{"id":1169,"date":"2012-10-30T04:49:33","date_gmt":"2012-10-30T12:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveviewgps.com\/blog\/?p=1169"},"modified":"2025-09-17T10:51:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T17:51:01","slug":"feel-good-story-stolen-laptop-tracked-gps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.liveviewgps.com\/blog\/feel-good-story-stolen-laptop-tracked-gps\/","title":{"rendered":"Feel Good Story Comes Out of a Stolen Laptop Tracked with GPS"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Boston resident and the teen found with his stolen laptop got more than they bargained for with the help of GPS tracking<\/a> software.<\/p>\n

Fran Harrington, a multiple theft victim, recently got quite a surprise when his third laptop was stolen from his apartment. The Boston-based\u00a0 web designer has had not one, but three laptops stolen from his very own apartment. After the second theft, he got wise and had GPS tracking software installed on his Macbook Pro — in case it happened again.<\/p>\n

Turns out, it did happen again.<\/p>\n

When Harrington\u2019s Macbook was stolen, he used the GPS tracking software installed on the computer to track it down. He monitored the activity for several days, which was tracked by the GPS software. He told CBS News affiliate WBZ-TV that he watched the computer activity for four days. It was then that he found out the computer was being accessed from a home in the South End, in the public cathedral housing complex.<\/p>\n

After getting the physical location of his computer, Harrington reported the theft and details to the police.<\/p>\n

But the story doesn\u2019t stop here; Harrington was startled to find out the family using the computer was also a victim. He told WBZ-TV “I found out it was bought by a family living in the projects, and that they had no idea they were buying a stolen computer.”<\/p>\n

Further investigation into the case found that the family purchased the computer for their teen son who was leaving for college. The detective on the case informed Harrington that the family spent $900 on the computer, not knowing it was stolen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a weird feeling of emotions,\u201d Harrington told the reporter. “I was psyched to get my computer back, but I realized the people who ended up with my computer\u2014at no fault of their own\u2014they thought they were getting a computer, now they are out of a computer and the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harrington decided to take matters into his own hands. Instead of taking legal action, he opened a fundraising campaign page. The fundraising plea was through Indiegogo, which is an international crowd funding site in San Francisco, California. The site has more than 100,000 fundraising campaigns ranging from charity to music and film.<\/p>\n

Harrington set out to earn $900 for the family so they could buy their son a new computer. Turns out, Harrington made that goal, and then some, receiving $1,065 in contributions<\/a>.\u00a0 The excess contributions were donated to Boston\u2019s Edwards Scholarships Fund<\/a>, and the new laptop was shipped to the family.<\/p>\n

As one commenter said, what a \u201cway to turn a negative into a positive. Karma has a way of making it back around.\u201d<\/p>\n