Cellphone criminal dubbed "dumbest" by police
Rest assured, we've seen some brainless criminals in our day, but this one ranks pretty high on the list. Reportedly, a (potentially inebriated) individual waltzed into a police station and frantically announced that his phone had been stolen at gunpoint. When the detective called the number of the phone reportedly stolen, however, a ring was heard from the "victim's" pocket. After pondering what the criminal hoped to gain from the situation, we here at Engadget HQ came up empty, and apparently, the police involved in the situation were equally stumped -- so stumped, in fact, that they issued a statement entitled "Dumbest criminal?" with details of the event in a local newspaper. We'd say that sums it up fairly accurately.[Image courtesy of FOTW, thanks LordFarkward]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JAmerican @ Jan 9th 2008 4:21AM
I don't see how he is a criminal if it was his phone and his phone was on him. That makes him a liar/very bad prankster.
JAmerican
Zobi @ Jan 9th 2008 5:37AM
A drunk prankster, nothing new... What "crime" has he been charged with? They might as well call him a terrorist...
Numetheus @ Jan 9th 2008 9:23AM
This is by far the dumbest story ever posted on any tech site EVER. So a guy says his phone has been stolen that was actually on him, and a story is written on a tech site saying he is the dumbest criminal? He is not even a criminal! Im going to walk into a police station saying my jacket was stolen, and all the while I will be wearing it. OMG im the dumbest criminal! Lets start handing awards for dumbest story writer of a tech site.
Andresn @ Jan 9th 2008 9:30AM
Is that criminal? It sure makes it easier to understand why the US has the largest number of inmates per capita of the industrial world.
DT @ Jan 9th 2008 10:23AM
Ahem...this happened in South Africa. Apparently the US does have the largest number of illiterates, though.
Suid Africa @ Jan 9th 2008 10:55AM
He is a criminal -he was charged with perjury. He made a statement under oath and was proved to be liar. DUMB DUMB DUMB!
Peter @ Jan 9th 2008 2:04PM
Statements to police aren't under oath; the crime is not perjury, but filing a false statement. Don't you people watch Law & Order? Sheesh!
Suid Africa @ Jan 9th 2008 5:35PM
I happen to be South African and know that when you make a statement to the police it is under oath! So forget law and order because in South Africa ther is NONE!!!!
greatheart2 @ Jan 14th 2008 4:59PM
Dont you wish you were in America .. where we dont take a statement from an enebreated person and lable it under oath .. you see here in America we call it as it should be .. and that is "UNDER THE INFLUNCE" AS IN DRUNK! AS IN DONT DRINK AND DRIVE .. ETC ..ETC...ETC .. NOW DONT YOU WISH YOU WERE IN AMERICA!
Fred @ Jan 9th 2008 2:54PM
Doesn't the phrase "potentially inebriated" explain everything? I've "lost" all kinds of stuff while "potentially inebriated." Haven't you people ever seen Dude, Where's My Car? Sheesh.
youngcalihottie @ Jan 10th 2008 9:16PM
he filed a false statement. that's what he did. you guys think you should just be able to go to the police and make up whatever reports you want? think people! think!
Entropy @ Jan 9th 2008 11:13PM
What does he gain? Another phone? People did this all the time when I worked at a mobile carrier in the usa. They would have insurance on their phone and the insurance company makes you file a claim with the police and provide them with the case number to get another phone because they would claim they "lost" or it got stolen. So if it was a really expensive phone he could pay the small deductible 50 bucks in the states and get another phone. Then sell his old phone on ebay or whatever.