Laptop users - look out!
 

Stopped at London Colney Sainsbury's last night on my way home - just off M25. Left my laptop and briefcase in the boot of my car. 15 minutes later, some B*****ds had smashed my rear window and made off with laptop, datacard, passport, PDA, paperwork and cash. Massive damage to the car, too (BMW estate). Herts Police say it happens at South Mimms and St Albans Sainsburys 3-4 times a week. Thieves have some method of detecting laptops that are not totally shut-down (something to do with network polling). SO BE CAREFUL. It's cost me 3 grand in lost gear and damage plus the added worry that someone has paperwork with all my personal details. By the way, Police wouldn't attend. If anyone offered a cheap Dell Latititde or IPAQ 1940, it may be mine. Two guys in dark green N reg mondeo caught on CCTV.

Sorry to hear about the theft. Had similar a couple of years ago, worst part was the loss of information on the lap top.

Heard similar about a gadget that thieves have to detect electrical, ie: Laptops in the boot of cars etc.

Thought it was an urban myth, guess not.

If you have Bluetooth make sure you disable it before you shut the laptop down.
All you need is a bluetooth mobile to detect other bluetooth users.
They look for signals near cars, if they get one and break into the car the b*****ds know they will get a laptop or a phone!

F*** I don't often leave my lap top in the car, but, I do have my blue tooth ear piece switched on and left in the car. If they are using blue tooth signals as a guide to break in then they may just try it and see what they find :o

It'd serve the twaats right if all they got was a bluetooth headset!!!

The waankers do make a mess of the car though.

Tim

There is no need to turn off bluetooth. Just set the bluetooth devices you use to remain invisible once they have been paired i.e so they don't broadcast their presence. It's the same sort of precaution you would take with a wireless network in not broadcasting the ssid.

You make it sound like they use some science here. Bottom line is that rep mobiles stand out a mile. Nice, newish car, BMW 3 series, Mondeo, Vectra etc. Suit jacket hanging up in back, mobile phone cradle. Good chance there will be a laptop or other valuables in the boot. I know of many poeple who have had their cars broken into speculatively. South Mimms has always been a hotspot for car crime. I don't stop there anymore, parly cos it takes an age to get back onto the motorway.

I agree with you that most company cars stand out in the car parks ... but ... they can either try a car on chance or use a gadget to check for lap tops etc on standby and guarantee their chances.

What ever, they all want their hands chopping off.