Geek Squad Caught Stealing Porn

[News Reader]

Geek Squad Caught Stealing Porn
The Consumerist caught a Geek Squad employee red handed stealing adult entertainment from a customer’s machine. Apparently this problem is actually a frequent occurrence.

This is not just an isolated incident, according to reports from Geek Squad insiders alleging that Geek Squad techs are stealing porn, images, and music from customer's computers in California, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere. Our sources say that some Geek Squad locations have a common computer set up where everyone dumps their plunder to share with the other technicians.

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Publish Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2007 11:07:00 CDT
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[northwesten]

LMFAO I think there shit! but same time seen this is funny

[Dog Pants]

I've never heard of Geek Squad, but so what if they look for porn on a customer's machine? What were PC World doing when they were looking through Gary Glitter's PC? Hunting viruses?

Lesson: If you aren't capable of repairing your own PC, don't leave naked pictures of your wife on it when you take it to the repair shop.

Someone needs to write a fucking guide to computer illiterate people. Even the ECDL doesn't teach users about firewalls, spam and the various other dangers of the internet. All they get is 'you might want to get a virus scanner'.

Stealing copyrighted music and stuff is different. I suppose actually taking pictures off someone's PC is just as bad, but they shouldn't be there in the first place. It's just common sense.

[eion]

I've never heard of Geek Squad, but so what if they look for porn on a customer's machine?

It's a fundamental breach of trust, and it's totally unrelated to the job they were meant to do (which was installing iTunes). Technicians (and systems administrators) shouldn't be looking through users' private data, especially not on their own initiative, even though they are able to do so.

Lesson: If you aren't capable of repairing your own PC, don't leave naked pictures of your wife on it when you take it to the repair shop.

If your computer is broken and needs fixing, it might not be easy to move your private files elsewhere - and you shouldn't have to.

Stealing copyrighted music and stuff is different. I suppose actually taking pictures off someone's PC is just as bad, but they shouldn't be there in the first place. It's just common sense.

You're damn right it's different... but why shouldn't people store private pictures and other personal data on their own computers? Are you seriously suggesting there's nothing on any of your machines that you wouldn't want a technician to look at and surreptitiously make copies of - not just pictures, but personal information such as bank statements, financial stuff, private letters, et cetera?

[Dog Pants]

I over-ranted there and I admit I was being rather flippant about peoples' rights to privacy, you're right. The rant stems from my opinion that people should take more responsibility for their lives, not expect to be spoon-fed through it. My flippancy comes from my not thinking this is very newsworthy, as I'm sure it's very common. Maybe it's me being nerdy elitist though.

[eion]

The rant stems from my opinion that people should take more responsibility for their lives, not expect to be spoon-fed through it.

While in theory this would be a very good thing, when it comes down to it a lot of people don't have the time, ability or inclination to do things themselves and would rather hire an expert. It's an entirely reasonable and rational thing to do: if my car broke down (which would be very surprising, as I don't have a car at the moment), I'd take it to a mechanic, whereas a mechanic might do it themselves; if my house needed to be rewired (that'd be another surprise, as I don't own a house), I'd call an electrician, whereas an electrician would do it themselves; and so forth. As someone who's (presumably ) skilled with computers, you may personally think it's silly for someone to pay to have their computer repaired. Not only is it not silly, but I'm sure there are computer-related tasks for which you'd call in an expert too.

That said, I agree that people ought to learn to do basic things for themselves - change a tyre, wire a plug, install a normal piece of software.

My flippancy comes from my not thinking this is very newsworthy, as I'm sure it's very common.

It may be very common, but it certainly shouldn't be. I think it's newsworthy in that it warns people about what may be going on when they take their computers in for repair (just like the video posted on the disco board a while back of that dodgy computer repair guy who was nicking parts).

[Dog Pants]

I understand your point about everyone not being able to do everything, I was reflecting on the one about the car while I was cleaning the bin. When I take my car to the garage though I don't leave porn in it. I realise my limitations and take actions to limit the effects of them. If I misjudge it, say I did need to put my PC in for repair (although that wouldn't make me a very good IT professional, would it?) and I couldn't get rid of all my donkey porn I'd consider it my own fault that the repair guy was sniggering at me when I picked it up again.

I suppose for me the line is having somebody looking at stuff, and somebody actually using the stuff they've seen. Sort of like patient confidentiality. Contradictory to my first post, I know, but I was in full rant mode then after the M-Rating article

[eion]

When I take my car to the garage though I don't leave porn in it.

But would you be happy about the repair guy taking your car for a joyride? How about rifling through your glovebox?

If I misjudge it, say I did need to put my PC in for repair (although that wouldn't make me a very good IT professional, would it?) and I couldn't get rid of all my horse porn (I really do love them the best of all the animals) I'd consider it my own fault that the repair guy was sniggering at me when I picked it up again.

But when a computer is broken and needs servicing, it's especially impractical to secure your private information from prying eyes prior to taking it in to be repaired.
And personally I'd be less concerned about the technician sniggering at my porn than I would be about them copying private financial documents stored on my machine and subsequently using or selling that information.

Bottom line for me is: you're being paid to perform a service, and someone is trusting you to do so properly - you have a duty towards your client. There's no reason to be digging around in folders looking for juicy files if your job is to install iTunes, and there's no justification for doing so.

[Dog Pants]

I agree, but I'm not just going to assume they're going to do what they're supposed to. I make a point of checking the mileage on my car when I put it into the garage, and I don't store confidential information on my PC because I don't trust my own security. I can't think of a circumstance when I'd hand my computer over to a professional.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

I suppose for me the line is having somebody looking at stuff, and somebody actually using the stuff they've seen. Sort of like patient confidentiality.

That.

If I'm fixing someone's computer, (Depending on the issues) I don't feel it's reasonable to expect me to do it *without* looking in some folders.

If someone has a nasty malware infection, I'll look in folders marked porn and such (as IME, that's often where evil mislabeled stuff will end up, especially with the stupid)

Again, what if someone's machine is *very* ill? Of course I'm going to have to backup data, but what's crossing the line?


Anyway, in the case of the video, that was totally out of order, but I do feel that if you're taking your machine to be fixed in a shop, you shouldn't expect them not to look in a folder on the desktop (the video didn't show them looking specifically for content to rip off)

Also, what about in the case of gary-glitter etc. I can only assume that stuff was probably just lying around in a folder marked porn. in that case, was poking about a bad thing?


Whatever, it's all very subjective, in the case of the video it was probably wrong, but it was also clearly set up so they'd look in tasty folders on the desktop.

[eion]

I can't think of a circumstance when I'd hand my computer over to a professional.

What if you had a damaged hard disk full of important information that you had neglected to back up?
Data recovery is just about the only situation I can think of when I'd call in a pro (except for my laptop, where I did send it off under warranty after it started acting funny).

[eion]

I suppose for me the line is having somebody looking at stuff, and somebody actually using the stuff they've seen. Sort of like patient confidentiality.

That.

If I'm fixing someone's computer, (Depending on the issues) I don't feel it's reasonable to expect me to do it *without* looking in some folders.

If someone asks you to install iTunes, do you really think it's necessary to go looking for interesting pictures, even if they are on a folder on the desktop? Personally, I do not. This Geek Squad employee's actions are not excusable.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

If someone asks you to install iTunes, do you really think it's necessary to go looking for interesting pictures, even if they are on a folder on the desktop? Personally, I do not. This Geek Squad employee's actions are not excusable.

No I do not.

But would you leave a folder on the desktop of your fully working machine labeled "porn" and then expect a minimum wage employee not to try to get a little perk?

I accept it's not reasonable, but it was totally expected.

[Dog Pants]

The data recovery thing depends on the computer. If it was at work I wouldn't have private stuff and porn on it, as it's open to the data protection act and policed both by myself and my colleagues as admins, and by the various security related sections that poke into such things.

If it was on my home PC it simply wouldn't be there. Anything financially important is kept elsewhere - I don't use computers for that sort of thing because I don't trust them. Admittedly I have photos, documents and files that I'd rather not lose, but they're not so important that I'd pay to get them back. Ironically though, whenever we find dodgy stuff at work it's because we're doing data recovery because it's the only time we're required to poke about in other peoples' file structures.

EDIT: This discussion is out pacing me now, I'm being overtaken by the pro's.

[Joose]

And personally I'd be less concerned about the technician sniggering at my porn than I would be about them copying private financial documents stored on my machine and subsequently using or selling that information.

First off, theres a world of difference between giggling at someones porn collection and stealing thier financial information. Thats like comparing insulting someone with smashing them over the head with a hammer: they are both bad, but one is waaaaay worse than the other.

Secondly, although them looking through someones files and finding thier porn isnt really something they should be doing, if it happened to me I would blame myself for leaving the stuff somewhere they could easily find it. To go back to the car analogy: you wouldnt send the car to the mechanics with a bunch of loose change on the seat, because theres a fair chance it would get nicked. Is it ok that they might steal it? no, but its your own stupid fault for leaving it there.

Thirdly, who actually leaves sensitive financial data on their computer? I know I dont. My parents work with sensitive financial data on their computer, but they save it to a removable disk which then gets locked away. Leaving stuff like that lying around on your computer is bloody silly, even if you never intend to send it to repair guys.

[northwesten]

No I do not.

But would you leave a folder on the desktop of your fully working machine labeled "porn" and then expect a minimum wage employee not to try to get a little perk?

I accept it's not reasonable, but it was totally expected.

i agree with berk but really who the hell not going to peak? Most of all if there job boring

[eion]

i agree with berk but really who the hell not going to peak? Most of all if there job boring

In a previous job, I had domain administrator/root powers. My responsibilities included first-line tech support - in other words, fixing users' (computer-related) problems. Ability and opportunity, but not once did I pry into a user's private data any more than was absolutely necessary for the task at hand. I very much doubt that any of my colleagues did either.

Abusing a position of trust to gain access to someone's porn collection and giggle at it may not rare very highly on the overall scale of Bad Things, but that doesn't mean it's in any way defensible to do so.

[Dog Pants]

Hmm. I've got similar access, and when I'm at work I don't pry. That's why I've only ever encountered dodgy stuff while restoring data. It isn't that we can't - and other people have - we can and as far as I'm aware are allowed to as stated in the orders every user signs to get network access.

However, when fixing someone's laptop or whatever because they're incapable of keeping it virus free and someone has put in a search for images, I'll admit to having giggled at their (rather mundane) porn.

I suppose the difference there is that I'm being paid to be professional in the first case, and doing someone a favour I didn't want to do in the second. Someone who is doing a shit IT support job for minimum wage would probably fall into the latter category. I suppose it comes down to the integrity of the person a company hires, and generally you get what you pay for.

[buzzmong]

As one of my managers at work said the other day when talking about other people:

"Pay peanuts, get monkeys"


Which probably sums up some reasons behind the actions of The Geek Squad employees.

[MIkkyo]

I used to wrok in a PC repair shop, family owned buisness. 9/10 the problems were caused by spyware due to frequent porn site visits/downloads and limewire style programs. A lot of the time finding porn on the computers wasn't a deliberate action, its just sitting there when you're looking for the problems. Most of the time we would just have to Format and re-install O/S because the whole thing was porn infested.