Cache thief!

3.5k · January 12, 2009

After a layoff of a month or so our local cache theif has been hard at work again. We have a pretty good idea of who it is, but no solid proof. They are a premium member, so making our hides MOCs doesn't help. He steals them all. :ninja:

Have anyone had any luck getting rid of cache maggots? If so, how?

January 12, 2009

Publish a cache that brags about the jewel encrusted container. Hide in the weeds and wait for him :ninja:

3.9k · January 12, 2009

Publish a cache that brags about the jewel encrusted container. Hide in the weeds and wait for him

Automated digital cameras with IR sensors, triggered by the presence of a human, and mounted near a cache (that is, the cache which will hopefully be the next to be stolen), will also help in identifying the thief, but you will need to rig the cameras to actually show the person removing the cache and walking off with it, else you might mistakenly nab an innocent finder!

And, don't be too sure that you already know who the cache thief is; I have heard a few tales of situations where a cache thief was on the prowl and folks jumped to incorrect conclusions about the identity of the thief, particularly if they looked primarily at last-to-find records and PMOC audit logs, or if they singled out local geocachers with some quirky anti-social traits! It never pays to jump to conclusions!

1.7k · January 12, 2009

After a layoff of a month or so our local cache theif has been hard at work again. We have a pretty good idea of who it is, but no solid proof. They are a premium member, so making our hides MOCs doesn't help. He steals them all.

Have anyone had any luck getting rid of cache maggots? If so, how?

To prove who it is get a Game Cam, stealth cam, camera trap or what ever you might call them.

I have seen them as low as 60 dollars and considered one to enforce an ALR but decided it was just to much work to check every time somebody logs.

Once you have proof, devise or find (find is the best option but not always practical) a cache with the following criteria...

It only has one approach.

It has a hiding spot where the maggot will have to have their back to you.

You can leave the hiding spot silently.

You can get to the maggot in under 2 seconds.

Now you have a few options.

Scare them till they load their pants and confront them about the theft/s.

OR

Clobber them with a blunt object and leave a note that simply states "I wonder if you have learned you lesson to prevent this from happening again" and liberate a GPS to pay for cache replacement.

4.2k · January 12, 2009

How hard are you guys making it for him/her? Are they grabbing LPC hide-a-keys or are they getting ammo cans welded to sides of 40 ton boulders?

Is it feasible to up the difficulty in removing the containers or have you already done that?

January 12, 2009

Hide a cache that emits a loud, obnoxious noise when removed from it's hiding area, and only stops when it is nestled back in it's hidey spot. Wait at the parking coords. If the cacher returns smiling, it's ok. If the cacher returns with a peeved expression... :ninja:

4.2k · January 12, 2009

Hide a cache that emits a loud, obnoxious noise when removed from it's hiding area, and only stops when it is nestled back in it's hidey spot. Wait at the parking coords. If the cacher returns smiling, it's ok. If the cacher returns with a peeved expression...

Wouldn't the cacher returning and then leaving with the container be a more reliable indication...?

January 12, 2009

Hide a cache that emits a loud, obnoxious noise when removed from it's hiding area, and only stops when it is nestled back in it's hidey spot. Wait at the parking coords. If the cacher returns smiling, it's ok. If the cacher returns with a peeved expression...

Wouldn't the cacher returning and then leaving with the container be a more reliable indication...?

This would be true, unless the loud obnoxious noise thwarted him. If the loud obnoxious noise did not fulfill its expectations, then yes, chase after the guy with the loud obnoxious noise coming from him! :ninja:

3.5k · January 12, 2009

How hard are you guys making it for him/her? Are they grabbing LPC hide-a-keys or are they getting ammo cans welded to sides of 40 ton boulders?

Is it feasible to up the difficulty in removing the containers or have you already done that?

All kinds of hides are disappearing. Puzzles, multi's, micros, regulars, etc. They wait a few weeks then nab them.

4.2k · January 12, 2009

How hard are you guys making it for him/her? Are they grabbing LPC hide-a-keys or are they getting ammo cans welded to sides of 40 ton boulders?

Is it feasible to up the difficulty in removing the containers or have you already done that?

All kinds of hides are disappearing. Puzzles, multi's, micros, regulars, etc. They wait a few weeks then nab them.

I guess I referring more to how difficult they were to physically remove more-so than the difficulty rating. Have any of these been literally chained down? Are they having to use tools common to any particular trade to remove them?

1.4k · January 12, 2009

Tactically hide a geocache in a location that will require the finder to be exposed from any type of cover (about 150 meters).

Now select a good location for a LP/OP, preferably on a hill top or building. If you have to occupy a room with a family, offer them money or food and tell them you only be there a few days.

Be sure to bring a sleeping bag, case of MREs, water, binos, NODs, ANCD, radio, map, GPS, and wet weather gear. It would be good to have FSO with you who can do "Call for Fire" (just be sure you are allocated HE rounds).

A M240B should do the job.

Hope this helps.

CM, out!

Have anyone had any luck getting rid of cache maggots? If so, how?

14.3k · January 12, 2009

After a layoff of a month or so our local cache theif has been hard at work again. We have a pretty good idea of who it is, but no solid proof. They are a premium member, so making our hides MOCs doesn't help. He steals them all.

Have anyone had any luck getting rid of cache maggots? If so, how?

I'm curious what might be motivating this premium member to do that. Any ideas?

January 12, 2009

A lack of understanding of how geocaching works?

14.3k · January 12, 2009

A lack of understanding of how geocaching works?

A Premium Member?

January 12, 2009

A lack of understanding of how geocaching works?
A Premium Member?

Anybody can buy a Premium account. You don't have to take a test about geocaching first. :laughing:

4.2k · January 12, 2009

A lack of understanding of how geocaching works?
A Premium Member?

You'd think not, but keep in mind that paying the money for the PM account doesn't automatically bestow understanding or wisdom.

I'd be willing to bet that this guy knows exactly what he's doing.

3.3k · January 12, 2009

My theory is the geo-maggot is a disgruntled cacher, it sounds like the locals have an idea who the person might be. To be 100% certain, I would recommend a Scout guard SG550

Close your eyes and just envision a small scouting camera in a nice camouflaged case that is only 5 ½ inches tall and about 3 ¼ inches wide. This cam is just two inches thick.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer..._type=&aq=f

January 12, 2009

Finding the cache thief is not a problem; if you have the time, the resources and/or the patience.

A more appropriate question is "What do I do once I've caught a cache thief?".

What could you do?

IMHO, the answer is "nothing", unless the cache is on private property and the muggler is charged with trespassing and petty theft.

19k · January 12, 2009

The real question is, what do you do about it even if you can positively identify the person? I seriously doubt that you'd have any significant legal recourse.

3.9k · January 12, 2009

A lack of understanding of how geocaching works?
A Premium Member?

Anybody can buy a Premium account. You don't have to take a test about geocaching first.

Huh? You didn't have to take a test to get a Premium membership? Sheesh!

When I first tried to upgrade our account to Premium membership, I was told that I had to report to the local Groundspeak offices, where I was asked to take a tough 80 question test. Then, when I attempted to upgrade our account to Platinum level, I was required to again show up at the local Groundspeak office and take a 150 question test and go through a 15 minute live interview, and it was even tougher -- the test contained about 200 questions, plus the live interview was grueling -- when we upgraded to Polonium membership, but, of course, the perks of those upper levels made it all worthwhile!

.

14.3k · January 12, 2009

The real question is, what do you do about it even if you can positively identify the person? I seriously doubt that you'd have any significant legal recourse.

I was wondering the same thing.

3.3k · January 12, 2009

The real question is, what do you do about it even if you can positively identify the person? I seriously doubt that you'd have any significant legal recourse.

It would be funny if the maggot was a cache owner, and his caches ended up missing. :laughing: I'm assuming Groundspeak could ban the member.

Note, this is not an advocation for cache theft, merely a statement made in jest.

4.2k · January 12, 2009

Finding the cache thief is not a problem; if you have the time, the resources and/or the patience.

A more appropriate question is "What do I do once I've caught a cache thief?".

What could you do?

IMHO, the answer is "nothing", unless the cache is on private property and the muggler is charged with trespassing and petty theft.

Beyond ending up on the local caching community black list and getting the account banned? Not much. In some states there is no trespassing "charge" unless you refuse to leave the property. Petty theft? Maybe.

Maybe just outing the person would be enough to discurage them. Or not.

January 12, 2009

Are replacement caches being nabbed? I.e., is it someone who finds a cache then steals it to prevent others from finding, or is it someone who returns repeatedly to a site?

Unfortunately there isn't too much that one can realistically and cost-effectively do; unfortunately there are human vermin out here who gets their kicks out of doing malicous acts. Even if you get their picture, a others have noted, then what?

January 12, 2009

Is there any miniature version of a LoJak for cars that could be glued into an ammo can? Be interesting to track the stolen cache to the Maggot's dump and show up looking for it.

That kind of stuff just hacks me off.

1.4k · January 12, 2009

All this for a 3 dollar cache container? :laughing:

My theory is the geo-maggot is a disgruntled cacher, it sounds like the locals have an idea who the person might be. To be 100% certain, I would recommend a Scout guard SG550

Close your eyes and just envision a small scouting camera in a nice camouflaged case that is only 5 ½ inches tall and about 3 ¼ inches wide. This cam is just two inches thick.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer..._type=&aq=f

3.3k · January 12, 2009

All this for a 3 dollar cache container?

Posting the video of the cache thief on Youtube PRICELESS :laughing:

January 12, 2009

PMO all your caches

1.4k · January 12, 2009

What will you do if you catch the theif? Are you going to call the police and tell them you caught the guy?

911 Operator= 911, what is your name and location?

Geocacher= I'm a geocacher!

911 Operator= What?

Geocacher= I'm a geocacher and I caught the maggot!

911 Operator= Sir this is 911, what is your emergency?

Geocacher= I'm the geocacher owner and need back up now!

911 operator= *CLICK*

Lets say the guy is real brute, are you gonna take a chance and grab him? Probably not, but lets say you do and you wake up later wondering what happened?

What will you tell the police? "Hey this guy was stealing my micro container and I want to make a citizens arrest".

What would really be priceless is the cache owner trying to stop the maggot and getting beat up on Youtube.

Keep us posted!

All this for a 3 dollar cache container?

Posting the video of the cache thief on Youtube PRICELESS

4.7k · January 12, 2009

it is theft.

while police won't really pursue an investigation, they will make an arrest in the event you catch the guy.

Groundspeak will also ban the account.

and no, it's not just a $3 container. think about it this way: you put in the time and effort to hunt caches, but only about 40% of them are there. ther rest have been stolen.

an effective cache maggot can make caching miserable in an area.

cache maggots need to be make miserable.

1.4k · January 12, 2009

Only if its on private property :laughing: You can't do anything if its in a park. A empty altoids tin is considered trash.

it is theft.

while police won't really pursue an investigation, they will make an arrest in the event you catch the guy.

Groundspeak will also ban the account.

and no, it's not just a $3 container. think about it this way: you put in the time and effort to hunt caches, but only about 40% of them are there. ther rest have been stolen.

an effective cache maggot can make caching miserable in an area.

cache maggots need to be make miserable.

January 12, 2009

Yea and hes reading about all theese neat cameras he's gonna get pretty soon........U-tube or not.....LOL

January 12, 2009

After a layoff of a month or so our local cache theif has been hard at work again. We have a pretty good idea of who it is, but no solid proof. They are a premium member, so making our hides MOCs doesn't help. He steals them all.

Have anyone had any luck getting rid of cache maggots? If so, how?

Well, you live in Texas, so just place a cache just inside your property line, then when the maggot shows up, have him arrested for trespassing...or you could "3 S" him (shotgun, shovel, shut up). :laughing:

January 12, 2009

sounds like we need to make some sort of geocache dye bag. Maggot shows up to steal the cache and leaves looking like a smurf!

Edited January 12, 2009 by Roadtorque

January 13, 2009

Ever fly any R/C? These are pretty good for watchin' an area, & delivering a knockout punch when needed:

The silver part is called 'Predator'....the black things on wingstrut mounts: Hellfires.

Trez effective!

~*

9.3k · January 13, 2009

A more appropriate question is "What do I do once I've caught a cache thief?".

That would depend upon the cache owner's resources, willpower and interpretation of his/her personal moral code.

I could come up with all kinds of "solutions". :laughing:

4.7k · January 13, 2009

Only if its on private property You can't do anything if its in a park. A empty altoids tin is considered trash.

nope. where caching is legal it is theft to steal a cache same as it's theft to steal a bicycle that's in the park. a cache is not abandoned; it is someone's property placed legally.

1.4k · January 13, 2009

Imagine telling the police that the cache is private property, at least in a geocachers view. Then you have to tell the police about geocaching, sattlelites, ammocans, geocoins, and the website :wub: .

I have seen soda bottles used as geocaches. If the thief gets caught with a soda bottle and log book, will that be enough for them to do hard time? :laughing:

Only if its on private property You can't do anything if its in a park. A empty altoids tin is considered trash.

nope. where caching is legal it is theft to steal a cache same as it's theft to steal a bicycle that's in the park. a cache is not abandoned; it is someone's property placed legally.

Edited January 13, 2009 by Cav Scout

9.3k · January 13, 2009

In Florida, a cache theif would not be prosecuted for theft. According to the State Attorney, all the maggot would need to do is claim he/she was just picking up trash, and the element of intent goes away.

1.7k · January 13, 2009

Allow me to reiterate for all of those who are saying "Once you identify them, what can you BLAH BLAH BLAH"

Once you have proof, devise or find (find is the best option but not always practical) a cache with the following criteria...

It only has one approach.

It has a hiding spot where the maggot will have to have their back to you.

You can leave the hiding spot silently.

You can get to the maggot in under 2 seconds.

Now you have a few options.

Scare them till they load their pants and confront them about the theft/s.

OR

Clobber them with a blunt object and leave a note that simply states "I wonder if you have learned your lesson to prevent this from happening again" and liberate a GPS to pay for cache replacement.

You always have an option!

The best rout? Let me give you a hint "Ivtvynagr Whfgvpr" or you could just try to give them a heart attack.

January 13, 2009

Just be happy that this person is just stealing them, it sould be worse, he could be rigging them to be pipebombs.

January 13, 2009

Or pooping in them.

2.5k · January 13, 2009

:laughing:

1.7k · January 13, 2009

I WANT A CACHE CHIMP!

3.5k · January 13, 2009

I WANT A CACHE CHIMP!

Yeah, no kidding, or the closet monkey from Family Guy.

January 13, 2009

This story may or may not apply but here is my cache thief story.

I posted a cache that is in my driveway. I live in a ruralish area. So its an ammo can and can hold a bit of stuff. We had quite a few visits for a few weeks then we had some kids in the neighborhood hit the cache. Then they hit it again and again. They never took the entire cache but they would rob all the contents. My kids told me that some one had stolen all the swag from the cache and they knew who it was. I tried to give the kids the benefit of the doubt. I found out who their mother was and spoke with her. That worked for about 1 month. Then they came and stole a few TB's that I had in there waiting to go on their journey.

I got very upset and started to post biting comments on my cache page about the cache thief. After another talk with his mother and emails to his brothers account I got the bugs back.

I can't even imagine why anyone would choose to be so downright nasty. I mean if we all went and replaced their bong water with Pine Sol they would be upset.

1.3k · January 13, 2009

Maybe just outing the person would be enough to discurage them

More likely it would redouble their resolve. The quick and easy answer is to ignore them and eventually they'll go away...but this thief seems to have a burning desire to be a maggot and will stop at nothing to keep up his lofty status as one.

Bruce

4.2k · January 13, 2009

Only if its on private property You can't do anything if its in a park. A empty altoids tin is considered trash.

nope. where caching is legal it is theft to steal a cache same as it's theft to steal a bicycle that's in the park. a cache is not abandoned; it is someone's property placed legally.

A bicycle that's been left for months if not years? Maybe you've had luck in this regard with you local LEO but can't imagine that we would have the same luck around here. I would expect blank stares on any mention of "internet" and "game" in the same sentence.

January 13, 2009

This story may or may not apply but here is my cache thief story.

I posted a cache that is in my driveway. I live in a ruralish area. So its an ammo can and can hold a bit of stuff. We had quite a few visits for a few weeks then we had some kids in the neighborhood hit the cache. Then they hit it again and again. They never took the entire cache but they would rob all the contents. My kids told me that some one had stolen all the swag from the cache and they knew who it was. I tried to give the kids the benefit of the doubt. I found out who their mother was and spoke with her. That worked for about 1 month. Then they came and stole a few TB's that I had in there waiting to go on their journey.

I got very upset and started to post biting comments on my cache page about the cache thief. After another talk with his mother and emails to his brothers account I got the bugs back.

I can't even imagine why anyone would choose to be so downright nasty. I mean if we all went and replaced their bong water with Pine Sol they would be upset.

I also have a home cache but I live in a suburbanish neighbourhood. One of the neighbourhood kids found the cache and went through, taking a few things (not taking any TBs). I discovered what had happened by seeing the cache half put together out in the open around its original hiding spot. I moved the cache to the other side of the tree under a bit more brush and my kids decided they wanted to handle it. My kids spoke with their friend and explained Geocaching. Then they told other friends. I think all the elementary school kids in the neighbourhood are aware of the cache and Geocaching.

What I find interesting was that they all resolved not to tell the teenagers in the neighbourhood. Our neighbourhood has one school bus stop and this bus stop is used at different times by the different schools. The high school kids come home before the elementary school kids so that's when things happen at the bus stop... like little kid bikes getting thrown into the woods, bikes getting damaged, etc.

I guess my point in all this is that even little kids know that teenagers geneally can't be trusted with geocaching. While I have no doubt that there are responsible teens out there who geocache with respect, stealth and great care, I don't think we can deny that the destruction phase some teens go through won't exclude geocaching if they have access to it.

You don't even want to know what little jerks my husband and I were when we were teenagers. My oldest will be 13 this August and I pray every night that none of my four come anywhere near what we were like.

January 13, 2009

A bicycle that's been left for months if not years? Maybe you've had luck in this regard with you local LEO but can't imagine that we would have the same luck around here. I would expect blank stares on any mention of "internet" and "game" in the same sentence.

While I understand your comparison, I don't agree. Geocaches are* placed with statements that they are game pieces. They request that the game pieces be placed back where they were found. They give a website for more information and, hopefully, the username and a contact email or phone number of the CO. A bicycle (or hat or toy or whathaveyou) has no such statement and can be considered "abandoned" or "lost".

I'm still in agreement that a request to report a stolen cache would receive a blank stare in most cases.

* are = should be

Cache thief!

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