Laptop stolen, have thieves IP address - is there a tool I can use to get an address?

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › Laptop stolen, have thieves IP address - is there a tool I can use to get an address?

findIPaddress

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#229089 7-Feb-2018 12:31

My laptop was stolen.

It is usually locked but was unlocked,so they have managed to get into it.

It was an old Windows 7 Acer computer with Dropbox Desktop installed, so I have their IP address (122.x.x.x) from Dropbox and can see when they turn the computer on. I can see the ISP is Spark.

Are there any tools which might be able to get more information on the IP address?

(such as a street address)

I can upload files to the computer via Dropbox as well!

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#1952888 7-Feb-2018 12:33

Street address from an IP address no way! You need to take this information to the NZ Police and then they can go to Spark

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hio77

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Lizard Networks

#1952892 7-Feb-2018 12:36

While i can confirm that address is on our network, that's about all we would be able to do without the due process being followed.

File a stolen item report via the police, they will be able to process the order to obtain the records.

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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

1cloud

164 posts

Master Geek

#1952897 7-Feb-2018 12:42

findIPaddress:

I can upload files to the computer via Dropbox as well!

location service come to handy now

findIPaddress

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1952900 7-Feb-2018 12:46

Street address is "optimistic", but thought there might be some additional information I could gather and pass on to the police

I contacted the police and they said there was nothing they could do with the IP address. Its been three weeks and no one is assigned to our case yet.

RunningMan

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Uber Geek

#1952901 7-Feb-2018 12:47

Spark will have this information, but they can not and will not give it to you.

Assuming you have notified police of the original theft, go back to them with the IP address (and how/why you know your laptop is using this address), and they will be able to get the required info from Spark.

hio77

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Lizard Networks

#1952902 7-Feb-2018 12:49

1cloud:

findIPaddress:

I can upload files to the computer via Dropbox as well!

location service come to handy now

except until devices come with gps chips inside Your pushing it unless you depend on API's.

Even then, Your trusting that the person who has 'borrowed' your device hasn't untracked their AP, trained it elsewhere etc...

If your talking 3 weeks ago, that's getting into more historical records..... thus chance the device has since been onsold is higher.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Linux

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#1952903 7-Feb-2018 12:56

What is the value of the laptop?

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tripper1000

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#1952912 7-Feb-2018 13:05

findIPaddress:

Street address is "optimistic", but thought there might be some additional information I could gather and pass on to the police

I contacted the police and they said there was nothing they could do with the IP address. Its been three weeks and no one is assigned to our case yet.

You got feed a line - they can use IP addresses in k!ddy p0rn and kidnapping cases just fine. It is more likely the person you talked to has no motivation to do anything with the IP address.

It will be that it is not a high enough value crime when they've got bigger fish to fry. That mentality is a shame because small crimes begat bigger crimes, and small time criminals turn into big time criminals. A little effort invested now to nip it in the bud could avert a millions of dollar's worth of looses to society in the future and save the police a lot of future work.

Dynamic

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#1952917 7-Feb-2018 13:14

tripper1000:

It will be that it is not a high enough value crime when they've got bigger fish to fry. That mentality is a shame because small crimes begat bigger crimes, and small time criminals turn into big time criminals. A little effort invested now to nip it in the bud could avert a millions of dollar's worth of looses to society in the future and save the police a lot of future work.

This +1000 for multiple reasons

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cruxis

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1952929 7-Feb-2018 13:43

Maybe upload a "RAT" remote admin tool into your dropbox and label it something tempting for them to run. eg. "Bitcoin wallet". Its your PC so perfectly fine to do so.

xpd

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#1952940 7-Feb-2018 14:12

Or if concerned about data and them seeing it, throw a cryptolocker virus into DropBox, name it something enticing..... ;) Obviously kiss goodbye any files in Dropbox so backup those first and get a new Dropbox account to avoid anything coming back to your PC.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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surfisup1000

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#1952985 7-Feb-2018 15:28

hio77:

While i can confirm that address is on our network, that's about all we would be able to do without the due process being followed.

File a stolen item report via the police, they will be able to process the order to obtain the records.

Will they though? It is just a laptop, and maybe they won't be bothered too much (speaking with experience as a victim and cops not doing their job for whatever reason).

The cops seem slow/erratic at utilising leads such as gps / find my phone / ip addresses. Sometimes they will search a property based on gps evidence, sometimes they say they can't.

However, if "find my iphone" (or similar) says my phone is in someones house I expect this is sufficient evidence to search that place . Even if it was just a lost phone.

findIPaddress

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1953046 7-Feb-2018 15:44

surfisup1000:

hio77:

While i can confirm that address is on our network, that's about all we would be able to do without the due process being followed.

File a stolen item report via the police, they will be able to process the order to obtain the records.

Will they though? It is just a laptop, and maybe they won't be bothered too much (speaking with experience as a victim and cops not doing their job for whatever reason).

The cops seem slow/erratic at utilising leads such as gps / find my phone / ip addresses. Sometimes they will search a property based on gps evidence, sometimes they say they can't.

However, if "find my iphone" (or similar) says my phone is in someones house I expect this is sufficient evidence to search that place . Even if it was just a lost phone.

Unfortunately the forensic person who came to my house said even if you had "find my iphone" live showing the house the police were unlikely to follow up, as it requires a warrant and mightnt be considered sufficient by the judge. The just have higher priorities.

It seems a shame when it should be relatively low hanging fruit.

RunningMan

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Uber Geek

#1953047 7-Feb-2018 15:44

tripper1000:

[snip] It is more likely the person you talked to has no motivation to do anything with the IP address.

It's probably more likely they don't know what an IP address is than lack of motivation.

Dynamic

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#1953053 7-Feb-2018 15:50

surfisup1000:

.....However, if "find my iphone" (or similar) says my phone is in someones house I expect this is sufficient evidence to search that place . Even if it was just a lost phone.

Unfortunately not. There have been a couple of cases publicised where the Police have declined to follow up on confirmed GPS Tracking information.

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=Phone+tracking+app+%27insufficient+evidence

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=Theft+victim+traces+phone+I+couldn%27t+have+done+it+without+the+driver

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