The World's most Ingenious Thief • Hacker News Board

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#51

Post by scotty79 » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 1:23 AM UTC

almost wrote: post #29

I wonder how much of the story is true and how much is fabricated by the ego of this guy. It would be all the more believable to the cops interviewing him, they want to believe that they caught the ultimate criminal mastermind. Of course bits of it must be true, the bits with solid corroborating evidence, but I wonder if the truth is quite so cool and impressive?

That's a good thing then, that he videotaped cool and impressive stuff he did and kept records from security cameras that were in place while he was operating.

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#52

Post by scotty79 » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 1:25 AM UTC

proee wrote: post #34

I wonder why he never tried to sell the Star of Empress Sisi. Seems he had enough connections that someone could find a buyer on the black market no?

Maybe he didn't steal it for cash but just for the thrill of it? Do you sell in your cups and diplomas?

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#53

Post by ekanes » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 1:27 AM UTC

mroman wrote: post #10

mseebach wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You know what I like about this guy? that he did not prey on the weak. He preyed on those bigger and stronger than him. Oh please with the righteous Robin Hood ethics. First, they were not stronger than him, that how he got in. Second, just because you're a bank, it doesn't mean having hundreds of thousands stolen doesn't impact anyone, or is somehow just, for that matter. Third, what do you call framing the Brink-…

Interesting, that you would attribute "righteous Robin Hood ethics" to my post. Not so. Read what I wrote. They were stronger than him in the sense that they had more resources than he did. That they failed to utilize those in an efficient manner is another matter altogether. Nor did I say that stealing from a bank is just, or that it did not impact anyone. Framing the brinks guy? Was the man charged or convicted? No…

"Withdrawing from thousands of cards, thereby circumventing the security of financial institutions (who have billions available to them) qualifies as taking on stronger forces."

No. He stole money from people. Thousands of them. Actual people's actual cards. If someone did this with your card, I doubt you would say they stole from your bank.

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#54

Post by scotty79 » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 1:33 AM UTC

kevingadd wrote: post #5

I have to wonder if the guy actually wants to turn his life around. If you look at it rationally, he got off pretty easy - 2 years imprisonment, and some probation - and there's no way to be sure that he actually told them about everything or gave back all of the money. With the kind of stuff he did, he could easily have had enough money stored away to pay reasonable 'restitution' and still have plenty left over in o…

If you were him how would you make a safe transition between criminal world and legal world that would guarantee that you will be able to sleep well every night till you die of old age?

He is not mafia type guy. How long do you think it would take for him to start being the target for guys that hurt people that would want to use such skill as his?

He's a clever guy, don't you think he might be asking himself similar questions?

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#55

Post by Cleanthes » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 1:56 AM UTC

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #35

This dovetails almost exactly into that "psychopaths among us" piece on here about a week ago. This is a guy that needs to stay in jail.

It's unlikely that a psychopath would refuse to testify against his partners in crime in return for a shorter prison sentence.

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#56

Post by mroman » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 2:03 AM UTC

benologist wrote: post #49

mroman wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[[[YAWN]]] Yes it is stealing, since the bank is aware that people are forced by circumstance into using their "services". It was either use that bank, or not order the parts I needed. Defending banks in this day and age denotes a lack of brains AND moral fiber [[[YAWN]]]

Calling it stealing when you walk into the bank and ask for permission to store your money there and use their services denotes a little something too.

Oh noes, another one defending the banks . . . look, it's very SIMPLE: overcharging clients that much simply because the bank in question CAN is predatory to the point where it amounts to stealing, there is no justification for charging that much, specially in a country as poverty ridden as this one. If you like overpaying that much, suit yourself, but defending such institutions at this point is beyond ludicrous.

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#57

Post by benologist » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 2:42 AM UTC

mroman wrote: post #56

benologist wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling it stealing when you walk into the bank and ask for permission to store your money there and use their services denotes a little something too.

Oh noes, another one defending the banks . . . look, it's very SIMPLE: overcharging clients that much simply because the bank in question CAN is predatory to the point where it amounts to stealing, there is no justification for charging that much, specially in a country as poverty ridden as this one. If you like overpaying that much, suit yourself, but defending such institutions at this point is beyond ludicrous.

http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/poverty.jpg

That is poverty. $5 bank fees is not. Get a new bank or make fewer deposits.

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#58

Post by darien » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 3:03 AM UTC

aphyr wrote: post #38

You have to give the guy credit. Arrested, he escapes into the ceiling tiles, steals a uniform, and walks out the front door. Arrested by a frackin SWAT team, he steals the squad car he's placed in and makes a run for it? Hats off, ladies and gentlemen; we have a winner.

What I'm afraid of are the multitudes of copycat buglers who may look up to him as a role model, meanwhile causing more harm than good.

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#59

Post by mroman » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 3:32 AM UTC

benologist wrote: post #57

mroman wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh noes, another one defending the banks . . . look, it's very SIMPLE: overcharging clients that much simply because the bank in question CAN is predatory to the point where it amounts to stealing, there is no justification for charging that much, specially in a country as poverty ridden as this one. If you like overpaying that much, suit yourself, but defending such institutions at this point is beyond ludicrous.

http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/poverty.jpg That is poverty. $5 bank fees is not. Get a new bank or make fewer deposits.

Hey, a-hole

Those are daily scenes in this (The Republic of Colombia) country

How dare you

Go F yourself

Re: The World's most Ingenious Thief

#60

Post by benologist » Thu, Mar 25, 2010, 3:36 AM UTC

mroman wrote: post #59

benologist wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/poverty.jpg That is poverty. $5 bank fees is not. Get a new bank or make fewer deposits.

Hey, a-hole Those are daily scenes in this (The Republic of Colombia) country How dare you Go F yourself

You're in Colombia? I find it pretty hard to believe any latino in Latin America would be so careless with their finances that they let $5 deposit fees hit them more than once per month.

But what do I know ... I'm just an Australian who's been living in Central America in countries much poorer than Colombia... but at least the people a little north of you are nicer. : )