PowerBook - Stolen Mac?

jbesclapez · jbesclapez #1 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 02:00 PM

Hi all,

A person I know gave me a Powerbook G4. For free. Yes it is a good news because i do not know anything about mac world...

I just would like to know if this mac has been stolen or not... How could i know? I have the serial number of it. Is there a mac database to check?

Thanks for your advices...

pkny · pkny #2 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 06:00 PM

why dont you send it to me to test and i'll let you know if i got booked for using it

jbesclapez · jbesclapez #3 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 06:08 PM

So i presume nothing exists? :-)
Is not it a good idea to create a database like this... free abviously!! :-)

London Luke · London Luke #4 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 06:49 PM

ask your friend. If not use it and carry on living.How do i know that anything i buy second hand isnt stolen?? I ask for a receipt and keep a copy of the advertisment. Also....watchout for th eguys that sell a laptop.. then the same day etc report it stolen. so they might get insurance.

fleurya · fleurya #5 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 08:47 PM

Maybe you can go to an Apple store and tell them the story. They can look up the serial number and check it's history.

MinaMACMan · MinaMACMan #6 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 08:52 PM

Dude I gotta ask ya though. Why would you think that your FRIEND would give you a stolen Lappy?

cgchambers · cgchambers #7 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 09:15 PM

There is an application called Coconut Identity Card 2.2, this program has a tab in it that is called "stolen"

You enter the serial number and it is supposed to tell you if your mac is stolen, where it was made, how old it is, etc. Where it gets this information though, I have no idea.

Rule of thumb though, if you have a gut feeling something was stolen a lot of the time your feeling is correct.

Good luck

Sandwichman · Sandwichman #8 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 10:25 PM

Just ask your friend where s/he got the laptop and try and figure out why they're giving it away. Are they upgrading? Did they end up with too many computers themselves? Something from the office that they don't know what to do with?

If they won't tell you or are really vague, then you should be suspicious.

ambivalent · ambivalent #9 (**permalink**)

07-12-2007, 11:29 PM

its probably MY powerbook that got stolen.

go to the apple store, if someone reports a stolen laptop they put it in a database.

jbesclapez · jbesclapez #10 (**permalink**)

07-13-2007, 03:47 AM

Guys, I never said he was a friend!!!
I will live it like this so!

Thnaks all

London Luke · London Luke #11 (**permalink**)

07-13-2007, 09:52 AM

Maybe it was stolen??? who knows. But if you try to find out maybe you ar egoing to be in trouble. I bought a Ibook some years ago.... and found some files on it. It made me wonder. so i copied the files and sent them to the owner with a PAYG cell phone number. they called me and confirmed the laptop had been stolen...and they didnt need it back ! they just like the fact that I send them their files. they had gone out and replaced the laptop the day after it was stolen. It was now my reward for saving them a real problem as they had not backed up their info.

jbesclapez · jbesclapez #12 (**permalink**)

07-13-2007, 01:06 PM

Yep you had a great idea to do that...

I am still thinking that creating a small DB on MySQL and Apache (i mean free) to report stuffs like this (no police involved just direct links) would be a great idea for a website ....

cheez · cheez #13 (**permalink**)

07-13-2007, 05:26 PM

why u really care if that lappy is stolen ?
just have some fun with it

MMATruman · MMATruman #14 (**permalink**)

07-28-2007, 02:51 PM

Well I would want to know too. Definitely check out that program cgchambers mentioned.

Eric559 · Eric559 #15 (**permalink**)

07-28-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheez

why u really care if that lappy is stolen ?
just have some fun with it

You could possibly get charged with receiving stolen property if the person who gave it to him is ever caught.

jbesclapez, you could go to the local police department and ask if they have received any reports for a stolen laptop with your serial number.

fleurya #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 18, 2006 Location: Anytown, USA Posts: 4,876 Mac Specs: 27" iMac 2.7GHz Core i5, iPhone 4S, 3rd gen iPad	07-12-2007, 08:47 PM Maybe you can go to an Apple store and tell them the story. They can look up the serial number and check it's history. "Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others"
	QUOTE Thanks

Sandwichman #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 18, 2006 Posts: 238 Mac Specs: iMac 17" Intel Core Duo, 2 GB RAM + 20" ACD	07-12-2007, 10:25 PM Just ask your friend where s/he got the laptop and try and figure out why they're giving it away. Are they upgrading? Did they end up with too many computers themselves? Something from the office that they don't know what to do with? If they won't tell you or are really vague, then you should be suspicious. Sitting, waiting, wishing...
	QUOTE Thanks

ambivalent #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 28, 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 687 Mac Specs: Macbook Pro - iPhone	07-12-2007, 11:29 PM its probably MY powerbook that got stolen. go to the apple store, if someone reports a stolen laptop they put it in a database. She figured out that the only way to keep from being frozen was to stay in motion, and long ago converted most of her flesh into liquid. Now when she smells danger, she spills herself all over, like gasoline, and lights it.
	QUOTE Thanks

cheez #13 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 18, 2007 Location: Athens / Greece Posts: 113 Mac Specs: Macbook Pro 15,4" 2,2Ghz - Nvidia 8600GT - 2Gb Ram / iPhone 1st Gen 16gb	07-13-2007, 05:26 PM why u really care if that lappy is stolen ? just have some fun with it Everything Happens For A Reason That Serves You...
	QUOTE Thanks

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jbesclapez #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 12, 2007 Posts: 17	07-12-2007, 02:00 PM Hi all, A person I know gave me a Powerbook G4. For free. Yes it is a good news because i do not know anything about mac world... I just would like to know if this mac has been stolen or not... How could i know? I have the serial number of it. Is there a mac database to check? Thanks for your advices...
	QUOTE Thanks

pkny #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 10, 2004 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 108 Mac Specs: stock 17" 2.8ghz unibody mbp.	07-12-2007, 06:00 PM why dont you send it to me to test and i'll let you know if i got booked for using it
	QUOTE Thanks

London Luke #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 15, 2007 Posts: 106	07-12-2007, 06:49 PM ask your friend. If not use it and carry on living.How do i know that anything i buy second hand isnt stolen?? I ask for a receipt and keep a copy of the advertisment. Also....watchout for th eguys that sell a laptop.. then the same day etc report it stolen. so they might get insurance.
	QUOTE Thanks

MinaMACMan #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 16, 2007 Location: Redwood City, CA / Stanford, CA Posts: 1,792 Mac Specs: MacBook, Black, 2.0GHz C2D, 2GB RAMs, 160GB HD	07-12-2007, 08:52 PM Dude I gotta ask ya though. Why would you think that your FRIEND would give you a stolen Lappy?
	QUOTE Thanks

cgchambers #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 26, 2007 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 52 Mac Specs: MacBook Pro 2.6 w/4 gigs, Mac Pro Dual Quad 2.8's with 16 gigs of Ram, iMac 21" i5	07-12-2007, 09:15 PM There is an application called Coconut Identity Card 2.2, this program has a tab in it that is called "stolen" You enter the serial number and it is supposed to tell you if your mac is stolen, where it was made, how old it is, etc. Where it gets this information though, I have no idea. Rule of thumb though, if you have a gut feeling something was stolen a lot of the time your feeling is correct. Good luck
	QUOTE Thanks

jbesclapez #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 12, 2007 Posts: 17	07-13-2007, 03:47 AM Guys, I never said he was a friend!!! I will live it like this so! Thnaks all
	QUOTE Thanks

London Luke #11 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 15, 2007 Posts: 106	07-13-2007, 09:52 AM Maybe it was stolen??? who knows. But if you try to find out maybe you ar egoing to be in trouble. I bought a Ibook some years ago.... and found some files on it. It made me wonder. so i copied the files and sent them to the owner with a PAYG cell phone number. they called me and confirmed the laptop had been stolen...and they didnt need it back ! they just like the fact that I send them their files. they had gone out and replaced the laptop the day after it was stolen. It was now my reward for saving them a real problem as they had not backed up their info.
	QUOTE Thanks

jbesclapez #12 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 12, 2007 Posts: 17	07-13-2007, 01:06 PM Yep you had a great idea to do that... I am still thinking that creating a small DB on MySQL and Apache (i mean free) to report stuffs like this (no police involved just direct links) would be a great idea for a website ....
	QUOTE Thanks

MMATruman #14 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 24, 2007 Posts: 149 Mac Specs: 15" Matte, Macbook Pro 2.2 gHz, 2 GB Ram, 120GB HDD	07-28-2007, 02:51 PM Well I would want to know too. Definitely check out that program cgchambers mentioned.
	QUOTE Thanks

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