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View Full Version : Theft - A Warning Alert From A Friend!



Dr. J George
23-08-2006, 06:48 PM
Just received this from a very dear friend and herewith share this with you dear friends! Take Care - JG

Dear Dr J,

Greetings!

Please forward this to everyone you know so that they are aware of this
crime.

A few days ago, 7th August 2006, after work at around 6:30pm, while I
was at the traffic light waiting for the green light, I was robbed by 2
men on a motorbike, a crime that I thought would never happened. This
happened in Wangsa Maju, the traffic light after TAR College heading
towards JPJ Wangsa Maju. All the while, we've been cautioned to lock
the doors upon entering the car. I did just that without failed. That
is obviously not enough.

These rotten bastards (pardon my language) are getting more and more
daring. They must have followed my car and struck the moment it came
to a halt. It all happened so fast. After I heard a loud crash on my
window (like someone was throwing a heavy stone on my window glass),
the next thing I knew, someone was grabbing my handbag which I put on the
passenger's sit next to me and ran towards his accomplice who was
waiting in front. Had I known that this type of crime does happen and
had I had that caution at the back of my head, I may have been able to
react and save my handbag. So, please spread the words so that
everyone is aware of this.

Always be watchful wherever you are, no place is safe. What happened
to me took place in broad daylight, tens of cars and motorbikes around
(those who live in KL would know how it's like around 6:30pm where
everyone rushes back from work). No one moved an inch!! Gone are the
days when people would jump to your rescue when in need, can't blame
them much, these criminals can be highly dangerous. Ladies, keep in
mind (and guys remind those you care about):

1) Never to put your handbag (or anything at all for that matter
that may attracts the attention of these pathetic, lazy people) on the
seats. Keep them out of sight
2) If you can afford it, get your window glass tinted, it can
prevent the glass from falling into pieces immediately when someone is
trying to break it. This may deter these useless people from attacking
3) Always be watchful of any suspicious motorists around you. I
was caught off guard because all the while I thought by locking the
doors I am safe, I was wrong!!
4) As much as you can, try to avoid places where you have to make
too many stops at traffic lights
5) Scream for help when you are attacked, there may be some
Samaritans around.

It's not so much of the money you lose that matters most, it's the
hassle that you have to go through having lost your IC, ATM Cards,
Credit Cards, Driving License etc. The government dept. involved, the
banks, care less about how you lose all these, not only you have to
deal with the nightmare, they top-it-up with all the fees and penalties that
you have to pay for losing them, regardless of how!!

I hope by sharing this, we all learn a lesson from it.

Stay safe!

fRaNkY
24-08-2006, 10:09 AM
A good suggestion is always cover your handbag or expensive stuff on the front passenger seat with newspaper or sumthing. Or put it at the floor covered.

My colleague had his notebook stolen from his tinted serena at kayu taipan and he sat facing it. The thief broke the other side's window!

If you have a notebook from work... drive back home first! It seems the thief have some scanner device to deteck notebook in car. 2 other of my staff got their notebook stolen in uptown pj. One, just went upstair to fetch his wife and return less than 10 minutes. Same cases outside Kelana Parkview, kelana jaya.

Instead of using a notebook bag... use a backpack instead.

Be safe

Jokee
24-08-2006, 10:24 AM
If you have a notebook from work... drive back home first! It seems the thief have some scanner device to deteck notebook in car. 2 other of my staff got their notebook stolen in uptown pj. One, just went upstair to fetch his wife and return less than 10 minutes. Same cases outside Kelana Parkview, kelana jaya.

Instead of using a notebook bag... use a backpack instead.

Be safe
I believe that there is no such thing as a notebook scanner. You have mentioned to use a backpack instead. If there is such scanner, your advise would be useless isnt it? Anyway my experience working in Damansara Uptown. There are many IT companies there and those people will follow you from your office to anywhere you go even to your house unless you stay in a condo or you park inside your house. I have lost a notebook bag (without the notebook) because they assumed there is a notebook inside. Since then I am being careful and one fine day, I noticed someone following me. I lost them and suprised that 2 hours later I saw the same car again outside my office. Reported police and an unmarked police car came. We observed them and saw them following one female carrying a notebook bag. They police have to catch them red handed. I didnt follow up on the case.
Just becareful when carrying a notebook around. Your data is priceless.

kress
24-08-2006, 10:40 AM
According to one of my friends, it detects the notebook by scanning for battery power. He says that it should not be possible to detect it if you remove your battery from your notebook. But to be safe, i place the battery at one location and the notebook at another location. ;)

fRaNkY
24-08-2006, 10:47 AM
What I meant is, if you need to carry your note book around... on foot.. at public places.. . better to use a back pack. Not so obvious with a big DELL logo prominently on the nb bag.

Also, my staff went to pick up his wife (lock damage) and another (lock damage), meet up with a friend on two seperate occasion. Both of them and me are not working in uptown but in KL (building with whole floor for staff only parking and have CCD). It is not a daily routine to go there and they never open their boot. How did the thief knows? They could have target other cars but why these two? Also how the heck did the thief know there is a notebook in my colleague heavily tinted serena (window broken) behind the driver seat, on the floor, underneath the seat? The only thing we have in common at our cars are our car stickers... but I have yet to hear from the others about their boot open without anything stolen :D Xray vision like superman?

fRaNkY
24-08-2006, 10:48 AM
According to one of my friends, it detects the notebook by scanning for battery power. He says that it should not be possible to detect it if you remove your battery from your notebook. But to be safe, i place the battery at one location and the notebook at another location. ;)

Better still carry the battery on you... its a lot lighter....

Hmmm better careful with my cameras and the spare batteries... thks kress

Jokee
24-08-2006, 10:56 AM
What I meant is, if you need to carry your note book around... on foot.. at public places.. . better to use a back pack. Not so obvious with a big DELL logo prominently on the nb bag.

Also, my staff went to pick up his wife (lock damage) and another (lock damage), meet up with a friend on two seperate occasion. Both of them and me are not working in uptown but in KL (building with whole floor for staff only parking and have CCD). It is not a daily routine to go there and they never open their boot. How did the thief knows? They could have target other cars but why these two? Also how the heck did the thief know there is a notebook in my colleague heavily tinted serena (window broken) behind the driver seat, on the floor, underneath the seat? The only thing we have in common at our cars are our car stickers... but I have yet to hear from the others about their boot open without anything stolen :D Xray vision like superman?
In this case I agree with your backpack advise. As for both of your staff got their notebook stolen, please be extra careful as they have marked your area or office. Dont you find something wrong that both of them got their notebook stolen leaving from the same area? If you noticed, most of the stolen notebooks is either after leaving office or college, unless they put in in full view in the car.

chin_wan
24-08-2006, 11:03 AM
I believe if the thief have such device, they won't be doing such petty theft. I would imagine that such device would cost a lot.

kress
24-08-2006, 11:20 AM
was just surfing around... http://www.winkelmann.co.uk/hawk.htm :( i imagine one could get a chinese/taiwanese version of this quite easily.

kudat
24-08-2006, 11:24 AM
i dare hazard a guess....

if the laptop is not completely 'shut down' but is on 'standby mode', it is possible that there may be some electrical signature being emitted. But, i would think if the complete 'shut down' is carried out, there would be absolutely no electrical activity.

If there is such a device that can scan for notebooks, were those note books on 'standby' mode per chance?
:confused:

chin_wan
24-08-2006, 11:37 AM
For those thinking of getting a security film, kinda like V-Kool but with added security, should check out XDS SECURITY FILM. I saw the demo video where a guy uses a helmet to hit the screen and it won't break. However, from inside it is totally breakable for safety purposes. The cool thing is, it also works like a V-Kool.

There is a promotion for Toyota Wish owners. See the following:
http://wishclubmalaysia.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2695&start=0

GreyShadow
24-08-2006, 01:53 PM
I think such device has been mention many times here in usj.com.my

Me personally has seen such device working in my hand, it was build by one of my hardcore DIY friend. It's just a small handheld device about the size of a walkie talkie, with a coil at top. Once it's switched on, and put near any power source like eletric outlet or even dry cell, it's LED will start blinking and emitting a series of beeps, the closer you got to the power source the faster it will blink and the higher frequency of beeps.

I did ask him where he get the design from, he just won't tell and said it's top secret :(

So from what I see the capability of the device, even you took out the battery from the laptop it still can be detected. Unless you bring the battery with u lar :D

fRaNkY
24-08-2006, 05:03 PM
Hmmmm.. I remember a device checking walls for powersource incase accidently drilled into it or hack into it...

Btw, we OTed.... :D

nga_ying
24-08-2006, 06:42 PM
It is advisable not to put anything on the passenger's whether valuable or not, covered or not. It is not worth repairing the window. I've also heard of an incident where the motorbike pretends to knock your car on a busy street, and have the notebook stolen when the person came down to check.

As for the scanner, I would not be surprised that there are scanners that can detect electric circuitry, not just power source. If there is a strong enough electric pulse with long enough wavelength, I would believe a receiver can detect the interference, especially all the new notebooks with the various antennas. Unless my notebook have builtin passive Electronic Counter Measures (ECM)... and my car is equipped with active ECMs.

Zimon
24-08-2006, 08:43 PM
Car hijacking, handbag snatching and similar crimes are also happening in Australia ( http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/carjack-alert-lock-your-doors/2006/08/24/1156012638979.html )

What is this world coming to ???

chin_wan
25-08-2006, 12:45 PM
Internet is what is happening. It made information easy to access thus we are getting more than our fore-fathers are getting, making the situation looks worst that it is.