Applying new technology to an old profession – thievery – high-tech thiefs are now using regular old bluetooth-enabled phones to locate laptops to steal.
An example is in Cambridge, England, where the thieves are locating laptops locked in the trunks of cars. The owners come back to find their trunk jimmied open, and the laptop that they thought was protected and safe in the trunk, gone.
“There have been a number of instances of this new technology being used to identify cars which have valuable electronics, including laptops, inside,” said Cambridge’s crime investigation unit spokesperson, Detective Sgt Al Funge. “The thieves are taking advantage of a relatively new technology, and people need to be aware that this is going on. We would urge people not to leave laptops, or anything of value, in their cars, and always de-activate these wireless connections when you’re not using a laptop – otherwise you’re making life easy for the thieves.”
So how do you avoid this happening?
First of all, turn your laptop off when you store it!
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But also, make sure that all of your bluetooth-enabled devices are set to default to not being discoverable.
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Isn’t a turned-off notebook incapable of sending a Bluetooth signal? You mean thieves search for laptops that were closed on Standby?
Women who name their devices after themselves might get a hello from a tech geek in a bar. ;)