How To Check If A Laptop Is Stolen?

Laptop theft is the number one reported laptop crime. On online classifieds, auction sites, and sometimes on street corners, thieves can easily find buyers looking to get a great deal on a machine that may have been stolen or offered with questionable legal documentation. Regardless of whether you think it’s okay to buy a stolen device or not, considering that buying such a computer could put your private data at risk or otherwise place you in jeopardy legally (e.g., the police may never stop investigating!), the reality is, common sense dictates we all follow better judgment about whether our deals for laptops are legitimate.

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If you purchase a used laptop and in the process of trying to use it as if it were yours, you see someone walking towards you or looking at a screen and realize that there are other people’s personal data/information being stored on your laptop, what would most likely happen? The police will surround the spot where the laptop is, and they will seize your laptop while they link the info back to its rightful owner. Afterward, they’ll be taking your machine away from you. You’d be pretty upset because either you can prove that you made a money purchase of the device in good faith OR simply make no claims towards ownership of this computer at all. You’re out whatever cash you forked over for this supply. Here is how to check if a laptop is stolen?

What question do you need for a used laptop?

Even though an offer may be tempting, make sure to do your research beforehand, so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

  • Finding the right laptop for you is not something that should be rushed into, and doing a bit of research now can often ensure that things will go more smoothly later on.
  • Ask whether there’s history to the laptop, such as where it came from and how long it has been in use. Inquire about any original documentation or paperwork relating to the device, such as manuals, service receipts, or perhaps even some extra programming.
  • Potential buyers should feel comfortable enough to share this information with you if they have nothing to hide. Everyone shopping for a new laptop should be prepared to ask for a warranty or proof that they are receiving a high-quality product.
  • Is the computer being sold for an unreasonably low price? Before getting into a questionable deal, take a test drive by taking a quick look at the device.
  • The laptop screen should display vital information about Absolute, who can automatically delete/lock the device if it’s reported stolen.
  • Regardless of what you might be convinced of while reading this blog, before making any decisions, be sure to research similar products in detail.
  • Request a test drive, connect it to the internet and check with the customer help service, who will be able to guide you towards making the right decision when deciding whether or not to buy cheap laptops.

How to check if a laptop is stolen before buying?

Check to make sure the used laptop you’re putting all your money on isn’t stolen – one-fifth of stolen laptops end up being resold to unsuspecting buyers! The best way to make sure that the used laptop you’ve got your eyes on is legitimate is by asking any questions you might have before buying it to gauge whether or not the seller knows/cares about their product. Moreover, you should probably take a good long look at the machine itself and even check that its security measures are still functional to determine just how legitimate the sale is.

Documentation:

Make sure to ask the seller for proof of ownership. Some thieves will have stolen a laptop, but they may have lost the title or receipt that would have shown the laptop belonged to them – which is likely why they’re trying to sell it in the first place! So don’t just believe that you’re buying from someone without making sure first. Make sure to ask for proof if you’re concerned. Also, be sure to make a backup of your purchases, whether online or offline, by taking notes with you and them in your wallet.

Look for damage:

Inspect the laptop to ensure there are no signs of damage due to a laptop being forcefully removed from some anti-theft device. Some open-source laptops include a port lock slot but are smaller than a connection port. If there is any possibility of the anti-theft cable being forcibly removed, there will be some noticeable damage around the port lock slot.

Data and password:

Ask the seller to power up their device. If the laptop asks for a password, make sure they know it – legitimate sellers will. Even if there isn’t a password, check the documents, pictures, and video folders for any data that might reveal personal information. Most private sellers will wipe this data from their laptops before giving them to strangers to not be traced back to themselves through their digital footprint. Should you ask about fragmented images or other photos/data on there that are unrelated to one another – or have holes in time (no pictures between one year ago and now, for example) – feel free to ask about who these people are or what was going on in the life of the seller during those intervals which may help you paint a better picture of what is going on here.

Serial Number and Branding:

The laptop you want to purchase should identify its serial number. You should ensure that it is not tampered with and ask the seller to show you the serial number to confirm before making any significant financial transactions. Ensure that the device has not been stolen by obtaining all reported identifying information from law enforcement or by contacting its original manufacturer for more information about its owner and, thus, previous owners. The idea is to be 100% certain of your purchase in terms of authenticity so you can rest easy knowing that your money was well spent and that you are getting exactly what you paid for.

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Conclusion:

Buying a laptop is frustrating. There are many things you can do to prevent it, though. It’s recommended that you make sure to back up all the data on your laptop before purchasing one so that you can always recover from it whenever something goes wrong in the future. If you don’t have time to set this up when purchasing a new laptop, it will be a good idea to go over some other methods about how to check if a laptop is stolen.

Thousands of laptops are reported stolen and recovered each year. It is said that most thieves sell their stolen goods online. To avoid becoming a victim, you should do your research carefully before buying an old computer from private sellers or purchasing from unknown sites.

FAQ’s

Q1: Can I track my laptop with its serial number?

Yes, you can. A laptop serial number is a sequence of figures so it is a primary source of identification but it is difficult to track a laptop with its serial number but it can be used with other tracking sources. 

Q2: Can I block my stolen laptop?

No, this isn’t possible. If your laptop is lost or stolen change your passwords & other credentials. 

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