How to know if a MacBook is stolen?
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Guims45
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pierrephoto Posted messages 1534 Registration date Status Member Last intervention -
pierrephoto Posted messages 1534 Registration date Status Member Last intervention -
Hello,
I am being offered a brand new Mac Book Pro (still in its box) but without warranty (that's where it starts to get suspicious!)
However, it is being sold at an unbeatable price (about 50% off)
To prove his good faith, the seller is offering me to try the computer at home for 15 days before making my decision, which I find quite reasonable (or salesy?)...
I thought I could take advantage of this period to check the "legality" of the product, especially by communicating the serial numbers to Apple or the police.
However, according to a police officer, serial numbers are not very useful since 90% of people who have their computers stolen do not know their numbers (well, yes, they are marked on the machine..., unless you have memorized them!!...)
Do I have any other way to see if this Mac is stolen?
Or should I just rid myself of any bad conscience and jump on this good deal!
Thank you
Configuration: iPad / Safari 7534.48.3
I am being offered a brand new Mac Book Pro (still in its box) but without warranty (that's where it starts to get suspicious!)
However, it is being sold at an unbeatable price (about 50% off)
To prove his good faith, the seller is offering me to try the computer at home for 15 days before making my decision, which I find quite reasonable (or salesy?)...
I thought I could take advantage of this period to check the "legality" of the product, especially by communicating the serial numbers to Apple or the police.
However, according to a police officer, serial numbers are not very useful since 90% of people who have their computers stolen do not know their numbers (well, yes, they are marked on the machine..., unless you have memorized them!!...)
Do I have any other way to see if this Mac is stolen?
Or should I just rid myself of any bad conscience and jump on this good deal!
Thank you
Configuration: iPad / Safari 7534.48.3
3 answers
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Hello,
The serial number is also on the invoice. Therefore, the owner always knows the serial number if they purchased a Mac normally. (even secondhand, as it is essential to demand the invoice when buying).
By the way, where is this invoice?
And why without warranty? How does the seller justify these gaps?
It should be noted that a Mac does not only have a serial number but also a hardware number. This is called the MAC address. (nothing to do with a Mac).
All computers have a MAC address.
In the case of a stolen Mac, the owner has an invoice indicating the serial number and possibly the MAC address of this Mac. They may have also noted it down somewhere. If they reported the theft, they would have inevitably provided these numbers to the police station.
Finally, when a computer connects to the internet, it can be identified by its MAC address, which is unchanging. The MAC address + the IP number of connection will then indicate to the police, (if they are investigating this theft), where this computer is located.
And to conclude, if you buy a stolen computer, you will be guilty of receiving stolen property. And you won't convince anyone of your good faith when explaining the circumstances in which you purchased this Mac.
Now, it’s up to you as they say ...
Good evening
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Always indicate your EXACT CONFIGURATION: Mac model and Mac OS version!
Francis Sanspseudo - Intel iMac running OS 10.7 + iMac-G5 running Mac OS 10.5
