back to article Suspected crypto-coin crook collared after emailing apology note to the cops rather than victim – shock claim

A bloke was arrested and charged with identity theft after, it is claimed, he emailed an apology meant for his victim to a police detective. Darren Carter, 29, of Blackwood, New Jersey, was charged with one count of first-degree identity theft last week, and is being held in a Connecticut jail where he faces trial at the …

  1. IGotOut Silver badge

    so ignoring...

    the 15k in Fun Buks...the stupid email being sent.

    I'm more interested in HOW the thief got into the phone!

    1. phuzz Silver badge

      Re: so ignoring...

      Probably pickpocketing, but I've seen people leave their phones on the table in front of them, so all it takes is a moment of inattention (eg, you're bending over to look in your bag), and someone can just walk past, grab it, and disappear into the crowd.

      1. Jeff LeCoat

        Re: so ignoring...

        Yes, but how did this guy unlock the phone once he had it?

        1. FrogsAndChips Silver badge

          Re: so ignoring...

          With good timing, you can pick up the phone while it's still unlocked.

    2. tmTM

      HOW the thief got into the phone!

      and how did he get into Coinbase?

      Surely it has additional security on the app?

      1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge

        Re: HOW the thief got into the phone!

        Maybe the app was already open?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: HOW the thief got into the phone!

          Not sure about the app but the web interface strongly pushes 2FA.

          1. Mayday
            Facepalm

            Re: HOW the thief got into the phone!

            2FA

            Not familiar with the app or its 2FA mechanism, but the other factor may be an SMS or a soft token on the phone which the bad guy already possesses.

  2. cbars Bronze badge

    Well...

    It's nice to overlook the events and console oneself that the conscious is still a phenomenon that moves people to action.

    1. lansalot

      Re: Well...

      Also, the conscience...

  3. harmjschoonhoven
    Holmes

    If this is first-degree identity theft,

    what are second- and third-degree identity theft, inquiring minds want to know.

    1. Saruman the White Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: If this is first-degree identity theft,

      Actually *this* inquiring mind just wants to know where he has put his first mug of tea in the morning!

    2. pavel.petrman

      Re: If this is first-degree identity theft,

      The perpetrator just happened to steal a first degree identity, you see. Had he been less lucky, he might have stolen a second or even a third degree identity, of which airports seem to be full these days.

    3. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Re: If this is first-degree identity theft,

      what are second- and third-degree identity theft, inquiring minds want to know.

      I suspect this is what you get if you steal the identity from an identity thief (no, not HIS identity, one that he has stolen - just to be clear), a sort of a legal version of the Siphonaptera.

      :)

  4. Allan George Dyer
    Paris Hilton

    I'm Confused!

    So, allegedly, Carter stole the phone, transferred the money and then, later, intended to email an apology to the victim but sent it accidentally to a Detective that was investigating that very case. Did he, after stealing the phone in California, accidentally research where his victim was from and accidentally call up the Westport Police Department to accidentally ask which Detective was working on the case?

    1. MarkCX

      Re: I'm Confused!

      If the perp had the victim’s phone, he probably had access to the victim’s email too. So perfectly feasible that he had the detective’s email address if the detective had been emailing the victim.

      Maybe he was reading their emails and felt guilty? Replied to the wrong message? Copied the wrong address down? Autocomplete error?

      1. DontFeedTheTrolls
        Holmes

        Re: I'm Confused!

        So after the theft of his phone and money, the victim still hadn't changed his email password four months later?

        Something smells fishy about this case

    2. AdamWill

      Re: I'm Confused!

      that is weird, but here's an idea: the thief has the victim's phone, right? So if the victim is emailing the cops from his laptop, it's fairly likely the thief has access to those same emails on the phone. So the thief jumped in on the thread and hit 'reply' meaning to write to the victim, but replied to the wrong mail and sent it to the cop.

      It's still fairly weird - why is he suddenly writing apology emails at all? and how does the apology email help catch him, unless he signed the frickin' thing with his real name or something? but at least it answers some of the questions...

      1. MiguelC Silver badge
        Facepalm

        Re: I'm Confused!

        The way the article is written, one assumes the apology was sent four months after the theft.

        Why would he still have access to the victims email for so long? First thing after losing your phone (stolen or not) is to logout of all accounts and change all your passwords, isn't it? ISN'T IT?

  5. Che van der Showa
    Pint

    Ironically ...

    ... With a bond of $150,000, he'd only need $15,000 to get released on bail bond via a bail bondsman.

    Pretty much exactly what he's had taken back off him.

    One of these for whoever set the bond ----->

    1. DontFeedTheTrolls
      Pirate

      Re: Ironically ...

      that they were able to get $15,000 off him in the first place is probably a miracle

  6. The Nazz

    Also weird

    He's from Blackwood, New Jersey. Connecticut is also mentionned.

    Yet he was in California when he nicked the phone?

    And even though he was able to nick the phone, access Coinbase and convert crypto to actual US$ seemingly he hasn't spent a cent of it? In over 4 months?

    Odd.

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