Thief steals laptop, sends victim backup files

[Whisper]

A professor at Umea University in northern Sweden had his laptop stolen but was completely surprised when the thief mailed him back the computer's contents on a memory stick.

"This story makes me feel hope for humanity," the professor, who wished to remain anonymous, told local paper Vasterbottens-Kuriren.

The professor left his bag in the stairwell of his apartment complex while he went to the laundry room. When he came back the bag and all of its contents — including his wallet, datebook and laptop were gone.

After reporting the theft to police, the professor returned to his apartment to find his bag and its contents — except for the laptop — back at the stairwell.

A week later he received an envelope in the mail containing a USB memory stick that had all the files and documents from his laptop, which would have taken the culprit hours to copy and paste.

The laptop, as well as the professor's library card, has yet to be returned.

"Perhaps the thief needs to improve him or herself," he told the paper.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/weird/2010/10/17/15722776.html

[Ender]

Wow... a thief who cares? Whats wrong with thieves these days?

[Perseus]

The guy kinda can't complain since he got stolen from the most beneficent kind of thief. :P

[Amnesiac]

This is a pretty epic story. Ironically, I was reading about this just a few minutes ago.

It's a small Internet, I guess.

[Fiction]

Wow... wtf xD Maybe he really needed the money? But didn't really want to hurt anyone? idk it's a weird story xD

[Clawhammer]

Sounds like someone needed it more than he did, but still had a moral code to stick with. I like this.

[Patchy]

A thief is a thief but at least this one wasn't a harsh bastard that would ruin the professors career.

[Jess]

really weird. but that was nice of the thief, giving the backup files...:P

[UnknownError]

People are getting weirder. :P

[Magus]

Wow... a thief who cares? Whats wrong with thieves these days?

That's a moral thief that cares about people's privacy things and stuff. He wanted the lap top for a something. I bet he will return the laptop back, after he is done using it.

[Fiction]

Unless he needed the money or selling it... then he won't.

[DrkZ90]

the thief is still a goddamn bastard nonetheless. Hope Police finds him and he gets some well-deserved jail time. Some Police brutality wouldn't be bad either

(sorry for the language, but I'm extremely pissed off atm and thieves piss me off even more).

[Razz]

wow that is quite weird that he'd do something like that .

[Perseus]

the thief is still a goddamn bastard nonetheless. Hope Police finds him and he gets some well-deserved jail time. Some Police brutality wouldn't be bad either

(sorry for the language, but I'm extremely pissed off atm and thieves piss me off even more).

What if he needed the money(selling laptop) to keep his family from starving?

[Amnesiac]

What if he needed the money(selling laptop) to keep his family from starving?

inb4 massive debate.

There's no need for police brutality, my god dude, chill. He's probably one of the professor's students. Besides, he reminded us all that we should back up important data. A good life lesson, y'know.

[Perseus]

inb4 massive debate.



Hurr.

[Continuum]

He knew his target was a professor, and didn't want to ruin his work. He probably knows a friend or two that knows him.

Whether a Moral thief or not, he's still a thief and should be crucified and poked with spears. :P

(It's a roman thing. ;))

[Whisper]

i think this is awesome
the guys a university professor, he has cash not to mention allot of universities help staff with required purchases and companies give educational discounts. He can easily replace the laptop what mattered was the data, which was returned to him and it apparently took them hours to copy, they obviously felt bad about stealing. Sometimes you do what you have to.

It was far more compassionate than the bastards who broke into my dads truck and made off with ten grand in shit, including two laptops.

[Perseus]

He knew his target was a professor, and didn't want to ruin his work. He probably knows a friend or two that knows him.

Whether a Moral thief or not, he's still a thief and should be crucified and poked with spears. :P

(It's a roman thing. ;))

i c wut u did thar

[steve1234]

This may be a wierd thing to say, but if all criminals were like this, maybe the world would be a better place :D

[DrkZ90]

What if he needed the money(selling laptop) to keep his family from starving?

There's never a good reason to steal from someone.

[JackOfClubs]

Honestly, as long as I got files and stuff back (although 114GB of stuff is a bit more than one memory stick...) I would be happy. I could just buy a new laptop (or at least a cheap netbook), to tide me over.

[thebandgeek]

Restored my faith in humanity. well not really, but it gave me a good laugh and a smile!

[Sage]

'Cause there ain't no rest for the wicked, and money don't grow on trees.

[Perseus]

There's never a good reason to steal from someone.

Robin Hood.

[Sugaree]

Honestly, as long as I got files and stuff back (although 114GB of stuff is a bit more than one memory stick...) I would be happy. I could just buy a new laptop (or at least a cheap netbook), to tide me over.

Password protected external HDDs ftw. :P