targeted by a thief

[+Silver-Fox]

Please read logs !!!!!!!!Kit's Coty

[+Haggis Hunter]

Disgusting!!!

 

The problem is you can't even catch them in the act as any cacher is allowed to pick them up.

[+HazelS]

I think the mysterious Kent "Coin Bermuda Triangle" is once again active....

 

How sad.

 

When I went to Dover for Little Miss Naughty's camping event, I was the only non kent resident, and I had all sorts of coins thrust in my hands just so that I could take them out of kent to "stop them being stolen."

 

Sadly people know who it is, but Groundspeak have refused to act....

[Deceangi]

I think the mysterious Kent "Coin Bermuda Triangle" is once again active....

 

How sad.

 

When I went to Dover for Little Miss Naughty's camping event, I was the only non kent resident, and I had all sorts of coins thrust in my hands just so that I could take them out of kent to "stop them being stolen."

 

Sadly people know who it is, but Groundspeak have refused to act....

 

Sorry Hazel but knowing and having proof, is two different kettles of fish.

 

Groundspeak can not act on what people know with out actual proof. Not very helpful I know, but that. is the way they have to work. Imagine if a group got together and contacted Groundspeak stating that they know you were a Coin thief [and before anyone says anything Hazel is not and has never been a Coin Thief, a lush maybe but thats another mater ]. You'd be extremely annoyed if they banned you because of what people know, without actual proof.

[dodgydaved]

I think the mysterious Kent "Coin Bermuda Triangle" is once again active....

 

How sad.

 

When I went to Dover for Little Miss Naughty's camping event, I was the only non kent resident, and I had all sorts of coins thrust in my hands just so that I could take them out of kent to "stop them being stolen."

 

Sadly people know who it is, but Groundspeak have refused to act....

 

 

In the past I have had many an email conversation with several of the Kent cachers who have suffered like this, and also with people in Seattle.

 

There had been a spat of coin "thefts" and "disapearances" in July 07 - this was followed up in February 08 by the same cacher being involved - allegedly - in cache "theft".

 

The advice I was given, reference the cache "theft" not the coin "theft" was:

 

"Unfortunately while the guy may be a pain there is no rule against what he is doing. Trashing a cache is not a good thing but there isn't much Groundspeak can do against him for this. It will be his word against the other persons.

 

Groundspeak allows people to be stupid in their actions. Since the cache owner controls the logs on their cache page there is no rule against hiding it with one account and finding it with another account. Its stupid but not against any rules or guidelines.

 

What we have is a cacher that might need a little friendly mentoring. Someone to explain how most people play the game. We had a cache pirate here once that did it because he thought that was the way the game was played. Someone mentored him and now he plays right."

 

This I did but it looks as if, 1 year on from the first spat, the geek is playing his pigmy little games again.

[+scottpa100]

I've not been to Kent in ages but I'm assuming that where the motorways enter the county that there are signs saying 'Welcome to Kent. Garden of England' Something like that. Maybe we need a little cardboard sign underneath "Don't leave geocoins, here be pirates" :D or something similar.

 

I say this tongue in cheek because there's nothing you're going to be to do. Disabling the cache makes no difference - it just spoils everyone elses fun. Block the account? Why? You just setup a new one with a different e-mail address. Especially as the person is not bothered about the cache hunt per se, more about the contents.

 

What about setting a cache that is monitored by a webcam? Ply it with geocoins, get the evidence then take it to the police? Taking property without consent or not using the geocoins for the purpose it has been consented for you to pick up has got be against the law. Just needs the time and will to do it...

[+sssss]

the geek is playing his pigmy little games again.

 

looks like he is not on the straight and 'narrow boat'

[+careygang]

It's annoying, but not a lot can be done. These people (because there is more than one of them around the world) are like Art Thieves, they steal for personal collections. If any of the missing coins were ever put on display at an event, then they would be logged and the game would be up.

 

They are just sad little individuals who don't give a t*ss about the fact that others have paid good money to put coins in circulation for the pleasure of following their movements and letting others see them.

And yes, my first coin was stolen within days of release!

 

Edited for having bad spelling!!

Edited July 5, 2008 by careygang

[+third-degree-witch]

I think Most people are well aware of who it is and the aliases employed....the poorly hidden trail of theft hidden by error strewn,conlicting logs..by the thief themselves and/or by the aliases makes pitiful reading.

Im quite prepared to name an shame if asked...along with the aliases used...I dont really think its needed because most peeps sussed this one out a year back

[+Eclectic Penguin]

Sorry to see this cache having problems. It's quite a memorable one for me as it's one of my early finds. I remember it being the one that first brought my attention to GPS datum and the fact that I shouldn't be using OS coords in Geocaching!

 

I also remember there was a nasty accident near the lay-by where I parked as I walked back to the car.

 

We feel for you - we had a problem last year/early on this year across South Wales (but mainly around Neath area) where someone was nicking entire caches, but leaving the log books in a plastic bag nearby. Then during the early months of this year, the TBs started appearing in caches around Neath - but as replacement pebbles, some elaborately painted with the original TB serial number painted on them.

[+Donmoore]

Is anyone here sure that if even you used a camera and filmed the person in the act would the police do anything?

Is it simply even if very annoyingly one of the risks of the game? If I hide something in the open public and someone else finds it who does not care and decides to take it are they doing anything illegal? or just simply spoiling it for everyone else?

[+cacherelle]

 

We feel for you - we had a problem last year/early on this year across South Wales (but mainly around Neath area) where someone was nicking entire caches, but leaving the log books in a plastic bag nearby. Then during the early months of this year, the TBs started appearing in caches around Neath - but as replacement pebbles, some elaborately painted with the original TB serial number painted on them.

There's some RIGHT fruitcakes about!! However a geocoin thief is an evil greedy lowlife and needs dealing with IMO

[+cacherelle]

Is anyone here sure that if even you used a camera and filmed the person in the act would the police do anything?

Is it simply even if very annoyingly one of the risks of the game? If I hide something in the open public and someone else finds it who does not care and decides to take it are they doing anything illegal? or just simply spoiling it for everyone else?

However you look at it it's theft. OH leaves his car out on the public road, this week someone decided to unscrew his rear wiper and take it = theft!

 

If he leaves a cache somewhere with clear instructions as to what it is and why it's there, with a contact name etc, and it gets taken = theft!

[+Us 4 and Jess]

I think if a cacher IS stealing coins from other cachers than that is shameful

 

but......

 

Do you know for CERTAIN who is taking them I mean 100% CERTAIN?

 

Is it not a case of Joe thinks Mary took a coin, Joe tells Fanny, Fanny tell Gertie that Mary took 2 coins, ect ect like chicnese whispers it gets bigger and bigger (you know what I mean ) but Joe doesnt like Mary so makes sure everyone knows he thinks she took the coins.

 

I am just trying to justify this to myself really

 

Could the person be a newbie and maybe not know what to do with the coins? Maybe think the coins are a swap? and has left something and kept the coins ?

 

If you think you know who the person is there must be someone who is friendly with him/her could a group of you try explaining the situation to the friend and simply going up to the person and saying people think this is happening and see if you get some kind of explanation.

 

Is it a vendetta ? Is it only certain peoples coins going missing or any in the Kent area?

 

Like I say I am trying to look at the situation from a different angle

 

I have no idea who the local cachers to Kent are and I have probably never met any of them, but there was a single word mentioned in this thread earlier that made me immediately think of one caching team I have heard of I dont even know if the caching team I thought of live in Kent to be honest, that is a dangerous game though, making people "think" oh them they steal coins, the person I thought of probably has nothing what so ever to do with the situation.

 

Kent is wayyyyyyyy out of my comfort zone, but if is a cacher who is stealing from cachers they should be throughly ashamed of themselves

 

Mandy

[+Geo-Kate]

I think Most people are well aware of who it is and the aliases employed....the poorly hidden trail of theft hidden by error strewn,conlicting logs..by the thief themselves and/or by the aliases makes pitiful reading.

Im quite prepared to name an shame if asked...along with the aliases used...I dont really think its needed because most peeps sussed this one out a year back

Not being a frequent user of these forums, and a cacher/cache owner in Kent, I would really like to know who the 'suspects' are, or their aliases, so I can keep an eye on my logs and local caches to ge a head's up on any issues.

I have done this cache myself a year or two back, and find this news very sad. I have had a coin or two added to these 'private collections' as well as a couple of TBs. It's very distressing and frustrating when it happens, and can really make you wonder why you bother releasing these items.

I don't buy the argument for the theif/trasher being misguided. I 100% belive people doing this kind of thing are well aware of their actions and consequences.

[+Geo-Kate]

I think Most people are well aware of who it is and the aliases employed....the poorly hidden trail of theft hidden by error strewn,conlicting logs..by the thief themselves and/or by the aliases makes pitiful reading.

Im quite prepared to name an shame if asked...along with the aliases used...I dont really think its needed because most peeps sussed this one out a year back

Not being a frequent user of these forums, and a cacher/cache owner in Kent, I would really like to know who the 'suspects' are, or their aliases, so I can keep an eye on my logs and local caches to ge a head's up on any issues.

I have done this cache myself a year or two back, and find this news very sad. I have had a coin or two added to these 'private collections' as well as a couple of TBs. It's very distressing and frustrating when it happens, and can really make you wonder why you bother releasing these items.

I don't buy the argument for the theif/trasher being misguided. I 100% belive people doing this kind of thing are well aware of their actions and consequences.

[+pklong]

Not being a frequent user of these forums, and a cacher/cache owner in Kent, I would really like to know who the 'suspects' are, or their aliases, so I can keep an eye on my logs and local caches to ge a head's up on any issues.

 

I doubt you'll get an answer to that. Britain's Libel and Slander laws are quite strict.

[+kewfriend]

This is a game played on trust - and I just write off the odd coin or TB lost ... it just happens.

 

I have a lot of time for erstwhile Eck's approach and Dec's sanguine response. If the person is known (in any sense), bringing them into the geofold, engaging in dialogue and encouraging the re-release is easily the best outcome. the fact that a 'name may be in the frame' means that we are not dealing with a casual cache theft but someone who has a geo-profile but hasn't quite yet absorbed the implications of the geo-communion.

 

I would urge anyone who can engage in such dialogue to start chatting asap.

[+minstrelcat]

Blimey - that's pretty fast thievery, if the latest TB went even before it was logged into the cache online.

 

I'm thinking this is not the work of our usual suspect - as far as I know there hasn't been much of a theft problem in the Maidstone area, east Kent seems to have been more his patch. I'm guessing someone must check out this cache on a regular basis to have taken a TB before it was logged online.

 

Geo-Kate - I will send you a private message.

 

Lisa

[+minstrelcat]

If the person is known (in any sense), bringing them into the geofold, engaging in dialogue and encouraging the re-release is easily the best outcome. the fact that a 'name may be in the frame' means that we are not dealing with a casual cache theft but someone who has a geo-profile but hasn't quite yet absorbed the implications of the geo-communion.

 

I would urge anyone who can engage in such dialogue to start chatting asap.

 

I do know that someone local successfully managed to negotiate with him for the release of one of their coins.

 

Lisa

[+studlyone]

Whilst I know that there are nefarious characters out there - do not underestimate the nievity of an ex-muggle (newbie cacher). I think that often its an education issue with new cachers. The trackable item logging on geocaching.com is confusing at best and whilst people can find out about caching from lots of different places geocaching.com doesn't seem to be going out of its way to promote trackable items and more importantly what to do with them.

 

Lots of new cachers pick up geocoins thinking that they are a lucky geoswag find.

 

Kathy has had two phone calls in the shop this year alone from new cachers who have not known what to do with geocoins that they have found. One was even confused by the fact that he couldn't activate it as it seemed to be attached to someone elses account If we've had two contact us how many haven't bothered and just pocketed coins thinking they were fair game.

 

There is a feature on the geocaching.com website that allows you to print out a little leaflet to attach to a trackable item that has a little bit of info about how to log it as a find and to highlight the fact that it isn't just another trade item. I strongly urge everyone who releases any sort of trackable item into the wild to laminate a sheet with info or your contact details on it to attach to the thing to prevent any confusion with newly ex-muggles.

Edited July 5, 2008 by studlyone

[nobby.nobbs]

After some discussions with a serving officer I did establish that the removal of a coin could be construed as theft depending on the circumstances.

Proof is another matter.

 

if they try to sell them there is a method of how to deal with it listed on the gagb forums.

[+HazelS]

and before anyone says anything Hazel is not and has never been a Coin Thief, a lush maybe but thats another mater

 

Maybe I should remind Deceangi who was drinking tea and coffee with him all day yesterday while others were getting sozzled.... lol

 

I'm no lush anymore, I'd rather have a nice cup of tea!!

[+t.a.folk]

Is anyone here sure that if even you used a camera and filmed the person in the act would the police do anything?

Is it simply even if very annoyingly one of the risks of the game? If I hide something in the open public and someone else finds it who does not care and decides to take it are they doing anything illegal? or just simply spoiling it for everyone else?

 

"Would the police do anything?" ummm. Relative of mine owned a shop and several times got c.c.t.v.

evidence of shoplifters in the act ...did the police act on it ......no no no.

[+Watford Wobble]

This is very sad news indeed however being a newbie to geocaching I agree with Studlyone's comments and can provide some insight into a newbie's thought process.

 

Before I started geocaching only a couple of weeks ago and had I not reasearched how to play I also thought geocoins were to keep. Geoswag I thought? Of course having read and researched I soon realised that this is certainly not the case. I would like to think though the person if it is indeed a newbie would have realised what to do with the geocoins. This problem seems to have gone on for some time though.

[Deceangi]

the only Modding I'm doing closing as requested by the OP.