# Posts implying an intent to commit a crime? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 14, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124 "2013-01-14T02:18:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/1 "2013-01-14T02:18:25Z")
When someone posts on here and implies that they are about to commit a serious crime, what does the administration do about it? Is it reported to authorities? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/2 "2013-01-14T03:23:47Z")
Has this ever happened in actuality? ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/3 "2013-01-14T03:39:33Z")
Yes, a new poster today posted to a number of zombie threads asking how to find a hitman. I suspect he found the threads through a Google search, since they were all somewhat hitman/murder related. It seems plausible that he was sincere (albeit a total moron). Sent a chill up the back of my neck, it did. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/4 "2013-01-14T04:04:55Z")
Seems plausible to me that he was a troll. I felt no chills. [Link to thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=484154) for anybody who missed this, which is presumably almost everyone, including me. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/5 "2013-01-14T04:37:05Z")
Given the intellect displayed in his post, I think Barney Fife could nail that perp before anyone got hurt. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/6 "2013-01-15T07:09:47Z")
Note to self: Don’t ask around this board about weaknesses in the security surrounding the Hope diamond. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/7 "2013-01-15T15:43:11Z")
For better or worse there’s not very much we can do with stuff like this. There’s usually nothing of use to report. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/8 "2013-01-15T19:35:42Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Note to self: Don’t ask around this board about weaknesses in the security surrounding the Hope diamond. It depends how you ask -apparently asking for details and past experiences on how to [commit forcible rape](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=679040) doesn’t even rate a mod note, just a request to reword the query. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/9 "2013-01-15T19:36:09Z")
Can’t we form a SDMB crime-fighting unit and run a sting operation? That would be so cool. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/10 "2013-01-15T20:06:24Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Can’t we form a SDMB crime-fighting unit and run a sting operation? That would be so cool. I know a fellow who did that on another messageboard. Someone bragged about how, when a car was parked in “his” space at his apartment complex (the spaces weren’t marked, but it was in front of his unit, so he considered it his), he keyed the car for revenge. People called BS on him, so he proved it by snapping a photo of the car. With his iPhone. Which automatically included GPS coordinates. So another poster found the GPS coordinates, entered them into Google Earth, figured out his apartment complex, cross-referenced his address to public records to learn his name. Cross-referenced those to pull up the guy’s police report and posted everything. I think he sent the information to the apartment complex and the local police, but I’m not sure about that. It was beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/11 "2013-01-15T22:24:23Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > For better or worse there’s not very much we can do with stuff like this. There’s usually nothing of use to report. You’ve got an IP Address and an email for him, right? The police are probably able to track him through that. Probably this should be reported. At least let the cops decide if there’s anything to investigate. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/12 "2013-01-15T22:31:37Z")
An email that is obviously fake and an IP address that resolves to one of the largest cities in the U.S., yes. I’ll check and make sure we shouldn’t/can’t do anything with this, but I wouldn’t expect anything. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/13 "2013-01-15T22:41:18Z")
How is the email obviously fake? He needed a real one to activate his account, right? And the IP address would be assigned by an ISP, who could tell which subscriber it’s assigned to. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/14 "2013-01-15T22:47:04Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > How is the email obviously fake? He needed a real one to activate his account, right? > > And the IP address would be assigned by an ISP, who could tell which subscriber it’s assigned to. I can be [BigGiantManhood@Yahoo.com](mailto:BigGiantManhood@Yahoo.com) if I want (no, I haven’t checked if it’s available.) It’s a “real” address. ETA: I could create and access it from any number of public computers (like a library.) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/15 "2013-01-15T22:55:50Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > How is the email obviously fake? It’s the name of a person who is obviously not the poster. Like I said earlier, I’m passing this up the chain and I’ll see if we think there is anything to be done here. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/16 "2013-01-15T23:04:32Z")
A fake name is not the same as a fake email. It’s a working address that the ISP can trace back to a specific subscriber. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/17 "2013-01-15T23:14:01Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > A fake name is not the same as a fake email. It’s a working address that the ISP can trace back to a specific subscriber. See post #14. There are ways around that. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/18 "2013-01-15T23:47:07Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > See post #14. There are ways around that. Yes, IF the poster is sufficiently smart and tech-savvy he might be able to do it anonymously. I doubt this poster is, though. Hell, even if he did use a library or an internet cafe, perhaps they had a security camera that caught him. Or maybe he’s known to the staff as a regular customer. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/19 "2013-01-16T00:28:23Z")
This isn’t CSI- then again I wouldn’t bet this guy spends a lot of time at the local library. I will let you know what, if anything, is done with this information. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124/20 "2013-01-16T06:37:27Z")
> [@maggenpye](#): > > It depends how you ask -apparently asking for details and past experiences on how to [commit forcible rape](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=679040) doesn’t even rate a mod note, just a request to reword the query. That was a _bit_ more than just a ‘request to reword the query’. What’s the opposite of ‘exaggeration’? Also, it’s two weeks early for ‘rape month’, so there’s also that… > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > How is the email obviously fake? He needed a real one to activate his account, right? > > And the IP address would be assigned by an ISP, who could tell which subscriber it’s assigned to. I can make a valid email address in 5 minutes. One that has no connection at all to my real-world identity. As far as IP address? It’s called an ‘open proxy’. Which major city in the world would you like me to come from? Pick a country and a city. There’s one available from them all. It’s really a testament to the (semi)competence of the socks that come here, repeatedly, that they manage to last as long as they do, before they get _caught_, repeatedly. Although the mods, here and elsewhere, _do_ have other methods available, and they’re good at using them. But if I really wanted to, I could, with only an hour’s effort, make it so that {email + IP address} wouldn’t get you within the same _continent_ I’m actually on. And spoof the other things they can look at, just as easily. It really won’t tell law enforcement much, unless the dipshit in question was _really_ incompetent, in which case post #5 applies: > [@Oakminster](#): > > Given the intellect displayed in his post, I think Barney Fife could nail that perp before anyone got hurt. So the response to this one: > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > You’ve got an IP Address and an email for him, right? The police are probably able to track him through that. Probably this should be reported. At least let the cops decide if there’s anything to investigate. is: not if he took _any effort at all_. > [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > See post #14. There are ways around that. What he said, and _trivially_ easy, too. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Yes, IF the poster is sufficiently smart and tech-savvy he might be able to do it anonymously. I doubt this poster is, though. And the ‘sufficiently’ is an extremely low bar to cross. I also doubt it, but it’s such a low bar to cross that it probably _is_ useless. **Marley** has said, several times, that they passed it on. And it’s unlikely to be fruitful. > [@Marley23](#): > > This isn’t CSI It _isn’t_??? :eek::eek::eek: Apparently you Mods are _not_ Gods! What a violation of the expectations in this thread. I’m really _disappointed_ in you. Chastise yourselves. _Immediately!_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-implying-an-intent-to-commit-a-crime/647124.md?page=2)