Laptop envy.
I Find Karma (adam@cs.caltech.edu)
Tue, 16 Apr 96 13:59:11 PDT
We've recently learned of a hustle that's being employed at airports
all across the country to steal laptop computers. It involves two
persons who look for a victim carrying a laptop and approaching a
metal detector.They position themselves in front of the unsuspecting
passenger. They stall until the mark puts the laptop computer on the
conveyor belt. Then the first subject moves through the metal
detector easily. The second subject sets off the detector and begins
a slow process of emptying pockets, removing jewelry, etc. While this
is happening, the first subject takes the laptop as soon as it appears
on the conveyor belt and moves away quickly. When the passenger
finally gets through the metal detector, the laptop is gone. The
subject that picks it up heads into the gate area and disappears among
the crowd. Sometimes a third subject will take a hand off from the
first subject and the computer is out of the restricted area before
the mark even knows that it is gone.
This is becoming a widely practiced problem and is happening at
airports everywhere. When traveling with a laptop computer, try to
avoid lines to enter a metal detector when possible. When you can't
do that, delay putting your luggage and laptop on the conveyor belt
until you are sure that you will be the next person through the metal
detector. As you move through the metal detector, keep your eyes on
the conveyor belt and watch for your luggage and laptop to come
through, as well as watching for what those in front of you are
picking up.