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Indio Police
The US man charged
with his wife's murder based on data from her Fitbit device shows how
suspects are not only exploiting technology but increasingly being
snared by it too.
Here are some more examples of how technology
has led police to suspects and how criminals have fallen victim to their
own stupidity, ignorance and vanity.Find my iPhone thief
A thief who stole more than 100 smartphones at a music festival was detained after revellers with iPhones tracked them using an app that comes with the phone.The Find My iPhone app shows the device's location on laptops or other devices.
Reinaldo De Jesus Henao, 36, was arrested at the Coachella festival in California earlier this month.
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Several phones were returned immediately, Indio Police added, while the rest were handed to lost property at the festival site.
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In 2011, police in California recovered a stolen laptop after being handed clues to its whereabouts along with pictures of a suspect thanks to a stealth software program.Cab driver Muthanna Aldebashi, 27, was snapped on the Mac device's built-in camera after he powered it up.
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Joshua Kaufman
The program immediately began sending Mr Kaufman photographs of a bearded man with shaggy dark hair sleeping on a couch, sitting shirtless on a bed in front of the computer, and driving.
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Handing your selfie in
Thieves who steal electronic devices can find themselves literally facing justice simply by using them.There have been numerous reports of stolen smartphones and laptops being recovered after photos taken on devices are automatically uploaded to the owner's iCloud account.
In 2015 Randy Schaefer had an iPad, a laptop and some cash stolen from his truck parked in Houston, Texas.
The thieves gloated by taking selfies and recording themselves with their booty.
When checking his iCloud account moments later, Mr Schaefer discovered more than a dozen pictures and video of the suspects - who said they were "just hustling" - with their mouths full of $100 notes.
He uploaded the content and handed the evidence to police, who later arrested the two men, according to local media.
Ahead of the criminals
A cyclist robbed at gunpoint by three men in South Africa in 2014 caught the entire episode on a camera strapped to his head - and the thieves failed to notice.Malcolm Fox handed over his possessions, including his smartphone, car keys, designer Oakley sunglasses and bike, after he was approached by a man with a gun and then "frisked" by another man with a knife.
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Mr Fox, who was approached by the men after taking a wrong turn while cycling in Somerset West, later shared the dramatic footage on YouTube.
The suspects were later arrested and Mr Fox's mobile phone and bike were returned, according to reports.
Catch me if you can... here!
Twitter is all about encouraging followers - and that is exactly what happened when an armed man on the run from police in Chicago began live-tweeting the chase and posted the location where he was hiding.Brandon McNeil, 21, was found in a basement by officers who discovered his social media boasts.
"Lol look I just left the police they lookin fa me," he tweeted during the 2016 chase, adding: "Here's my hiding spot."
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He was arrested shortly afterwards when officers contacted the homeowner, police said.