Earlier this week, we posted about the public adjusters and contractors who show up at the scene of a house fire, often before all of the flames are even out. Reader Josh’s family has been through a fire recently, and he wrote in to warn people about a whole different set of entrepreneurs who might stop by your home after a fire…looters. [More]
After A House Fire, Watch Out For Actual Criminals, Not Just Scummy Contractors
By May 24, 2013
Thief Feels Awfully Bad About Stealing Couple’s Tandem Bike, Returns It With Apology Note
By January 11, 2013
When one of your possessions goes missing, often the feeling of personal loss over something you need and use in your life trumps the anger you might feel toward a thief. Like maybe the perp wouldn’t take your item if he or she knew what it meant to you, but it’s gone so that’s that. But in the case of a couple who needed their stolen tandem bike and counted on it to get around, it seems the thief actually did realize he’d done wrong. [More]
How To Keep Pickpockets Out Of Your Pants
By February 10, 2012
If you’ve been properly pickpocketed, you won’t realize you’ve lost your wallet until you need it next — most likely long after the crime has occurred. You’re more vulnerable to pickpockets when you travel, because many thieves make a living by stealing from wandering tourists who carry more cash than others. [More]
How To Scare Off Thieves By Making Your Home Seem Occupied
By January 13, 2011
If Home Alone taught us anything, it’s that even the most determined burglars get a little freaked out when it appears there’s activity going on at a targeted house. Not all of us have the wits of a young Macaulay Culkin and access to life-sized, mechanized Michael Jordan cutouts, though. [More]
How Often Is Your Car Model Stolen?
By August 3, 2010
The Highway Loss Data Institute keeps track of insurance claims for stolen cars, and it’s just released a list of the highest and lowest insurance claims for auto theft for 2007-09 models. The winner is the Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV, followed by the Ford F-250 pickup–both of these vehicles have a relatively high claim frequency and high average loss payment per claim of $9,600-$11,000. On the other end, the Mini Cooper and Toyota Sienna 4WD are infrequently stolen and have average loss payments of around $2,000. [More]
Thief Steals iPhone While Victim Is Participating In GPS Tracking Demo
By July 22, 2010
On Monday, a man in San Francisco rode his bike up to a woman holding an iPhone and snatched it out of her hand, then took off. What he didn’t know was that the woman had just walked out of her company’s office to test a new GPS program that provides real time tracking. She went back inside, gave the police location updates over the phone, and man was arrested a half-mile away, reports the San Francisco Chronicle’s Crime Scene blog. [More]
Sprint Employees Fired For Capturing Apple Store Shoplifter
By April 28, 2010
Two employees at the Sprint outlet at Cherry Creek Shopping Center, where that iPad customer had his pinkie ripped off by a criminal earlier this month, were fired for chasing down and holding a different shoplifter one day later. [More]
Help, Baggage Screeners Stole My Underwear!
By July 19, 2009
Careful travelers, there’s a panty-stealing baggage screener lurking in San Francisco’s international airport, according to reader Ari, whose girlfriend lost eight days worth of underwear on a recent trip.
Never Pack Your Jewelry In Checked Baggage
By July 3, 2009
My suitcase had been opened, my jewelry bag unzipped, and my fine jewelry (gold, diamonds, sapphires) had been hand picked out of the jewelry bag and the inexpensive jewelry (plastic, glass, metal) left strewn across my belongings inside my suitcase.
8 Ways To Ward Off Thieves While Traveling
By August 23, 2008
The summer travel season might be winding down, but that won’t stop thieves from trying to paw your precious valuables. Keep them at bay with the following eight tips…
Disgruntled Computer Technician Outs Super-Rich Tax Cheaters To The IRS
By July 15, 2008
U.S. law allows whistleblowers to collect 30 percent of any taxes recovered as a result of their information, and it seems that one disgruntled computer technician is taking advantage of the program. Meet Heinrich Kieber, a nefarious criminal-type turned “good guy” who will be testifying in front of the “Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Thursday via a video statement from a secret location,” according to ABC News. Mr. Keiber is from Liechtenstein, a tiny country with very secretive banking laws. He stole banking information that showed how the world’s super-rich were skirting their countries tax laws. Keiber then sold the information to tax authorities in 12 countries, including the U.S, hence the whole “secret location” thing.
Microsoft Keeps Your Repaired XBox For 4 Months, Calls You A Thief For Wanting It Back
By April 19, 2008
[protected-iframe id="b8f18f624db3162ddc3edeca28b1ece8-40783744-40309798" info="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.php?u=http://digg.com/xbox/Help_Microsoft_Thinks_I_m_A_Thief_For_Wanting_My_XBox_Back" width="55" height="82" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"]Microsoft hasn’t returned Tiffany’s XBox 360 for four months because they think she is a thief, even though she has her original receipt and a credit card statement proving that she is the console’s rightful owner. Microsoft repaired the XBox back in January and tried to return it via FedEx, but a shipping snafu landed the box back at Microsoft’s service center. Tiffany has called repeatedly. She even sent a letter to Microsoft’s legal department, after sending her receipt and statement, asking how else she could prove ownership. That was 22 days ago. She has yet to receive a response.
By March 21, 2008
As gas prices rise, fuel thieves come out of the woodwork. [Houston Chronicle]
Recover Stolen Purchases Without Breaking A Sweat
By March 15, 2008
Lars writes:
Something pretty bad happened to me the other week that ended up being pretty cool, and speaks well to the quality of customer service at my local Burlington Coat Factory.
All Saints Apparel Plagiarizes Shirt Design From Gaming Site 4 Color Rebellion
By February 23, 2008
Posh London retailer All Saints Apparel plagiarized a shirt design from the gaming site 4 color rebellion. The site originally unveiled the ‘You Complete Me’ tetris-heart figure for Valentine’s Day in 2006. Designer Mitch was surprised to find that All Saints had plastered the exact same design on a shirt selling for £40—that’s like, $90! Mitch asked All Saints for an explanation, which was enough to prompt a decent resolution.
Court Rules "World Yacht" Can Be Sued For Not Distributing Gratuities To Its Servers
By February 19, 2008
“Hold on,” you say to yourself—”If it’s a gratuity, doesn’t that by definition mean it goes to the wait staff?” Not if you’re a server for World Yacht, a “luxury dining fleet” in Manhattan that will now be sued by its employees for slapping automatic gratuities on diners’ bills, then keeping the extra money for itself. New York labor laws require “employers to pass on to workers any payments that customers understand to be tips,” but World Yacht argued that the banquet industry was exempt, and its servers should get nothing. Thanks to last week’s ruling, the employees can move forward with their suit.
