Community Newsletter: Q&A: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have?
- 8/23/07 4:58 PM
Laptop Theft
by fatanky - 8/4/07 10:20 AM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Dave's story makes me mad! I had my laptop lifted while checking out a hotel in Barcelona at midday! En route to Dubai for a new client. Grrrr!
Anyway, I finally learnt the backups lesson; I had just joined @Backup and had not updated my account or something, so although I could "see" my folders at their website, I could not retrieve them! Not their fault, and I still use them. But my latest weapon is Carbonite, 50 bucks a year and backs up as much as you like..it's still doing the initial backup when I go online (takes several weeks if you're travelling like me).
Next time I stayed at the hotel and enquired if the police, who had taken away the lobby CCTV tape, had been in contact..blank stares, but I did get a fruit basket in my room..wow thanks. By the way, I am convinced a staff member was part of the team..I had "met" the distractor and the lifter, but reckon they needed desk staff to be temporarily away.. They also got my new digicamera and some irreplaceable professional docs..so I learnt a tough lesson. By the way, laptop theft is rife in Spain, especially at airports..
Good luck with compensation..please let us know..you'd have no chance in Europe, but maybe in USA? By the way, I also recommend a wire type security device that secures your laptop to something immovable, or at least discourages opportunists like you undoubtedly encountered.
I hope the crooks bank where I do
by deserttaxguy - 8/4/07 10:28 AM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
With cookies expiring (or not-)
The financial company's sending out new "confirming codes" just to use the passwords you already set up, I think its pretty unlikely they could do anything other than send out smut in your name to your friends in your email lists..Too, bad..
So, even with a list of your passwords and the account numbers I dont think anything will come of it because crooks are too stupid to know what to do anyway. I bet you can't remember or even change your email settings to interecept your own emails and shut down the old accounts, so some rummy dope addict will definitely have little to no success.
You didn't say your occupation, but if you work for the IRS or FBI, you should tell your boss.
Sorry you got robbed.
Think first , leaving them was your mistake
by Manpreetku - 8/4/07 10:36 AM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I doubt allot of people will feel sorry for you (hotel included).
They will probably play nice and give you a free night or dinner for your mistake.
Read the disclaimer posted on the door of EVERY Hotel room (1 star or 5 star) its almost the same verbatim across the country and probably the world.
Backing up your laptop is a "No brainer"
Dropping them off at the front desk should have been a "No Brainer"
Insurance? If you didn’t think of the first two then I’m sure this was not a consideration?
The poor thief is probably finding out now that 2 year old laptops don’t bring much at the pawn shop.
Stolen Laptops
by bjgosch - 8/4/07 11:27 AM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have recently had my laptop stolen as well. I luckily did not have any financial or important information stored on it. One thing that I have gotten since I recently purchased a new one was Lojack for Laptops by Computrace (www.lojackforlaptops.com). I feel safer now that I have it on there. I still do not leave my laptop somewhere that is not very secure for any extended periods of time, like my car.
idenity Theft
by rockgjmom - 8/4/07 11:45 AM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My husband's identity was stolen last year, so I thought a list of what we learned to combat identity thefy might help you.
Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name.
The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done.
There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them in their tracks.
The numbers are:
Equifax:1-800-525-6285
Experian:(formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union:1-800-680-7289
Social Security Administration(fraud line):1-800-269-0271
Lots more good tips here too
http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/identity-theft.html
there is a way: firewall
by mrobinsonjr - 8/4/07 12:04 PM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
i recommend a firewall. a firewall is a virtual wall on your computer that shields you from the internet enabling you to browse the internet without any body seeing whats on your computer. windows firewall is not enough to protect you. i use Norton Internet Security 2007 it includes a firewall. there are others like McAfee Personal Firewall Plus 2007 and others i highly recommend Norton Internet Security 2007 its pretty good.
A Firewall ???
by Dynochem - 8/4/07 3:11 PM In reply to: there is a way: firewall by mrobinsonjrDave asked: "In the future, IN CASE OF ANOTHER LOSS, what are some solid security measures I can use to prevent someone from obtaining what I have on my laptops?"
A firewall would be a big help... to the thief!
He could sit at home happily browsing through Dave's My Documents folder, secure in the knowledge that the firewall you suggested will prevent anyone else from stealing the files he's just stolen!
For the life of me I can't see how a firewall will prevent the thief from accessing the files in the laptop.
He's not trying to hack the hard drive... he's stolen the entire machine.
Norfolk and VB area
by DUSTY44 - 8/4/07 12:17 PM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Never had a laptop taken in that area but can tell you that the hotels and motels in that area dont care what happens to a visitor. It will not do much good to complain to the chamber of commerece as it is a stacked deck. In many cases even the police will just shrug and file a report.
Lost laptops
by cyberDJ-2038765336053745013836 - 8/4/07 2:34 PM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My wife and I had two laptops stolen from our room in an upscale hotel in Norfolk, Virginia last Saturday night. My question is somewhat open-ended.
Is a concern justified for identity theft from the info available on the machine?
Of course it is. This is no different from somebody breaking into your car or house.
That is why you have to secure your valuables so thieves have a harder time finding them.
Did you use strong passwords on both laptops?
How about biometric security?
If you did neither, you are probably screwed and you need to figure out what personal info was on there and start changing PINs, etc.
Having owned the laptops for 1 to 2 years and using them as the primary home/travel computer, it is safe to say that everything was on the hard drive. Not only the 20GB of pictures, nor the finance stuff, or the research database, or all the cookies, etc.; even the money for the cost of the computers is poof--gone. What is the concern that the community would have for such a loss: identity theft, system hijacking, sleepless nights, having to buy new ones, and so on.
Because laptops are portable, I would expect them to get stolen.
In the future, in case of another loss, what are some solid security measures I can use to prevent someone from obtaining what I have on my laptops?
>Use an online storage service so your business/financial data is physically elsewhere.
>Keep a large (500+ GB) external drive at home and back up your laptop to it each time you get home.
>Use a strong password for the OS.
>Use biometrics (fingerprint scanners) in addition to passwords.
>Use a strong password for individual files on the computer.
>Pass-protect your screen saver so the computer is locked once it is engaged.
Also, is the hotel responsible for replacement? We knowingly closed the door behind us when we went out, only to come back to a door ajar with the laptops/bags gone. We do want the hotel to review the letter that we will be sending to the local newspaper and all the travel magazines, in the event that they deny payment. Any suggestions?
The hotel probably has a "weasel" clause in their operating contract that let's them back out of being responsible for your stuff.
A letter might force them to step up to the plate.
Truth be known, the hotel can't replace your data so work on not losing that the next time.
Laptops can be replaced. That's the easy part.
Good luck to you and your wife.
stolen laptops
by riteon - 8/4/07 2:41 PM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Yes! you definitely should be concerned about identity theft. Do you have a backup of your info. You should review all your credit cards & advise them of the theft as well as your banks & other financial holdings. Notify your insurance company immediately.
As for the motel, Most hotels & motels have a policy stating that they are not responsible for items left in the guests' hotel rooms, valuables should be placed in a security box available at the front desk. You can contact the motel but it is doubtful you will receive any recourse from them.
re: covering the laptops
by loans4home - 8/4/07 2:51 PM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
your home owners insurance will cover the stolen items (happened to us in Hawaii at the airport someone stole our camcorder but worse they stole the tapes!) If the hotel reimburses it would be under goodwill not that they assume responsibility you should ask them to check their records for activity on the keycard during the time you were out they can tell if a pass key was used .
Stolen Laptops.
by PECONET - 8/4/07 3:41 PM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Dave,
You could claim off your house insurence, as for the hotel giving you any compensation i would not think so.
On to security of your new laptops, get some good security software that locks your harddrive down so that no one can have access to it. There is some very good security software on the market that will lock your harddrive and computer down. Do have a full backup on a server or your own computer at home.
Good luck in the future.
Reporting & Damage Control, Recovery, Preventative Measures
by Eradikator - 8/17/07 3:53 PM In reply to: My laptop was stolen, what concerns should I have? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hey Dave, You should be concerned. If I were you, here's what I'd do in three stages. The first two stages should be happening now and pretty close to simultaneously until complete. Part I is Reporting and Damage Control, Part II is Recovery, and Part III is Future Preventative Measures to avoid a similar situation.
Part I: Reporting and Damage Control
1) Obtain a copy of the police report associated with the theft.
2) Contact the major credit bureaus. For you AND your wife, have them place a fraud alert on your credit reports for your SSAN and hers (initial fraud alert is good for 90 days and extendable up to 7 years), tell them you want a copy of your credit report (and ask them to ensure only the last four digits of your SSAN are shown on these reports), and get and additional information or advice they can give you: Equifax — 1-800-525-6285; Trans Union — 1-800-680-7289 or Experian — 1-888-397-3742.
3) Contact you credit card companies and tell them what happened; they should refer you to their anti-fraud department or some department with a similar name. They should offer to transfer your balance to a new card number and send you new cards. If fraudulent purchases have already been made, ask them how you go about disputing the fraudulent charges.
4) If new, fraudulent accounts have been opened, report it to the local police where the account was opened and to the FTC (see step 9 below). Obtain an ID Theft Report from the local police and/or the FTC. While waiting for the latter report, contact the company with whom the account was opened. Tell them it is a fraudulent account and a case of ID Theft and a formal report will be forthcoming, and ask the company to explain to you how to go about disputing any charges.
5) Contact your bank and other financial/investment institutions. They should offer to change your accounts, also.
6) Do the same for any and all accounts you have that could be compromised: eBay, PayPal, BidPay, whatever.
7) Do the same for mortgages or car loans or personal loans you have.
8) Contact the police where you live and let them know what has happened, especially if you feel your safety is in question (most likely it is not, but still do it).
9) Report what happened to the FTC's ID Theft Hotline-1-877-438-4338 and ask them for any help they can provide
10) Notify the Social Security Adminsitration, 1-800-772-1213. Let them know what happened. Get it on the record. In some instances, if fradulent use of you number occurs, you can get a new number.
11) Now either take the money you have out of savings or borrow money in order to pay off all outstanding credit that you can; then close the accounts. Close the accounts means when you pay the balance off, tell the creditor you want the account closed.
Part II: Recovery
12) Report the theft to your household goods/homeowner insurance carrier. Many policies cover personal items stolen while traveling and some even offer coverage so you can have your locks changed at home, the cost of new drivers license if that number is compromised and must be changed, and more.
13) If your insurance company says you're not covered, or if you do not have coverage, get a lawyer to look at your policy and to explain the laws in Virginia regarding hotel liability in a situation such as this.
14) Open new accounts as required, since you closed all the old ones. Whenever possible, open the accounts such as MasterCard, Visa, whatever, with entirely new companies; that is, different companies from your previous accounts.
Part III: Future Preventative Measures
15) Subscribe to a credit monitoring service that monitors your credit and immediately reports significant changes in same; i.e., large purchases, unauthorized purchases, etc.
16) Do not store any personal information on your travel computer's hard drive. If you need personal information when you travel, keep it on a flash drive. After you use your computer on-line when traveling, run a sweeper and washer to clean all traces of your surfing off the laptop.
17) Back up your laptop's hard drive at home on an external hard drive so you don't loose what's on your hard drive should this ever happen again.
Finally, vote for politicians who support the death penalty for ID Theft -- just kidding ;>)
Re: 2 laptops
by loans4home - 8/4/07 4:35 PM In reply to: Reporting & Damage Control, Recovery, Preventative Measures by EradikatorPlease do NOT close your old credit cards (this can do irrepairable damage to your credit score) simply have them flagged and with same creditor have them transfer balances to new acct. Go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp and secure for both you and your wife (don't bother with credit scores they charge and does not matter) from ALL 3 bureaus current copies of your credit reports (please do this yourselves as it allows you to have contact with the 3 bureaus and does NOT count against your scores as it would if a 3rd party pulls) then put a possible identity theft clause in your files valid for 3-6 months depending on bureau.
Is that all?
by pj-mckay - 8/18/07 2:29 AM In reply to: Reporting & Damage Control, Recovery, Preventative Measures by EradikatorWhat chance does anyone have of gathering all this when they are away from home? NONE, I'd say!
I guess the solution has to be Keep It Simple. Only take what you need, carry few cards and keep the contact details somewhere else.
And make sure you encrypt the laptop and PDA to stop anyone impersonating you!
No particular point in looking for someone to blame. Did they need to take more than one laptop? Did they definitely close the door properly? Is the hotel negligent or just unlucky that some lowlife targetted there that day. After all, you wouldn't say you were negligent if a crook broke into your home, so there's no automatic right to blame a hotel that may have acted in good faith. Lifes a ***** at times but we can all help by reducing the impact of such distressing theft by planning 'that it might happen'.
I maintain data backup of my PC in ythe knowledge that it will crash one day. The OS is unimportant as I can simply reload one. MY DATA is ultra important, therefore I store the NAS drive elsewhere in the house in case some lowlife steals my PC. Yep, a fire will be outwith my planning but you can only do so much! The point is... plan ahead with a 'what if' theory then make some decisions.
We've all got too much to lose, and have to take some control of that rather than simply blame everyone else! Money is of no value when it comes to sentiments, one-off photos etc. When they're gone, they're gone for good.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
