Break in! Ahhhh!

February 5, 2017 8:35 PM

My house was broken into and my Mac was stolen. What do I need to worry about?

It turns out I really have nothing of value, except for my Mac, which was stolen. It was password protected, but alas I don't think I had "Find My Mac" turned on - not sure. What do I need to be worried about? Do I need to change all my passwords immediately? Is it possible for the thief to steal my identity? Should I have google log out of all of my computers - is that even possible?

They also stole a giant pile of old cards for things like museums, my old college ID, a Walgreens Savings card. I think they were hoping there would be something good in that pile - but no, of course not...does any of this matter?

What do I need to do to protect my identity, information, credit cards etc. etc.?

Help! Help!

posted by Toddles to Law & Government (4 answers total)

Did you have Filevault enabled? If not, assume that anything on the computer (financial records, etc.) could be obtained by the thief or someone they give the computer to. Most likely they just want to sell it, but better safe than sorry. If you have documents on your computer that could enable identify theft, then yes, that's a possibility. Do you have tax files or anything like that on the computer?

Yes, change all of your important passwords. You can kick devices off your Google account at https://myaccount.google.com/device-activity .
posted by primethyme at 8:59 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

New passwords,right now(literally go open another tab and do it). Many sites/apps also offer a log out all devices feature,which you should utilise(and in the future, turn on two-factor authentication on your facebook,banking,etc). It's super easy to get past a user password, so they will most likely get in and check if you have online banking,amazon, etc auto logged-in and they'll take from there(or they'll change your passwords then sell your account info). A friend of mine had her laptop stolen and the thief used her online banking to make a paypal transfer.
posted by InkDrinker at 9:01 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't think I had "Find My Mac" turned on - not sure

This is easy to check at least - log into iCloud and see if you have the option.
posted by mikepop at 6:00 AM on February 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Definitely check to see what happens when you log in to iCloud. If you have the functionality activated (and I think having it activated is the default, so you might get lucky on this) there is an option to remote wipe the laptop the next time it connects to the internet. And yes, kick off all of your devices that have auto login and change all of your passwords ASAP. Don't forget to change your amazon.com password if you use it-I can tell you from recent experience that a breech in your amazon account is a huge PITA to deal with.
posted by mjcon at 8:15 AM on February 6, 2017