My girlfriend was doing laundry today at the shared apartment laundry complex and found a microSD card in front of the dryer she was using. Thinking it had fallen out of my pants (I’m both a techie and forgetful, so the assumption was valid), she brought it to me. I have a few microSDs floating around and while I haven’t noticed any going missing I didn’t think it was outside the realm of possibility, so I loaded it onto my computer.
The card looked like it came from a phone like my Android. To confirm, I went to the DCIM folder and found, to my surprise, loads of naked pictures of a lady who presumably resides in our complex. I’d like to know what the best way of returning the card is. The way I see it, I have the following options:
Put it back where it was (my least favorite; someone less scrupulous than me may find it and possibly upload the pictures online or otherwise distribute them).
Put up a sign saying I found a microSD card, along with my email. I don’t like this option either because the eventual result would be an uncomfortable encounter with the owner, and possible subsequent unpleasantness.
Destroy the data on the card and then follow option 1 or 2. I’m iffy about this one as well because there may be other important data on the phone.
I wouldn’t bother with option 3. Those cards are cheap; the data is the only thing that might have value to someone. I’d go with option 2 and if someone claims it, try to casually mention that you would have checked the card to see if you could identify the owner but you don’t have a microSD reader.
Place a sign asking if someone lost… something… any time lately. Don’t specify what it is; when the person to whom it belongs emails, they’ll be able to ask for it specifically.
The pictures could be somebody’s girlfriend, too, couldn’t they? If someone who doesn’t look like her claims the card, they could still be the valid owner, no? Unless they’re all mirror and obvious self-portraits. Anyway, it seems option 2 really is probably the kindest, and a little white lie about not having a micro reader would probably also save everybody some face.
This. Or specify that it’s a data card, and ask for specs/size. I’ve seen that done for phones and watches. I like the mention of ‘I don’t have a card reader, so I don’t know what’s on it’ when you do return it.
I’m actually pretty concerned that it is someone’s girlfriend, and that an encounter with that someone would be be uncomfortable. I think I’ll send it to the claimant who IDs the object by mail.
Think about it logically. If you were a woman or the woman’s SO or acquaintance with naked pics on an SD card the LAST thing, the VERY LAST thing in the world you would want is someone delivering it back to you because you would know the chances are 110% that they saw the pics and made copies. You are setting this person up for both an uncomfortable encounter and a long term worry. Just destroy the card and forget about it.
Put yourself in her position. Trying to track her down is in no one’s best interests.
If you get a crazy or paranoid person there’s also the outside chance they would decide to do something about *you. *
Yup, thought about it that way too. The thing is, if I lost a card with photographs of me or my girlfriend, I would be frantically worried that someone had found it and decided to share it online. I would live with the constant fear in the back of my mind that someone had distributed the images. I’d feel much better if the card was returned to me; even if I had no guarantee that the images weren’t copied, I’d feel more secure because the person at least had the integrity to return it.
But I am worried that the person is crazy or paranoid, which is why I plan to return it by mail with no return address.
Apart from the photos, was there anything else that could help you identify the person?
if it’s from a phone, is there a copy of their contacts? Someone you can ring?
If not, go with option 2, leave a note in the laundry saying you’ve found a small item belonging to someone else, please call your number.
If someone calls saying they lost an SD card, fair chance it’s them, just ask for a postal address so you can post it to them, but don’t be surprised if they baulk.
If the card belongs to the woman in the photos she may not be too thrilled with the idea of giving out her address to someone who has seen the pics.
This was my first thought after I read the post above yours. I think you would be giving invaluable “peace of mind” to the person in question by returning it, so I would vote against option 3, “destroy it and never speak of it again”.
Any awkwardness during the exchange itself, I would think would be long gone within a week. And all that would be left would be the good karma from the other person thinking “wow, that Danja was a wonderful person, for not taking these pictures and posting them all over the interwebs”.
Your very first step should be to do a thorough virus/malware scan of your PC. “Accidentally lost” USB sticks are a common malware distribution technique. It’s most common in corporate parking lots but any public space can be a target.
Exactly what I was thinking. In fact, have her do all of the interactions, including a possible phone call. Even use, if not her email, an email that obviously looks like it belongs to a girl. Heck, have it done in girly handwriting.
Give no indication that a guy is involved if you’re worried about paranoiacs. And, yeah, have her say she didn’t look at the content, too, which I assume is the truth.
Really? Do you have a cite for that? Compared to email distribution this would seem to be insanely more expensive and no guarantee of success (a corporate drone would have to notice it laying on the ground)
I don’t think we can give an informed opinion here until we see the pictures in question, so post them and put up a link …
Nah. I vote for putting up the notice “Found: memory card. Contact [e-mail address]. Will be destroyed if not claimed by [1 wk from today’s date]” and mail if identifying information given.
That allows its return if desired but also allows the owner to know that the finders intent is to destroy the information if they want to avoid the embarrassment of claiming it.
