Share
As if losing a host of valuable electronic possessions wasn’t harrowing enough for burglary victim Victoria Richardson, the East Sussex wife and mother was made to suffer the humiliation of having her nose rubbed in it when the thief repeatedly boasted of the crime via her Facebook account.
Password protection helps prevent identity theft. Image: CarbonNYC/Flickr.
Mrs Richardson (42), already distraught after a burglary that resulted in the theft of her Toshiba notebook computer, an Apple iPhone, a Nintendo DS, and a purse containing cash and credit cards, was “spooked” when the thief left a series of mocking messages on the popular social networking service.
One message posted to the victim’s account proudly revealed that it had been composed “on my new laptop,” while another saw the thief thanking Mrs Richardson for the iPhone, saying that “listening to music on my new phone feels so good.”
Rubbing a little extra salt in the wound, the boastful thief also used the Facebook messages to explain certain goods had already been passed through a pawn shop and that not everything in Mrs Richardson’s property had been worth stealing – specifically the family television set, which was described as “rubbish”.
Speaking with local newspaper the Brighton Argus, Mrs Richardson said she felt the burglary had shifted from her physical space through to her online space, and such an invasion was merely a case of “rubbing my nose in it.”
Beyond outlining the necessity of efficient security systems for the home, Mrs Richardson’s story should also be seen as a cautionary tale as to the obvious attack vectors criminals can use when stolen computer hardware is not password protected.
Want regular updates from The Tech Herald? Follow us on Twitter.
Interested in a more interactive TTH? Join our Facebook Group.
Interested in a more interactive TTH? Join our Facebook Group Want regular updates from The Tech Herald? Follow us on Twitter
Advertising
Comment on this Story