People who confess to crimes and post their biometric data online

[Deleted User]

I'm making this thread because of the recent actions of the reddit user california_king. He made a post claiming that he bought a copy of Link's Awakening several days before its release date and posted a photo of it while driving. His fingerprints are in the photograph. In the comments, he acknowledges the copy may be stolen. In his other posts, he includes a whole body photo showing his face and he claims to have used narcotics.

Assuming this copy is stolen, even if he didn't make a post about it, if he played it then connected his Switch online, Nintendo can probably detect the game's certificate belongs to a copy which mysteriously went missing before the game was released.

So why hasn't he been arrested? I'm guessing the American police have bigger issues to deal with than some guy who commits some relatively minor crimes. But even so, if he looks for a new job in the future, his background check will raise a few red flags, certain countries might deny him entry when traveling overseas and if American Authorities decide to lock him up for any reason, they already have an excuse to do so.

I think he's unnecessarily putting himself in danger. It would be safer for him to say nothing. Maybe I'm just a fearmongerer. I don't fucking know.

 

[Pleng]

I think he's unnecessarily putting himself in danger. It would be safer for him to say nothing. Maybe I'm just a fearmongerer. I don't fucking know

It's modern-day natural selection. There was a story on here a couple of years back about a guy who filmed himself speeding down a highway and posted it on Facebook.

Technology is just the latest in a long line of ways for stupid people to get themselves into trouble.

 

[Viri]

Some people are really dumb. You'd be surprised at how many people record them self or take a photo of them self committing a crime, just to post it on social media. A lot of times, it's how the cops even catch them in the first place, lol

 

[SG854]

This is Toxic Masculinity at play here

 

[Ericthegreat]

There was a gbatemp member who did this with nsmb Wii, got sued by Nintendo for $2,000,000.

Also I'm not sure if fingerprints can reliably be taken from a photo.

 

[Deleted User]

leak's awakening

 

[Xzi]

It's modern-day natural selection. There was a story on here a couple of years back about a guy who filmed himself speeding down a highway and posted it on Facebook.

Technology is just the latest in a long line of ways for stupid people to get themselves into trouble.

Yep, used to be often that the perpetrator returning to the scene of the crime is what would get them caught. Now they just record themselves during the process of committing the crime and post it online.

 

[Ericthegreat]

So why hasn't he been arrested? I'm guessing the American police have bigger issues to deal with than some guy who commits some relatively minor crimes. But even so, if he looks for a new job in the future, his background check will raise a few red flags, certain countries might deny him entry when traveling overseas and if American Authorities decide to lock him up for any reason, they already have an excuse to do so.

Why do you think Nintendo cares so much, they would only really care if you posted a copy online, you gotta remember a lot of people get the game early, either by mail, or they take it from a place they work, or pay a friend to give it to them early, Nintendo never really knows unless the game is recalled. Currently if he did steal it, stock won't be checked until after release day. But most of all you gotta remember, Nintendo expects this to happen, there's nothing they can do to stop it due to different shipping times to different parts of the country, it's just a video game in the end.

Not saying you won't get arrested, but it will be Walmart/GameStop security, not Nintendo, they probably won't be alerted to it other then a mark right next to all their other stolen goods.

 

[Taleweaver]

But even so, if he looks for a new job in the future, his background check will raise a few red flags, certain countries might deny him entry when traveling overseas and if American Authorities decide to lock him up for any reason, they already have an excuse to do so.

Damnit right! I don't want that terrorist to come near my beloved continent!!!


... But seriously : he bought a game early. The release date is what? Two days from now? That means it's being shipped to stores all over the world now. So the potential suspects are in the millions. I guess Nintendo could file a complaint, but why would they (assuming he doesn't create an image from it to share online (1))? It might indeed be stolen, but that's up to Nintendo to prove, which is hard. Yes, they can probably trace it back to the store, but even if they come around there, the store cleric can just provide a copy of the sale purchase. And I really don't think "selling a game before the release date" is illegal (2).

(1): unlike at was his name? Kong nuts? Iirc, He got an early copy of New super mario bros wii, ripped it, posted it online and bragged about it on GBATemp. Nintendo wasn't pleased, too say the least
(2): that would mean Sega would have been acting illegal as well, when they sold their Dagmar prior to their own official release day


EDIT: noteworthy : the police probably cares more that he's showcasing a game with one hand and making a photograph with another WHILE DRIVING. Unlike this petty show - off of a game, that's actually something important to consider

 

[notimp]

So why hasn't he been arrested?

Petty crimes. You are engaging in something thats akin to 'old men with too much time on their hand syndrom', if police would aimlessly follow your suggestion to extract fingerprints out of a hires photo and run it against their database to then arrest the thief of a 50USD product it would clog their facilities, it would clog courthouses, and it would establish the notion of living in a totalitarian police state. Its important that people get away with some stuff, or else almost everyone would be a criminal looked at with enough scrutiny.

Also - how does that chain of evidence go. "You stole it", "No I bought it from that guy", "No you stole it - that guy on the internet said so."?

How does that chain of evidence go?

"I bought it." "Did he buy this from you?" "No." "But I did." "Sir, give out the security cam footage."?

How does the court process go. "I thereby sentence you to a week in prison, and a money payment of 200 USD, do never do that again?"

In most democratic countries, that case would probably be dismissed, if he is not a repeat offender. And police would only go after it, if there was a 'damaged party' that insisted (i.e. the shopowner called them).

As 'people posting evidence on social media goes' - police already screens that. Just hopefully not to the point where they do data forensics, on a simple 'potential thief'.

Look, that guy wears a watch, thats obviously too expensive for the rest of his Instagram pictures. Arrest him. (If you do that, you produce 'social chilling'.)

As for drugs, if they are 'decriminalized' ownership in amounts for personal use - slides by. In any case 'use' is often (depending on where in the world you live) not a crime, but possession is. How much sense do you think it would make for police to 'swat' his house, just because 'he seemed to have had some in the past'?

If hes dumb enough to advertise using, facebook will ban his account though.

Or take his money, if he wants them to advertise opioids, microtargeted, to middle/old age folks.

 

[Ericthegreat]

Damnit right! I don't want that terrorist to come near my beloved continent!!!


... But seriously : he bought a game early. The release date is what? Two days from now? That means it's being shipped to stores all over the world now. So the potential suspects are in the millions. I guess Nintendo could file a complaint, but why would they (assuming he doesn't create an image from it to share online (1))? It might indeed be stolen, but that's up to Nintendo to prove, which is hard. Yes, they can probably trace it back to the store, but even if they come around there, the store cleric can just provide a copy of the sale purchase. And I really don't think "selling a game before the release date" is illegal (2).

(1): unlike at was his name? Kong nuts? Iirc, He got an early copy of New super mario bros wii, ripped it, posted it online and bragged about it on GBATemp. Nintendo wasn't pleased, too say the least
(2): that would mean Sega would have been acting illegal as well, when they sold their Dagmar prior to their own official release day


EDIT: noteworthy : the police probably cares more that he's showcasing a game with one hand and making a photograph with another WHILE DRIVING. Unlike this petty show - off of a game, that's actually something important to consider

The real thing is let's say he actully stole the game, he should get life in prison? Lol

 

[Deleted User]

Also I'm not sure if fingerprints can reliably be taken from a photo.

You can 3D print someone's fingerprint then use it to unlock their phone.



https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/21/16345500/biometrics-fingerprint-identification-technology

 

[Ericthegreat]

You can 3D print someone's fingerprint then use it to unlock their phone.



https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/21/16345500/biometrics-fingerprint-identification-technology

Yes, but I highly doubt Nintendo would go through the hassle for a single stolen copy, also I feel that would probably be inadmissible in court or even for getting a warrant for the guys fingerprints (I'm not sure if that last part is necessary).

 

[Subtle Demise]

Assuming this took place in the USA, drug use tends not to be a crime, unless you are visibly intoxicated in public or operating a vehicle. Also, "confessing" things online isn't admissible evidence in most cases. People say all kinds if things to try and impress others. I'd guess less than half of it is even remotely true.

 

[Viri]

EDIT: noteworthy : the police probably cares more that he's showcasing a game with one hand and making a photograph with another WHILE DRIVING. Unlike this petty show - off of a game, that's actually something important to consider

His car is still moving while he's taking the photo too!