Bought a stolen laptop... help!

[Brandwin]

So my girlfriend bought a brand new lap top off her works message board. It’s like an electronic garage sell. The box was unopened, had all the paper work, brand new. She paid $400 for it. This was the end of 2006, fast forward to about a week or so ago, her computer had been acting up so she was going to wipe it clean and restore it. She went to order the discs so she could do that (they didn’t send them but had a slip in the box that said you can get the discs for free one time) well she ordered them online and was waiting to receive them. She decided to call today and speak to someone to see when she would receive them. The person she was talking to was giving her the run around so she asked to speak to a super visor. Well according to him, the lap top was reported stolen not long after it was purchased so they sent the gentleman she bought it from a new one.<O</O
<O</O

So basically he sold the old one to pay for his laptop, reported it stolen and got one with no money out of his pocket (or at least not full price)<O</O
<O</O

My question is this, can she get in trouble for buying that? Serial numbers etc are all on there. She called her Sisters husband who is a police officer and he wants to get the information, have her show him where the guys house is and he is going to run a scan in some stolen data base with the serial numbers and everything to see if it was really reported stolen.

<O</OJust wondering the process… also, is she pretty much going to be out a laptop now?<O</O

[Altimus]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

Not much they can do about it but refuse to give you the discs so you might have to get them from somewhere else.

And whats up with all the smilies?

[Brandwin]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

Didn't know I had smilies? Maybe because I typed it in my email at work and then copied and pasted here.

That's fine about the discs, but I am wondering if her lap top will be taken away (if so she is out that money and now will have to buy another) will she get into any kind of trouble ?

I hope the guy gets into trouble, that's BS that people do crap like that.

[McLite]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

Possession of stolen property is a felony here in Nevada...but I wouldn't worry about that. You nor your girlfriend had no idea it was stolen. A reasonable person would believe that purchasing a computer from a work related website, that is within the normal price of laptops, would not be stolen. It's not like you bought it for $50 out of guys trunk!

If I was investigating this the first thing I would do was run the serial number off the laptop to see if it has been reported stolen. If it was I would impound the computer and arrest the seller for obtaining money under false pretenses, you would be the victim, and sort sort of fraud charge which the original seller would be the victim.

If not I would contact the original company who sold it and see what they could tell me. If it was reported stolen to them I would see if they would please file a crime report listing it as stolen. Then I would find the seller and arrest him for the above charges. Sometimes though they won't because they already wrote it off. Then it's not considered stolen property and you can keep it. The company takes the loss.

It gets tricky because there are two victims, the original seller and you, and only one laptop.

[youvalss]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

Did u keep the receipt? It can help if some1 bothers u with this laptop.

[dkgojackets]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

I dont think garage sales give receipts....

I think you should be fine. Is the listing still on the message board? There's probably some sort of message trail of negotiations and such for the laptop to show that it was purchased from that guy, who could then get in trouble if he reported it stolen.

[Pared]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

Nothing they can do. They'd have to prove she stole it... and they're not going to go through all that.

Just buy a new copy of an OS and start from fresh that way.

[Chief Illinimac]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

I'm pretty sure nothing will happen to her. She should get to keep the laptop as well as avoid any legal problems. The only doubt I have is if you cannot prove that you purchased it from him. I would imagine the listing on the message board should be sufficient, so I imagine you are fine.

[mgoblue]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

Yeah, all in all Dookie you'll have to do more than this to get put in prison so you can get some lovin'. Nice try though! You'll get that inmate of your dreams if you keep at it.

[boomhauertjs]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

If that guy claimed the "stolen" laptop on his insurance (which I'm assuming he did in order to get a new one), I'm sure his insurance company would like to know that he filed a fraudulent claim.

Keep us up-to-date on what happens.

[Brandwin]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

I guess one thing that could have happened is, the guy she bought it from actualyl stole it from the person who said his was stolen.

I'll keep you all updated.

[ndeezlo]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

super visor.

All I can think is, this is something Steve Superior would love.

[Brandwin]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

All I can think is, this is something Steve Superior would love.

LOL! oops damn spell check.

[countryboy]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

Possession of stolen property is a felony here in Nevada...but I wouldn't worry about that. You nor your girlfriend had no idea it was stolen. A reasonable person would believe that purchasing a computer from a work related website, that is within the normal price of laptops, would not be stolen. It's not like you bought it for $50 out of guys trunk!

If I was investigating this the first thing I would do was run the serial number off the laptop to see if it has been reported stolen. If it was I would impound the computer and arrest the seller for obtaining money under false pretenses, you would be the victim, and sort sort of fraud charge which the original seller would be the victim.

If not I would contact the original company who sold it and see what they could tell me. If it was reported stolen to them I would see if they would please file a crime report listing it as stolen. Then I would find the seller and arrest him for the above charges. Sometimes though they won't because they already wrote it off. Then it's not considered stolen property and you can keep it. The company takes the loss.

It gets tricky because there are two victims, the original seller and you, and only one laptop.

I would offer my two cents, but I cannot offer anything better than this.

[p_rushing]

Re: Bought a stolen laptop... help!

They can't do anything to you, but they most certainly can take the laptop from you and you would have to sue to get your money back from the illegal seller.