Stolen Laptop - Trace MSN Messenger IP?

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:02 am

My cousin had his laptop stolen. Every time the thief is online his MSN Messenger kicks off because the thief is using it.
From the chat logs linked from here, I see that Microsoft is reluctant to help due to privacy concerns.

I gave my a couple bits of advice:

1 - Give the police the serial number. My cousin lives near his base, which is surrounded by a bazillion pawn shops. If the thief tries to sell it to a pawn shop, the shop will have to report the number to the police.

2 - Send the guy an email he'll respond to. I suggested pretenting to be someone else, thanking him for his PayPal payment, and asking for the address where he should send the Xbox.

Can anybody think of anything else?

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:29 pm

Getting the police to subpoena the information from Microsoft?

I like the XBox idea, but does he know his email address? Or did you mean an MSN Messenger IM? (Or his his Hotmail account stored with password/etc?)

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:32 pm

Send him a file some how in chat:

However, even such utilities are vulnerable to giving away the IP Address of the target system on issuing the Netstat –n command. All one has to do is (Please note that I am using MSN Messenger as an example) :

Get the victim to come online.
Then use the inbuilt File Transfer Facility to send a file to the victim.
When he accepts the file transfer and the transfer starts launch MSDOS and give the netstat –n command. This will reveal his IP because when files are being transferred, a direct connection exists between you and the victim. That is, there is no mediator MSN Server between you and the victim.

The same will work if you send a Request for a Call and the victim accepts it.

mbilderback · Post by **mbilderback** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:09 am

TheCatt wrote:Send him a file some how in chat:

However, even such utilities are vulnerable to giving away the IP Address of the target system on issuing the Netstat –n command. All one has to do is (Please note that I am using MSN Messenger as an example) :

Get the victim to come online.
Then use the inbuilt File Transfer Facility to send a file to the victim.
When he accepts the file transfer and the transfer starts launch MSDOS and give the netstat –n command. This will reveal his IP because when files are being transferred, a direct connection exists between you and the victim. That is, there is no mediator MSN Server between you and the victim.

The same will work if you send a Request for a Call and the victim accepts it.

An IP addy is worthless unless you can access the primary list for such things. You might be able to get his provider, but not his address. The X-box idea is great.

BTW: Sux about the laptop. Good hunting.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 3:43 pm

I passed on the –n command during a file transfer idea to my cousin. The firewall here at work prevents me from doing that.

I did the Xbox email. I picked a console from a Canadian seller and linked to it. I had a short message, thanking my cousin for the PayPal payment, and asking for a mailing address because he never included one.

No response yet. The thief may not even be checking the emails.

The next step is to have my cousin start sending him vile MSN messages, insulting his lineage & sexuality, and accusing him of deleting half of the photos of his wife from his Hotmail in-box. When the thief goes to check the email, he'll see emails from my cousin, cursing him out some more. Hopefully he'll be pissed off enough to reply to my cousin. Poof, IP.

Or maybe I should send him a few JPG's of a fat woman, and pretent that's his wife. He might get an email insult that way.

I can trace the IP to the ISP. Fromt here's it's a matter of seeing how cooperative the ISP is. He should be able to get a warrant for the ISP to see what account was using that IP at the time the email was sent. Especially if the guy responds with a threat.

Post by **TheCatt** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 4:15 pm

Send an instant msg saying he won the XBox.

unkbill · Post by **unkbill** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:06 pm

You guys find him I'll beat the shit out of him.

71-1085092892 · Post by **71-1085092892** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:20 pm

unkbill wrote:You guys find him I'll beat the shit out of him.

And Unk has various lengths of PVS pipe... and he knows how to use it.

Post by **TPRJones** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:16 pm

The problem with using MSN to get to him is once he notices it's active he'll just kill it and disable it if he doesn't want to be bothered.

Anything else useful on it to get to him with?

Is it WiFi? Where was it lost? Any hotspots nearby to check at when you see him/her on? Would your cousin know his computer if he saw it? How about going to WiFi areas and scanning for it, or was it locked down so it wouldn't be visible?

mbilderback · Post by **mbilderback** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:10 pm

unkbill wrote:You guys find him I'll beat the shit out of him.

My beatin' stick (36" breaker bar) and I are in.

71-1085092892 · Post by **71-1085092892** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:37 pm

PVC pipe, even.

Just noticed my typo, heh.

Post by **Vince** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 4:35 pm

PVS... PVC... whatever it takes.

unkbill · Post by **unkbill** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:49 pm

A guy sucker punched me once, broke my glasses. After I had him down and should have beat his ass into the ground. But stupid let him up, duh. So I climbed in the back of my truck and told him if he still wanted to come after me I would lay him out. Well he did and I sent one into the side of his head. 1 1/2 inch PVC. Cut his head on my bumper on the way down.
The cop finally should up and carted him off to jail. Warrants.

mbilderback · Post by **mbilderback** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:09 am

I used to carry knives for those idiots/wierdos out there. Ask Gordo or Vince. :blues:

Post by **TheCatt** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:27 pm

So whatever happened with teh laptop?

unkbill · Post by **unkbill** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:25 pm

So what did happened with the laptop?

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 5:12 pm

Still nothing. Did the fake eBay letter and got no response. I don't think the thief checks his Hotmail account.

I think they're just waiting to see if it turns up at a pawn shop.

I have a better story involving my cousin. I'll post it in a bit.

Post by **TheCatt** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 7:39 pm

Fake eBay MSN IM.

Post by **TPRJones** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:49 pm

Maybe something like "Hey, I see you online. Look, I got your payment for your X-box through paypal, I need you to tell me where to send it. Please check your email, or if you can't get to it for some reason IM me. I don't want any negative feedback from you on this, I've been trying to reach you all month now."

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:32 am

My cousin (Brian)seems content on waiting for the police to do nothing, so I'll let him.

If it turns up I'll let you know, but I think it's gone for good despite it logging into MSN every once in awhile.