The Null Device

Camouflaged predators in the urban jungle

Laptop thieves have started using a new tactic: disguising themselves as employees, hanging around workplaces, often pretending to work there, and walking off with equipment. (via Rocknerd)

(When I worked at Melbourne University, in Carlton, we would often get emailed alerts of junkies from the nearby streets wandering the corridors, trying doors, and, when questioned, pretending to be students looking for a specific staff member.)

There are 5 comments on "Camouflaged predators in the urban jungle":

Posted by: gjw http://the-fix.org Tue Dec 2 20:50:40 2003

We've had a laptop, a projector and various other sundries stolen from our department in the last week. It seems to come in a real flood, so someone out there's obviously got a plan. We've been told to ask anyone we see "Can I Help You?", but it feels too much like working in a department store!

Posted by: CNWB http://cnwb.typepad.com/cnwb Wed Dec 3 00:58:30 2003

I work at a university, and laptop theft is seemingly rampant there. One tactic that's been used lately is to dress as a tradesperson (overalls, tools et al), use a ladder to climb into the ceiling (lifting one of those floating tiles) and dropping back down into a locked office - laptops, mobile phones, PDAs etc can easily be smuggled out in a toolbox.

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Wed Dec 3 04:00:08 2003

Where I work, they may not even need to do that; they can just wait for the cleaners to fail to properly close the door in the morning.

Posted by: 'Pete' http:// Thu Dec 4 06:03:16 2003

Where is it you work again? I mean the address....

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Thu Dec 4 07:13:49 2003

Police headquarters, St Kilda Rd. You can't miss it...