Knock and Talk

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Indiana

I recently had some officers ask to search my computer for child porn. I had been the victim of a scrolling virus that spewed foul language while I was in a chat room. The police said that the service provider had reported me. I gave permission because I am an honest citizen and have not been involved in such. They brought in this box and told me that they did not have to have me turn the computer on. I let them do it but was not allowed to watch them. One of the officers asked me to sit down and he showed me a print out of the chatroom and I explained to him what had happened and he seemed to accept it. They left and told me that they found nothing.

While they were outside in front of my apartment I watched them point down the street across from my apartment and since then I've noticed some cars sitting there but with no one in them.

Is there anything fishy here? Did they somehow plant any surveillance devices? I'd appreciate any opinions. I am an honest person but I'm feeling very paranoid about this. What are the limits of this kind of search and did they merely use it in order to gather additional information?

First off, how do you know they were officers? Were they in uniform or were they in suit and tie like a detective would dress?

Did they show you identification and a badge and if so did you actually get a good look at it or did they just give it a quick flash?

This doesn't sound like a police investigation, it sounds more like a private investigator acting the part.

Did they open up your computer? How long were you distracted or not allowed to watch?

Are you going through a divorce or are you involved any civil litigation?

Have you made any insurance claims for an injury?

What does foul language in a chat room have to do with child porn?

Something is definitely missing here

PJ Weber said:

What does foul language in a chat room have to do with child porn?

Something is definitely missing here

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Probably foul language talking about child porn.

I think the OP should check with the chat room or the service provider and see if they actually did report his foul language. This whole situation doesn't sound like a legitimate police investigation. How does anyone check for child porn in a computer, without powering it up?

They would at least have to remove the hard drive and power that up.

The damage that can be done by someone accessing all your personal information and passwords is unlimited. If you do your banking on line and someone is able to gain your account information and passwords, good bye money!

Hello new credit cards, car loans, personal loans, the skies the limit.

Cops dont do that. They get a warrant then take your computer. If they have a qualified computer tech at the police dept thats trained in data recovery they do it there, If not it is sent to another agency for analysis. Check your bank accounts and update virus and spyware and run full scan.

I think they could have placed a bug (a hardware key-logger) but I think they must be private investigators. Feds would do it at night while you were sleeping or at work. Local police would not have the authority to plant a key-logger. I would consider the PC compromised and start damage control. Most likely they want your e-mail.

The police always take the PC along with everything else (DVD,s hard drives, floppy disks etc)

ShowerHat said:

I think they could have placed a bug (a hardware key-logger)

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LOL! Nope

ShowerHat said:

Feds would do it at night while you were sleeping or at work.

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Maybe if they suspect your Osama Bin Laden

http://news.cnet.com/Will-security-firms-detect-police-spyware/2100-7348_3-6197020.html?hhTest=1
Google "Majic Lantern" or "Policeware"

It's tomorrow.

ShowerHat said:

http://news.cnet.com/Will-security-firms-detect-police-spyware/2100-7348_3-6197020.html?hhTest=1
Google "Majic Lantern" or "Policeware"

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That's "software", I was responding to the "hardware" keylogger.

outonbail said:

The damage that can be done by someone accessing all your personal information and passwords is unlimited. If you do your banking on line and someone is able to gain your account information and passwords, good bye money!

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What kind of crappy bank do you use?

Unless 50 bucks is the limit of your resources then the damage is NOT unlimited.

And my platinum credit line covers the 50 bucks.

xylene said:

What kind of crappy bank do you use?

Unless 50 bucks is the limit of your resources then the damage is NOT unlimited.

And my platinum credit line covers the 50 bucks.

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Maybe I'm paranoid because I live in the Inland Empire, the identity theft capitol of the world.

Also, roughly 15 years back, I had an employee in my office steal some checks, forge my partners signature and cash about eight thousand dollars worth of stolen checks.

I was banking with Sanwa at the time and being somewhat naive myself, allowed them to talk me into a 50/50 settlement. So the bank only covered $4,000.00 and they weren't even interested in prosecuting the thief.

I also have a customer who's wife lost her purse with all her credit cards, bank cards and identification. The bimbo had her pin numbers for her checking and savings account in her purse as well. Real stupid I know.
Anyway, in a matter of one day there was something like twenty five thousand dollars transfered out of their savings account and I some time later I heard there was also a warrant issued for her arrest, because someone had used her Identification to commit some sort of financial crime. I never got any specific details on that situation

I also don't know how much, if any money was covered by the bank because I haven't spoke to the guy in over three years. But maybe I'll try to contact him so I can find out what ended up happening.

But the bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, is I wouldn't want anyone having access to any of the financial transactions and/or banking I do on line and it's not because I'm worried about losing fifty dollars,,,,,,

Back to the original thread cops would have taken the computer. Foul language even if is about child porn isn't illegal, they would have had to have had an image reported to them. Sounds fishy.