Police track down stolen PS3 using PlayStation Network

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By Ryan Burns

It turns out PlayStation Network is useful for more than downloading games and demo onto your PlayStation 3. As Dustin Waller in Cleveland discovered recently, the police can track you down with it. It is a feature few players think about, unless they are playing a stolen system.

When Waller played games online with his pre-owned PS3, he used the previous owner’s account. As a result, the previous owner’s username appeared along with his character. He never changed it because he thought the name was part of the game.

“I’m new to PlayStation altogether. I thought it was an automatic name to sign on,” Waller said.

After Waller had shoulder surgery following an accident at work, doctors recommended he remain stationary for at least three months. Waller’s thoughtful fiancée bought the PS3 from 3-D Games to help him cope. 3-D Games is a retailer that buys and sells used games and consoles.

About a month after Waller received the system as a gift, police showed up on his doorstep. Waller’s PS3 was not just pre-owned, it was stolen. The police had tracked it down using the IP address.

Police were able to track the system down after obtaining a warrant that allowed them to search Waller’s Internet records. Police said the theft is related to a string of burglaries in the area, and though Waller is not a suspect, he is missing his PS3. Police confiscated it without compensating Waller or his fiancée.

Waller was unable to get a refund from 3-D games, but upon returning to the store, he did get a consolation prize: an Xbox 360. He said he was grateful for it, but noted that the Xbox is not nearly as expensive or sophisticated as the PlayStation. He did not get an equal trade for his money.

Waller told the Salisbury Post, a local newspaper, he felt 3-D Games – or any business that buys and sells used merchandise – should have the same checks a pawn shop does when receiving merchandise. All pawn shops are required to check the IDs of their sellers and make sure that their items are not stolen.

Whatever the case, now Waller can kick his feet up and game without being afraid of the cops.

Originally Published: Issue 701 - August 19, 2008

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