Laptop stolen in 03/06. IP address LOCATED but dont know what todo help.

[copiche]

Guys, back in march 2006 my wife's laptop was stolen in a brake in in our apartment. They also took an LCD 26" tv. GRRRRRR. HOWEVER, I had installed in the laptop a software that allows me to control it remotely and that software also captures the ip address of the computer once it logs in the interned from anywhere.
I have now the IP ADDRESS given that I have even seen the bastard surfing the web once I log in the computer to remote control it (which i only sit and watch to see if the guy would type in some personal info, because if i remote control it, I bet the guy would freak out and turn the computer off) .
I did a WHOIS search on the web for that ip address and Adelphia cable communications came back as the registered company for that ip address.
I have contacted adelphia and they told me to contact the guy who would give up the personal information for an ip address to track the person surfing the web w/ my wife's laptop. The person is supposedly the Director of Data and Network Security of adelphia but I have left messages 2 days ago but I bet he is too busy to return calls.
When the incident happened I reported to the police so i have a police report listing the stolen laptop and tv.
I have also called and left 2 messages to the detective for my case but then again, no returned calls.
During the robbery, there had been some other ones in my community and i suspect these guys are responsible for those too because it happened a few days ago mine happened. I believe these guys were on a streak of robberies, so If we track these bastards we would be helping others too.
Question: I did my homework to track the location of the suspect but I dont seem to be getting much help from these two parties. Is any other way to do this?

Help would be greatly appreciated. PM me if you need additional information. THANKS!!!!

[jimmalenko]

If the thief has any brains at all (I know, I know ), the laptop is quite possibly being used by someone completely innocent, who bought it off ebay or something.

[edDV]

Keep after that detective.

[stackner]

it seems he hasnt but if he REALLY had brains he would have reformatted the hdd removing anything like the program u installed on the laptop. but it seems he hasnt. sorry cant help though but atleast u got the ip ect....

[copiche]

He might be an innocent user, but still if this user is traced back he can confess where he got it from. Plus, I did one of those IP Locator by region searches online and it came back as still being here in florida not too far (driveable distance) away, which frustrates me even more.

[Robert Simandl]

I had similar difficulties getting the local cops to move when I filed charges against my ex-girlfriend for credit card fraud (she got my SSN and forged my signature on several CC applications). I went so far as to find her current address for them and they still did nothing.

I wrote a letter to the Sheriff himself asking if he could help me find out why, 9 months after I filed my report and three months after I gave the investigating deputies her address, this woman was still running around loose.

They arrested her within the week. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[BJ_M]

Keep after that detective.

exactly -- i doubt the isp would give you the address unless you are the NSA or the RIAA, but they would most often give it to the police ......

[edDV]

Copiche has done the legwork. The detective needs to make a few calls then get a warrant to recover the computer.

[ZAPPER]

Tell the cops that if they don't make a move, "Now!" Your next move will be calling a freind at the local TV station.


Not much makes me madder than lip service and inaction by tax leeches!

[Soopafresh]

PLEASE update us on progress. I'd love to know how this plays out.

[CrayonEater]

You can try to get an attorney to write a letter detailing the events and requesting the person's identity or;

You can contact your local police (who, presumably, handled the break in report) and let them know. You may wish to get a subpoena, which is more formal than #1, and inform the Abuse Department that you intend to press charges against this individual, but seek the advice of an attorney.

All ISPs must comply with law enforcement requests and subpoenas. Not all comply with letters from lawyers, but a great many will. Adelphia's Terms-Of-Service will give you an inkling as to what they can and cannot do.

It's important that you work quickly because not all ISPs maintain firewall logs for more than a month or two. And if he's still there in Florida you can probably rule out an eBay purchase; it's probably the thief himself or somebody who's been face-to-face with him. All the more reason to act fast.

You DO have to follow-up with law enforcement like anything else, and threatening to go to the media might be necessary if your locals consider a stolen laptop low-priority.

[kschang]

I wouldn't head for the media. Cops are constantly overworked and has bazillion cases they need to file / report / etc. If you have contacted the cop two or three times over the course of a week and still have not gotten any reply, then I'd go over his/her head and ask to speak to his/her captain.

[Faustus]

They have lojack for laptops now. Just thought I'd mention that because its pretty cool.

[ZAPPER]

I wouldn't head for the media. Cops are constantly overworked and has bazillion cases they need to file / report / etc. If you have contacted the cop two or three times over the course of a week and still have not gotten any reply, then I'd go over his/her head and ask to speak to his/her captain.

Good luck getting the cops to do anything (hey it could happen but don't hold your breath) unless you force their hands. The supervisor route might help, but an elected official like the Mayor or some loud mouthed councilman is likely to get better results.

Yes I know that the cops are overwhelmed with work, but a large part of that is their own fault. You would think that they would quickly clear an "easy" case to make the statistics on the board look better, but they are directed and motivated by other forces. (politics and economics)

You may be able to find a repo-man (recovery service) or a private investigator to just go and get it back, but even someone in town probally wouldn't do it for less than $250 and there may be some legal issues here.

I do have the good fortune to know a couple local TV personalities (Very casually) and even they really couldn't do anything unless their producers were wanting to put a hurt on someone. (But it does add some tooth to the media threat) I have actually dropped names with the media threat and got results. Maybe the threat worked or maybe the people just wanted to get me out of their face, but I was ready to use up any personal favors that I could have got if my bluff was called!

I don't advocate breaking the law to the extent of personal injury or property damage, but I don't think that if you actually locate the person with your property, that there would be anything wrong with you and a few of your larger, meaner looking friends asking for it back.

[Bjs]

Problem's with ip's is the can be static (good) or the other (given to user for time during logged setion = bad) .

I did this once before ...

For static , ther are ip tool's capable of determining ip address ...
As for non-static ... you need to get them at the time they are online ...

With the second ... you will need to seek legal representation , so as to force the reported service provider to hand over the detail's related to that ip address at that time ... then you have to take further action for the recovery of the pc ... having the original receipt , serial of unit will help .

Of course , even finger print's can come in handy as most stolen pc's have the user's finger print's all over them ... not many bother to clean the pc thoroughly ... not to forget dna ... hair found under key's belonging to original owner ... but that's going extreme .

Rip out all drive's , battery , lift keyboard ... use thumb to leave fingerprint on all ... etch initial's on all ... really ps thief's off .

As for static address's , the same applie's ... but getting the address is simpler .

Lookup http://neworder.box.sk/link.php?currentgrp=38543 ... down below " port scanner's"

Can't recall the program's name I used , but my mate in vic was happy I was able to recover his pc from a sydney address ... took me several gose ... fine turning program before server responded ... gave me the phone number along with address and bussiness name ...

It can be done ... it's a matter of them being online at the time you use the tool's ... and knowing how to adjust these tool's to get the right info returned .

[adam]

Even if the person using the laptop is an innocent purchaser you can still recover it from them if you file a replevin suit. It will then be their problem to go after the theif for their loss.

As Zapper said, there is nothing stopping you from getting together your biggest friends and going to his house and demanding it back. Its ultimately a bluff since you can't tresspass or even threaten to touch the guy but you can intimidate the hell out of him. Best bet is to go there and threaten to call the cops and let them sort it out unless he hands it over. If he's got stolen property on the premises than he'll more than likely cave in. Then turn him over to the cops anyway.

A repo man will not do you any good for recovering stolen items that are kept on private property. They have no way of getting it without tresspassing. Repo men are only used for recovering collatteral because then they have a contractual right to repossess so they can go just about anywhere they want.

Other than that there is really nothing you can do on your own without filing a replevin suit first. The best bet is to keep pressuring the detective and sometimes you really have to treat them like kids. I've had several experiences where the detective literally will do nothing unless you sit down with them and force their hand at every step. No offense to any detectives reading this but some of them obviously just stall on the smaller crimes hoping that the complaintant will give up.

[MJA]

he needs to move FAST before the dude format the hard drive

[canadateck]

Login to the Computer and send a Email to the ISP or the Police,Showing them that you do indeed have Control of YOUR Computer, then Maybe they will Get out of the Chair and help you.