theft
Laptop computers valued at $13,000?taken from Waihee
By LILA FJUIMOTO, Staff Writer
POSTED: November 10, 2009

WAIHEE - Some Waihee School students couldn't do online portions of their studies Monday and some teachers lost valuable lesson plans after laptop computers valued at about $13,000 were stolen in classroom break-ins over the weekend.

"It's just unfortunate that our kids have to suffer, being that we're trying so hard to give kids a great education with innovative curriculum," said Waihee School Principal Leila Hayashida. "When we get things like their computers taken away, it puts us a step back. It's violating for teachers and our kids. It's pretty desperate."

She said school officials were hoping to recover the laptops, which are believed to have been stolen between about 3 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday.

The burglary was discovered Saturday morning when school officials showed up for an academic planning workshop on campus and noticed broken doorknobs to classrooms. Although Friday was a furlough day for teachers and students, the school's custodial staff was on campus until about 3 p.m., Hayashida said, and would have noticed the damage to the doorknobs.

"We have burglaries every year. It's usually not this bad," she said. "Usually, it's one or two classrooms. This time, it seemed like they went through the whole campus."

She said doorknobs were broken off classroom doors, with the thieves apparently bypassing rooms when they couldn't break in and moving on to other classrooms. The rooms weren't ransacked, she said.

Most of the laptops were taken from student work stations, Hayashida said, and a few laptops of teachers also were stolen. Also missing were a jar filled with M&M's and six decks of playing cards used in math classes.

Twelve classrooms were hit, most in portable buildings, Hayashida said.

She said the thefts "absolutely" affected students' education, with some in grades 2 to 5 unable to do online work portions of new math curriculum. The school purchased Apple MacBooks because the new curriculum programs couldn't be run on older computers and required upgraded technology, Hayashida said.

The stolen laptops, which had state of Hawaii inventory tags and were labeled "Waihee School," were bought this year and last year.

She said the teachers whose laptops were stolen lost lesson plans they had spent years preparing and developing. "A really sad thing is there were years and years of teacher files with their lesson plans on it and the materials they custom-made for their classrooms.

"That just demonstrates how violating it is. But despite that, our kids and their teachers - we still keep on moving and we will persevere."

After responding to the school Saturday morning, police checked with neighbors. No one reported anything suspicious, police said. An investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information about the break-ins can call police at 244-6400 or Maui Crime Stoppers at 242-6966. Callers to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and are given a code number.

Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of people responsible for felony crimes.

Hayashida said school officials were still taking inventory Monday to determine what was missing.

In addition to having property stolen, the state incurred additional costs because Department of Accounting and General Services employees responded to secure the broken classroom doors Saturday and a locksmith was called to campus both Saturday and Sunday, she said.

The Waihee School burglary follows one that occurred between Oct. 22 and 24 at Lihikai School classrooms on South Papa Avenue in Kahului. Laptop computers were among property stolen in those break-ins.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.

2009-11-10T14:59:00.006-05:00

HAWAII COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2009/11november/20091110kauhighschool.htm

More computers stolen from Ka`u High School

November 10, 2009 - Pahala, Hawaii

Once again, Hawaii police find themselves investigating another computer burglary at Ka`u High School.

Police say that sometime between 4:15 p.m. Thursday, November 5 and 6:15 a.m. Monday, November 9, one or more persons forced entry into a classroom and stole four white Apple Mac Book computers valued at $3,600.

In October, nine black Lenovo laptops with a value of over $4,000 were stolen from the same school.

Police ask that anyone with information about the case call Officer Terence Ignacio at 939-2520 or the Police Department's non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

2009-11-10T14:23:00.002-05:00

CALIFORNIA COMPUTER STOLEN http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=5326

MENLO PARK
Grand theft reports:
■ Computer stolen for estimated loss of $999, East Palo Alto Academy High School at 475 Pope St., Oct. 30.

2009-11-10T13:42:00.001-05:00

FLORIDA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.lakecityjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=14&SubSectionID=74&ArticleID=5286

11/10/2009 12:20:00 PM

Columbia County Sheriff's Report November 10
Columbia County Sheriff's Office Deputies have charged five teenagers with two school burglaries that occurred over this past weekend. Fort White High School and Columbia High School were both burglarized. The suspects stole computers, cash, musical instruments and other items from the schools.

On Monday, November 9, 2009, Columbia High School offered a reward to anyone with information regarding the burglaries. A source of information contacted the School Resource Deputies at Columbia High School and provided them with a lead. The Deputies immediately began a thorough follow-up investigation.

Deputy Clint Dicks and Deputy James Finnell were able to contact the five suspects and conduct interviews. The juvenile suspects did confess to the burglaries at CHS and FWHS. Deputies were able to recover a large portion of the cash that was stolen from CHS along with computers and other equipment. A large safe from Columbia High School was recovered by Deputy Don Meyer after it was discovered buried on property in Fort White.

Deputies believe that Fort White High School was burglarized Friday night and Columbia High School was burglarized late Saturday night. The suspect range in age from 16 to 17 years old. Charges of burglary and grand theft will be levied against the juveniles.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office School Resource Deputies, with assistance from Detective Sgt Joe Vargo, were able to solve this case very quickly due to their rapport with the students and staff at the schools to which they are assigned. This close working relationship continues to create a positive and safe learning environment for our students.

The value of cash and property stolen is estimated at over $5000. The recovery of the majority of the stolen items has helped the Columbia County School Board recover quickly from their loss.

Additional charges may be filed against some of these suspects as past burglary cases are being investigated.