# How to check if you have stolen Macs/iPod



## iLabmAn

Hi!

I confiscated an iPod from a student who I suspect possesses stolen gear. How can I check if the iPod is stolen?


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## draz

Whoa

I am assuming you are a teacher but if you do indeed cross reference the serial number with Apple you will be violating his rights to privacy. As it is still his possession that you have confiscated, i am assuming against his wishes and he has not given you permission to do so. I would be very careful with persuing this, if his parents are even mildly legally inclined you will be served by their legal representative. (you could always call them anad ask them for permission or even if they are aware that their son or daughter owns an expensive iPod)

Otherwise this would be like you being forced to leave your keys with a parking attendant and then him running your cars VIN number and your insurance back ground to determine if you have valid insurance.That would be a violation of your right or privacy.

Even if it is stolen you may not be able to have any action taken as you means of ascertaining such is not legally sound. (you could of course explain this to your administration and have them take actions against him in the school system) In all probability it is stolen as these things have an incredibly high desire factor and theft rate to them.

You can of course check serial numbers on Apples web site, in the support section but i suspect if it is indeed stolen that it will not come up. It will merely tell you the date it was purchased. To ascertain wheter it is indeed stolen you would have to call Apple directly and even then they don't alwasy keep stolen s/n on file for their phone support staff. I guess you would just call them up, state your concern and go from there.

You can do this for your own knowledge but speak to yoru district police liason officer before attempting any type of proactive action. (keep a written copy of the serial number for your records if you do indeed do this) I am not sure how the legal rights of privacy work with in the school system but rights to privacy never change.


I just want to give you a heads up, as if this happend to my child with his iPod while at school i personally would persue legal recourse. And apple keeps a log of every call per product serial number while under warranty. 

good luck


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## Digital_Gary

> You can of course check serial numbers on Apples web site, in the support section but i suspect if it is indeed stolen that it will not come up.


Apple doesn't have a stolen serial number list. What makes you think it is stolen? Did you overhear the kid saying he stole it? If you have any concrete evidence, call the police and let them deal with it. If it was reported stolen, they will have the serial number on file and can question the kid on where he got it. If you have no evidence and are going on just a hunch, you could end up getting yourself into some trouble as draz explained.


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## MacME

yes i'd be careful. on what grounds did you confiscate this iPod? and what suspicions do you have about it being stolen?


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## mr.steevo

Hi,

This reminds me of when I was in school years ago. The teacher in our class (grade 10) confiscated a students Discman and refused to give it back at the end of the class. The next day it was all over the school as to what happend next. The kid called his dad and said that he just got his Discman taken away and that the person was still in the school. His dad called the police who came down a couple of hours later to deal with the complant. The kid was called to the office, spoke to the police, described the Discman in detail and was asked to identify the bully/thief. The kid said he knew which classroom the theif was in but didn't know his first name (who knows their teachers first name?). So he gets to the classroom with the police and the vice principle and the kid points to the teacher. After a lot of embarrased discussion with the police, the teacher was directed to return the Discman. 

This kid was a smart student and also knew what his rights were (back in 1988). I hope you took this iPod from one of the dumb students.

s.


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## lpkmckenna

Great story!


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## lpkmckenna

iLabmAn said:


> I confiscated an iPod from a student who I suspect possesses stolen gear. How can I check if the iPod is stolen?


Did you look in the Contacts? The contacts might give a clue about family or friends.

Did you look in Settings > About? The name of the iPod might give a clue (I called mine "Kev's nano").

I won't lecture you about the possible legalities of confiscating student property. I assume that the school board has policies about such things (fingers crossed). Besides, I'm not a lawyer or a teacher.


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## JumboJones

I did the exact same thing. By law the teacher has to give it back by the end of the day, or else it is theft. You may have some wiggle room if you demand that it be released only to the parents of the child. Otherwise, street-savvy kids can get you into some deep trouble, and remember ignorance of the law is not an excuse.

As for it being stolen itself, I'd try to talk to the parents and see if they bought it. Really it is none of your business but some parents may be inclined to co-operate. If this is a problem in you school, I'd suggest an iPod registry with the students or make them aware that their serial number is what prooves it's theirs and they should keep that on file. Or better yet get it engraved!


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## capitalK

I would look at the music on it, if it has Barry Manalow and Burt Bacharach on it then he stole it from some old dude.


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## HowEver

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## Applelover

If someone ever took my ipod, I would take an aluminum powerbook and beat them over the head with it. Actually....no...I wouldn't...I would throw an emac at their head.


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## The Doug

Applelover said:


> Actually....no...I wouldn't...I would throw an emac at their head.


No! Throw a Dell instead.


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## JumboJones

Applelover said:


> If someone ever took my ipod, I would take an aluminum powerbook and beat them over the head with it. Actually....no...I wouldn't...I would throw an emac at their head.


Most schools have PC's which would make better projectiles, I wouldn't waste a mac on that.  

Why was it taken away from the kid?


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## kloan

You took it away because you suspected it was stolen??

Your suspicions don't make you an investigator. If you think he's up to no good, report him. Taking his gear, stolen or not, isn't your move to make. You're a teacher, not a cop.


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## nxnw

mr.steevo said:


> This reminds me of when I was in school years ago. The teacher in our class (grade 10) confiscated a students Discman and refused to give it back at the end of the class. The next day it was all over the school as to what happend next. The kid called his dad and said that he just got his Discman taken away and that the person was still in the school. His dad called the police who came down a couple of hours later to deal with the complant. The kid was called to the office, spoke to the police, described the Discman in detail and was asked to identify the bully/thief. The kid said he knew which classroom the theif was in but didn't know his first name (who knows their teachers first name?). So he gets to the classroom with the police and the vice principle and the kid points to the teacher. After a lot of embarrased discussion with the police, the teacher was directed to return the Discman.
> 
> This kid was a smart student and also knew what his rights were (back in 1988).


Sounds to me more like the kid committed the criminal offence of Public Mischief. He deceived the police officer who, I suspect, was not pleased with the kid, and didn't think he was so smart.


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## MacDoc

Kids are citizens with all the rights under the Charter and in some cases MORE than an adult under the law.
Caution HIGHLY advised IMHO.


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## mr.steevo

nxnw said:


> Sounds to me more like the kid committed the criminal offence of Public Mischief. He deceived the police officer who, I suspect, was not pleased with the kid, and didn't think he was so smart.


Hi,

Apparently his dad called the police not the kid. Anyway, just something I remembered.

s.


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## lpkmckenna

kloan said:


> You took it away because you suspected it was stolen??
> 
> Your suspicions don't make you an investigator. If you think he's up to no good, report him. Taking his gear, stolen or not, isn't your move to make. You're a teacher, not a cop.


He didn't say he took it away BECAUSE he suspected it was stolen. Teachers confiscate things all the time (mostly when a student is toying with something when he ought to be paying attention).

Stop lecturing people. You're the one who is jumping to conclusions.


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## lpkmckenna

MacDoc said:


> Kids are citizens with all the rights under the Charter and in some cases MORE than an adult under the law.
> Caution HIGHLY advised IMHO.


Didn't the Supreme Court recently order a teenager to undergo a blood transfusion?

I think it would be more accurate to say minors enjoy the same human rights as adults, but not the same legal rights.


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## Sybersport

Thing is, if the kid actually stole it, there's no way he's gonna mention this incident to his parents, nor is he going to ask for the ipod back.

So, if there are no calls from the parents in a day or so, then chances are he snagged it 

Maybe it's mine actually, I had my lime green ipod mini stolen from the Athletic Club in London ON, on Wonderland, Sept. 7th at around 9pm...


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## HowEver

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## poisonmonkey

My understanding is that students in school are not protected by all the laws.

The teachers admin etc have become defacto guardians. That is why they are allowed to randomly search and seize items from lockers etc.

I learned that I OAC law... and from that day forward, everyone in class only brought pens and papers to school.


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## kloan

lpkmckenna said:



> He didn't say he took it away BECAUSE he suspected it was stolen. Teachers confiscate things all the time (mostly when a student is toying with something when he ought to be paying attention).
> 
> Stop lecturing people. You're the one who is jumping to conclusions.


WTF are you talking about.. 

"Hi!

I confiscated an iPod from a student who I suspect possesses stolen gear. How can I check if the iPod is stolen?"

It reads very easily the reason he confiscated it is because he thought it was stolen. Perhaps it's open to interpretation, but he's got no right to take anyone's gear whatever the reason. Teacher's are always on a power trip. They're there to teach curriculum, not morals and life's lessons.

Maybe he didn't take it because he thought it was stolen.. maybe he took it because it was the only way he could express his power of authority. Why speculate though when the way he worded it makes it obvious the reason he took it.

What I posted wasn't meant to be a lecture. Perhaps it took on that tone because of my own experiences with teachers in the distant past. I'm just saying he or any other teacher has absolutely no right to take somebody's things. So why attack my post?

Then again, if the kid knew any better, he would've refused to give it up instead of bending over like a punk.

Boy, my legs sure are tired from jumping to all these conclusions..


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## HowEver

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## mac_geek

iLabmAn said:


> Hi!
> 
> I confiscated an iPod from a student who I suspect possesses stolen gear. How can I check if the iPod is stolen?


If you really did this.. then not cool, man.. not cool.

If you wrote this just to get a bunch of people reacting and making a massive thread.. then not cool, man.. not cool.

Let's geek out on Mac hardware topics, not morals.


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## andrewenterprise

If a teacher ever tried to cofiscate my iPod because they think it was stolent, not only would they face HUGE embarassment, but they would be in for a shocker when admin came to them and told them to promptly. Give the kid his iPod back as its none of your business. Your not a cop, your a teacher! (I would guess)


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## kloan

Awesome HowEver, so glad you quoted me.

The whole point of editing my thread is to eleminate stuff I say when I'm pissed off. Way to stick it to me, jerk.

You can quote that one, won't be editing it.



Josh said:


> I bet you were a real joy to teach.


I'll take that bet.


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## draz

I am fiercely over protective of my family and would definately go nuts if anything of the sort took place at their place of learning. 

Even when in school your children never lose their rights. And i personally would go to unknown depths to attack (legally) any who broke those rights. After all these are children we are talking about.


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## draz

We have to remeber that i am assuming that the original post was meant not in a negative way but in terms of punishing a guilty party.

(i always have to be the devils advocate)


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## ncoffey

poisonmonkey said:


> My understanding is that students in school are not protected by all the laws.
> 
> The teachers admin etc have become defacto guardians. That is why they are allowed to randomly search and seize items from lockers etc.
> 
> I learned that I OAC law... and from that day forward, everyone in class only brought pens and papers to school.


(Note: Skip to the last sentence, everything else is fluff that I typed up to vent. 

Can the teachers physically take it from the student if they do not voluntarily give it up? Personally, I wouldn't trust some of my old teachers with my iPod, and probably would have just said no. Then again my iPod wouldn't have been a stolen one and I wouldn't fear the repurcussions. 

I think what a teacher should do in this instance is to inform the police and stay out of it. The primary reason for this is that if the student did actually steal it, then they're probably not above seeking out revenge against the one that ratted them out. It just comes with the territory. Some of the kids I went to school with would probably have at least egged the car or something. Though one of the more violent kids actually tried to burn the school down once for kicks. Funny to think that he's probably in jail now. Sad. The other reason the teacher should stay out of something like this is that it's only minor theft. I doubt the police would even care.

What schools these days need is a designated security force. People whose jobs it is to take care of this sort of incident. People who are trained for it. It may sound like a farfetched idea but take any random group of people and you're bound to get a few numbskulls. It would certainly solve the bullying problem that has plagued man since the dawn of his existence. Malls have security, so why not schools? (Answer: Malls have security to cut down on theft and save money. Schools don't care because their purpose isn't to make money.)

Then again, if schools were actually well organized we wouldn't have the smart kids in the same classes as the dumbasses up until grade 10 or 11. Woah, how did I get to this on the Mac & iPod forum? Shouldn't this be in "Everything Else"?


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## ncoffey

*Mod: -1 Flamebait*



draz said:


> I am fiercely over protective of my family and would definately go nuts if anything of the sort took place at their place of learning.
> 
> Even when in school your children never lose their rights. And i personally would go to unknown depths to attack (legally) any who broke those rights. After all these are children we are talking about.


Some of these children are violent criminals. They just haven't been caught yet. Think about it. They terrorize other children. They steal things. They get into fights all the time. Adults aren't allowed to do this with impunity, why are children? When children break the law it should be treated just like when an adult breaks the law. Maybe a stint in the joint will teach little Johnny not to beat the snot out of poor Pointdexter.


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## kloan

ncoffey said:


> Some of these children are violent criminals. They just haven't been caught yet. Think about it. They terrorize other children. They steal things. They get into fights all the time. Adults aren't allowed to do this with impunity, why are children? When children break the law it should be treated just like when an adult breaks the law. Maybe a stint in the joint will teach little Johnny not to beat the snot out of poor Pointdexter.


totally agree


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## HowEver

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## HowEver

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## ncoffey

HowEver said:


> Where I live, the smartest kids have been separated from the others since grade 4.
> 
> But it definitely isn't only a matter of intelligence that makes some children bullies. Same for teachers of course.
> 
> Still, it is unsurprising how many people in this thread entirely misunderstand the powers that a teacher has while in school.


I didn't mean to imply that intelligence had anything to do with it. That was just part of my ramblings. I'm not quite sure what power exactly a teacher has while in school since as far as I know they are not allowed to use corporal punishment. It doesn't seem to me that they're well trained in meting out any sort of punishment anyway. I always had better experiences in this area with the administrative staff. (Maybe it was just luck in my case, I don't know.)

I think where people are coming from is that a teacher has a specific role, and they shouldn't try and go outside of that role as they may have in the past. They should let the administration deal with anything beyond a kid not doing their homework for a number of reasons. (Training, job responsibilities, legality, and indeed their own safety) Taking this case as an example, the teacher may or may not have overstepped their bounds, I don't know. What they failed to do was to bring this case to a higher authority as I believe they should have done immediately. I don't think it's that big a deal since they presumably still have the iPod undamaged but that is how I think a case like this should be handled. We don't hold prisoners without some evidence against them for more than a a short amount of time so why should a teacher be able to seize property in the same way. (Terrorism acts of various sorts notwithstanding, and I know that property law doesn't work like that, but a teacher isn't a cop)


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## Macaholic

What happened to iLabmAn??


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## moonsocket

Macaholic said:


> What happened to iLabmAn??


Exactly


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## MacME

*iLabmAn* is afraid to come back cuz of all the bullies!


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## kloan

HowEver said:


> Here you go.
> 
> But really the only thing I was quoting for was the "don't lecture me" part.


i know..


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## iLabmAn

Hi.

Sorry. I've been on the can. 

Now, what were you all saying?...


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## moonsocket

iLabmAn said:


> Hi.
> 
> Sorry. I've been in the can.
> 
> Now, what were you all saying?...


lol


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## Macaholic

iLabmAn said:


> Hi.
> 
> Sorry. I've been in the can.
> 
> Now, what were you all saying?...


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## Dr.G.

iLabmAn, in these days of foolish litigations against teachers, be careful that you don't wind up "in the can". Here in NL, unless you confiscate an item that is harmful to other students (e.g., a knife), or is against school policies (e.g., no smoking in school), you would not be allowed to confiscate an item such as an iPod, iPod mini, iPod Shuffle, etc. You could request that it not be used in class, and if it was, then you could take it away from the student. However, to confiscate this item as potentially "stolen property" is against provincial law both in and outside of the schools. You would be allowed to confiscate drugs or alcohol if it were in plain sight, or request a search of the student's locker for these items, but it a good thing you are not teaching here in NL. 

As I said, it is sad the conditions that teachers have to work under, in that, at times, both parents and students are openly daring teachers to "do something", all the while facing legal consequences that are absurd (e.g., In California, a teacher was reprimanded by his board because he told a student that a particular essay was "poorly written" and needed to be rewritten to receive a passing grade. The student was so "traumatized", that he needed to be given medication to "calm his high anxiety". To me, this is absurd.). 

Good luck, my friend.


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## HowEver

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## tikibangout

iLabmAn, you can't just take something away because you think its stolen, give it back. I hope you get fired if it isn't stolen.


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## iLabmAn

Whoa now. Now we're gettin' personal.

There was a lot more behind this than I will convey in this board. There. I am done.

Anyone for some sushi?


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## 32bitJesus

CarbonKen said:


> I would look at the music on it, if it has Barry Manalow and Burt Bacharach on it then he stole it from some old dude.


I love Barry Manilow! (seriously)... I'm 20 years old... is that wrong?


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## lpkmckenna

Sushi? Count me in!


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## kloan

hmm.. i dunno.. parasites...


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## Chealion

Mmm Sushi...

That said, I think everyone went a bit overboard on this, iLabMan is a teacher and asked quite simply if it was possible to determine if an iPod was stolen or not. There wasn't any reason to jump on him without the back reason why the iPod was confiscated.


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## mac_geek

iLabmAn said:


> There was a lot more behind this than I will convey in this board.


Lemme guess.. you're a tormented Apple-loving lunatic that hangs out on Apple-related discussion boards scheming new ways to get gear without paying for it?

Okay.. enough with the thread.. I agree.. it's done!


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## mr.steevo

Hi,

You get the feeling people had troubles with their teachers and haven't gotten over the "trauma". I can't believe the attacks.

s.


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## Macaholic

kloan said:


> Awesome HowEver, so glad you quoted me. The whole point of editing my thread is to eleminate stuff I say when I'm pissed off.


Kloan originally posted @ 9:33pm.

Kloan last edits his post at 9:58pm; 25 minutes after his original post.

HowEver posts a reply to kloan, critical of him, a full hour after kloan edited his post. Given that HowEver's post refers to a portion of kloan's post that had been edited out by kloan, HowEver obviously chose to COPY+PASTE from the original email notification HowEver received of kloan's post, rather than respect kloan's retraction made before HowEver even got back into this thread.

That's dirty pool, HowEver.









And kloan, ya gotta watch it, dude. Been there. Done that, and foamy-mouthed flailings can definitely come back and bite ya on the arse.


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## Macaholic

mr.steevo said:


> Hi,
> You get the feeling people had troubles with their teachers and haven't gotten over the "trauma". I can't believe the attacks.


Well, we live in a very litigious society. Don't we? Right or wrong, **** can hit the fan in most unpleasant ways for any given stupid reason -- on both sides!  (**straddles middle-ground**)


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## HowEver

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