Lt. William Farr, the head of the D.C. police bank robbery unit, told the Washington Post that investigators are playing catchup.
theft
Wachovia Hands $100,000 To Fake Armored Car Driver
By 1.12.08
I Call This My WaMu Nightmare
By 1.10.08
Reader Krissy writes in with an absolutely horrible story about dealing with WaMu after her purse was stolen. She’s been living without a checking account or debit card since October because of WaMu.
Best Buy Employees Busted For Switching Items Inside Boxes
By 1.4.08
For those of you who were wondering why you recently bought an empty box from Best Buy, look no further for your answer. Three Best Buy employees from a Bridgewater, NJ store were busted for removing items from their boxes and placing them inside the boxes of less expensive items, which they would then buy.
Thieves Steal 42" Plasma TV From Mall During Shopping Hours
By 12.31.07
Those post-holiday TV sales just aren’t enough for some people, because somehow, a 42″ plasma set used for display in a retail store in Albany, Georgia, was stolen from the counter during business hours.
By 12.29.07
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Texas: 14,800 pounds of stolen ground beef may be contaminated with E. coli, says the USDA. So, uh, just for now, don’t buy any ground beef from the back of a truck. [Reuters]
British Airways Flight Attendant Suspended For Eating Passenger's Leftover Muffin?
By 12.19.07
BA are treating the incident as theft after he was reported at Heathrow airport on Monday.
Only 3 Of 26 Items Turned In To NYC Transit Workers Made It To The Lost & Found
By 12.14.07
“Obviously, the results are disturbing,” said the inspector general, Barry L. Kluger. He added that the investigation was not meant “as a sting operation” and that it was not possible to know if the missing items were stolen by transit employees or simply “wound up in the bottom of a drawer or in a wastebasket.”
"Why I Never Want Anything To Do With Verizon Ever Ever Again"
By 12.11.07
Verizon is finally installing FiOS in my area. But I’ll never use it. I’ll never sign up for another Verizon account in my life, and I’m encouraging my parents to change to a different service when their Verizon cell contracts end soon. Over the course of eight months, I’ve become completely appalled at the horrible customer service I’ve gotten from that company.
Keep A Police-Accessible Record Of Your Serial Numbers With JustStolen
By 12.7.07
JustStolen offers a free online database where you can store information about your personal property—”Any descriptive information can be entered into the database including make, model, color, serial number and any thing else you can think of. You can even upload photographs of your items.” The company makes its data available for free to police departments everywhere, so they can locate the owners of recovered items by (for example) typing in a serial number. It’s based in Boston but, since it’s an Internet company, it can be used by consumers and police departments no matter where they’re located.
Minimize Your Risk Of Theft While Shopping
By 11.23.07
The Seattle PI has a report on car prowls at malls while victims are inside shopping, and some advice on how to minimize your risk. Never leave anything of value in your car, and don’t assume that by throwing a coat over it you’ll disguise it. Instead, put it in the trunk.
Quickly Spot Restaurant Tip Fraud On Your Credit Card Statement
By 11.15.07
Punny Money has a neat, simple trick for protecting yourself from restaurant tip fraud, which is when a waiter will change the numbers on your credit card receipt in order to increase his tip. The best way to prevent it is to match all your monthly receipts to your statement, but you can use this simple checksum technique to scan a statement and quickly spot any suspicious transactions without referring to your receipts.
LoJack Foils Customer's Car Theft Scam
By 11.2.07
If you’re going to report your vehicle has been stolen and then hide it in a friend’s backyard with license plates you grabbed from your boyfriend’s house, then make sure it doesn’t have a LoJack system installed first. A woman in San Diego did just that in an attempt to prevent it from being repossessed, but as soon as she filed the report with the police, they activated the system and traced the vehicle.
Predatory Tow Trucks Steal, Sell Cars To Junk Yards
By 10.6.07
Predatory Tow trucks are prowling about Florida, looking to gin up extra cash by hauling perfectly good cars to salvage yards. The tow truck operators make up to $100,000 each year by preying on seemingly abandoned cars. By the time the rightful owners start asking questions, their cars are already cubes.
Investigators say salvage yards aren’t held responsible as long as they get the proper paperwork.
Jerks Often Steal Checks And Money Orders From Mailboxes
By 9.29.07
You probably already knew that, but like Shemika, you probably didn’t think it would happen to you.
Gap Says Laptop Containing Job Applicant Data Stolen
By 9.28.07
Gap is disclosing that a laptop filled with job applicant data has been stolen. The laptop contained the personal information of 800,000 job applicants, including social security numbers.
Use Rust Stickers To Make Your Stuff Seem Like Junk?
By 9.22.07
Here’s a clever idea: Rust stickers that you can apply to your car or bike to make it seem crappy… even though it’s secretly awesome.
If You Buy Expensive Electronics, Be Careful. You Might Be Being Followed…
By 8.27.07
Hey there, he’s a tip from our good friends up in Canada: If you’re buying expensive electronics don’t assume you’re not being followed to your next destination!
Avoid Checking Valuables At The Philadelphia International Airport
By 8.27.07
According to evidence the Philadelphia Inquirer calls “anecdotal,” there seems to be a theft problem going on at the Philadelphia International Airport. Recently, quite a few baggage handlers were fired by US Airways for cooking the overtime logs in an attempt to get paid for work they never did.
