How exciting my civi job can be

[serverandenforcer 33]

Well, apparently, yesterday, we got tipped off by a "concerned" citizen that some guy made some post at blogspot.com (can't seem to find it at this time... it was jtaylor.... something.... .blogspot.com) saying how he will show up at the center where I provide security at on Sunday (Memorial day weekend by the way) and start a shooting rampage and won't stop untill the cops gun him down. So, of course, the first thing we did was contact the police and our coporate office (actually, it was my director and assistant director who were making the calls). However, what I notice is that the moron posted two pics of the weapons he would be using. So, I checked the pics properties and I found out that they're being hosted at photobucket.com. Infact, the username at blogspot.com is basically the same as the member's name at photobucket.com So I then send an e-mail to photobucket's corporate offices, telling them what has happened, gave them the link to the blog, and ask if we can get any information on this person to make it easier for the police to track this guy down. I provided them our department's number, and the number to the local police station that would be primarily involved in the case. Well, apparently, a representative from photobucket.com placed a call to us, spoke to my assistant director, and said that they will provide us and the police with any information that they can get their hands on about this person. A few hours later, I get an update from my boss that the F.B.I. and Home Land Security were able to track the IP address to a server in China! However, they stated that they do not believe this to be the actual location of the person, but that it is probably being used to piggy back to mask the original location of where this goof ball is really at, and they feel very strongly that he is in the U.S. However, from what I understand, they might have to rely on China's co-operation in continuing the search past this first server that they were able to track to finally be able to locate where this guy is. So right now, we got uniformed police, and undercover police helping us out. It's a good thing that I have Sunday's off.

[+streakeagle 871]

It is a crazy world when someone can brag about a crime before they commit it in front of the entire world and the police may not actually be able to do anything about it in advance due to technical problems.

[Syrinx 13]

Kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it...an exciting event in my day job is a typo or deciding whether or not to have a biscuit with my cup of tea !

[Silverbolt 104]

Kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it...an exciting event in my day job is a typo or deciding whether or not to have a biscuit with my cup of tea !

 

this is atruly exciting job

[Viper6 3]

There are truly individuals out there with either serious problems or they want their 15mins of infamy, in either case it goes WAY beyond me as to why such individuals feel the need to take innocent lives with them simply because they can't find the solutions to their problems. I sometimes wonder how the human race has made it this far along.

[+Gunrunner 314]

Something's fishy here...

 

No one dumb enough to brag about such a move in advance is prudent/clever enough to leave no trace at all.

 

So, either a) Photobucket is lying, b) their network guys are incompetent (as are the FBI/HLS ones, which wouldn't be such a surprise after all), c) the FBI/HLS are lying so your departement and police don't interfere with their own work or d) it's just a well prepared hoax.

[+SkippyBing 8]

whether or not to have a biscuit with my cup of tea !

 

Don't mock the biscuit desicion , often closely tied to the one or two donuts on Friday question.

 

For a slightly stupider criminal on the internet look here.

Truly proof that idiot proofing the world creates idiots.

[MigBuster 2,884]

Don't mock the biscuit desicion , often closely tied to the one or two donuts on Friday question.

 

For a slightly stupider criminal on the internet look here.

Truly proof that idiot proofing the world creates idiots.

 

 

 

From that article (although im not taking it word for word) you cant work out whats more idiotic - that bloke or the pathetic justice system we have here for dealing with t***s like that :lazy2:

Edited May 24, 2008 by CoolHand29

[MigBuster 2,884]

Something's fishy here...

 

No one dumb enough to brag about such a move in advance is prudent/clever enough to leave no trace at all.

 

So, either a) Photobucket is lying, b) their network guys are incompetent (as are the FBI/HLS ones, which wouldn't be such a surprise after all), c) the FBI/HLS are lying so your departement and police don't interfere with their own work or d) it's just a well prepared hoax.

 

 

Well you would think so - but perhaps the only thing he devoted his life to was creating anonymity when browsing the web :)

 

Its not too difficult actually - <without saying 2much.......> then photobucket will only get the IP of that server.

 

China would need to find that server and see if its actually logging the connections to it (unlikely) - end of the line until the said person connects again.

[+pcpilot 181]

The idiots that shot up Columbine had a webpresence and said what they would do before they did it. Criminals are not unknown to brag while they are planning their attacks. They certainly brag after the attack, assuming they survive of course. Most youthful, mal-adjusted nutcases dont have much sense anyway so not terribly unusual. Server, looks like your company is being wise and prudent, good for them.

Edited May 24, 2008 by pcpilot

[+Dave 2,322]

Yes they are taking wise precautions indeed. Gunrunner, not everything belongs in the X Files. Columbine is a good example.

[serverandenforcer 33]

Well, they got another trace leading to a server in Texas. We also got a phone call this morning from an individual in Cincinatti, Ohio who saw the blog at blogspot.com and was able to give us the first name of guy. We got his phone number and delivered his info to the detective handling the case. Other than that, we had some guy inside Bloomingdales today high on P.C.P. with a passion to "redecorate" the place. We got about 20-30 L.A.P.D. cops responding to apprehend him, but it took about 20 minutes for them to respond. 20 minutes with a nutcase and only two other officers backing you up feels like 20 hours. I didn't get hurt, but some of the guys from Bloomingdale's lost prevention got some "medals" to take home. Kind of funny that all of this stuff happens on a Memorial day weekend. I'm sooooo glad I got tomorrow and Monday off.

 

Oh, and here is the link to that threat.... http://jtaylorsdsff.blogspot.com/

[+Gunrunner 314]

Dave>

I don't see anything X-Files-ish in my analysis...

 

In the Columbine case, it was only known after the fact that the moron actually announced it, it was also the starter of a trend, meaning that even if it was known, it may not have been taken seriously enough.

 

We are years later, and we would have to believe that either someone stupid enough to plan a killing spree and publicize it is clever enough to leave no trace, or that the FBI/DHS are incompetent enough not to have the means to track him (and frankly, unless he is very skilled (something not usually going hand in hand with "fame-seeking depressive gun nut"), there's nothing a prepared law enforcement agency can't find with a little work, and don't get me started on the supposed efficiency of Tor and other gadgets).

 

So, if we want to exclude extreme competence on the vilain's side and/or extreme incompetence on the law enforcement side, we're left with a hoax, or a deliberate maneuver, for whatever reason (including the suspicion that the culprit might be in the employ of the company warning them).

 

Also, looking at the blog, you have to wonder how someone came across it, it barely has content, ranks very low, if ever on search engines, and barely registers on its blog hosting, you really have to know what you're searching for to find it.

It was dug, but only 10 hours ago, meaning it can't be the source of exposure.

 

If it never had content, finding it is close to a miracle, if it had content before, then it was prior he had any reason to efficiently conceal his tracks, therefore making it easier to track him.

[MigBuster 2,884]

Well, they got another trace leading to a server in Texas. We also got a phone call this morning from an individual in Cincinatti, Ohio who saw the blog at blogspot.com and was able to give us the first name of guy. We got his phone number and delivered his info to the detective handling the case. Other than that, we had some guy inside Bloomingdales today high on P.C.P. with a passion to "redecorate" the place. We got about 20-30 L.A.P.D. cops responding to apprehend him, but it took about 20 minutes for them to respond. 20 minutes with a nutcase and only two other officers backing you up feels like 20 hours. I didn't get hurt, but some of the guys from Bloomingdale's lost prevention got some "medals" to take home. Kind of funny that all of this stuff happens on a Memorial day weekend. I'm sooooo glad I got tomorrow and Monday off.

 

Oh, and here is the link to that threat.... http://jtaylorsdsff.blogspot.com/

 

We are just grateful that people like you are there to sort those guys out!

[+Jug 99]

Well, they got another trace leading to a server in Texas. We also got a phone call this morning from an individual in Cincinatti, Ohio who saw the blog at blogspot.com and was able to give us the first name of guy. We got his phone number and delivered his info to the detective handling the case. Other than that, we had some guy inside Bloomingdales today high on P.C.P. with a passion to "redecorate" the place. We got about 20-30 L.A.P.D. cops responding to apprehend him, but it took about 20 minutes for them to respond. 20 minutes with a nutcase and only two other officers backing you up feels like 20 hours. I didn't get hurt, but some of the guys from Bloomingdale's lost prevention got some "medals" to take home. Kind of funny that all of this stuff happens on a Memorial day weekend. I'm sooooo glad I got tomorrow and Monday off.

 

Oh, and here is the link to that threat.... http://jtaylorsdsff.blogspot.com/

 

Thank God no one was hurt worse. Thank God for you and your mates. Well Done!

[+Dave 2,322]

Dave>

I don't see anything X-Files-ish in my analysis...

 

In the Columbine case, it was only known after the fact that the moron actually announced it, it was also the starter of a trend, meaning that even if it was known, it may not have been taken seriously enough.

 

We are years later, and we would have to believe that either someone stupid enough to plan a killing spree and publicize it is clever enough to leave no trace, or that the FBI/DHS are incompetent enough not to have the means to track him (and frankly, unless he is very skilled (something not usually going hand in hand with "fame-seeking depressive gun nut"), there's nothing a prepared law enforcement agency can't find with a little work, and don't get me started on the supposed efficiency of Tor and other gadgets).

 

So, if we want to exclude extreme competence on the vilain's side and/or extreme incompetence on the law enforcement side, we're left with a hoax, or a deliberate maneuver, for whatever reason (including the suspicion that the culprit might be in the employ of the company warning them).

 

Also, looking at the blog, you have to wonder how someone came across it, it barely has content, ranks very low, if ever on search engines, and barely registers on its blog hosting, you really have to know what you're searching for to find it.

It was dug, but only 10 hours ago, meaning it can't be the source of exposure.

 

If it never had content, finding it is close to a miracle, if it had content before, then it was prior he had any reason to efficiently conceal his tracks, therefore making it easier to track him.

 

But! What you are saying is pure speculation. Its better to err on the side of caution then to sit around and hope its a hoax. That is the bottom line.

[+Gunrunner 314]

Dave, have I ever suggested it should be taken as a hoax and ignore it ?

On the contrary... this is the minor hypothesis as a hoax would have tried to generate more publicity, unfortunately 2 (competence issues) of the 3 alternatives are worrisome (well, for the US, strangely enough this kind of things doesn't happen on our side of the Atlantic, even though we have our fair share of problems).

 

What started my comment is not the threat, but the ridiculous feedback from PhotoBucket/FBI/DHS that reeks of incompetence/lack of interest.

I then pointed out the inconsistence in the "case", examining the alternatives to incompetence, which would be worrisome (remember the Blue Thunder thread, I'd hate to think that relinquishing privacy and liberties would not offer more security at all, it's all a trade-off, with the response to the case discussed here, I'd say you are being ripped off).

[Stick 773]

Every law enforcer who understands his job for the duty and responsibility that comes with it knows that to apprehend the criminal before the crime is almost Utopian.

But it can be done. This is a fine example of that.

[+Dave 2,322]

Dave, have I ever suggested it should be taken as a hoax and ignore it ?

On the contrary... this is the minor hypothesis as a hoax would have tried to generate more publicity, unfortunately 2 (competence issues) of the 3 alternatives are worrisome (well, for the US, strangely enough this kind of things doesn't happen on our side of the Atlantic, even though we have our fair share of problems).

 

What started my comment is not the threat, but the ridiculous feedback from PhotoBucket/FBI/DHS that reeks of incompetence/lack of interest.

I then pointed out the inconsistence in the "case", examining the alternatives to incompetence, which would be worrisome (remember the Blue Thunder thread, I'd hate to think that relinquishing privacy and liberties would not offer more security at all, it's all a trade-off, with the response to the case discussed here, I'd say you are being ripped off).

 

Better to be safe than sorry.

[+Dave 2,322]

But in any case, hoax or not, good job server and thanks.