This is a post I wish I never had to make. Forgive my grammar and spelling as I am a bit emotional.

My Steam Deck was stolen and I just had it for less than 2 months.

It has been more than 2 weeks since it happened but it still hurts the same. I wanted to make this post because it was a very costly mistake from my side and I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.

<story>

It happened when I was shifting from one house to another house and there were lots of maintenance workers at the destination house. After I kept my luggage inside the house, I left to buy some essentials. My mom was the only person left who was watching over the stuff. By the time I came back, the workers had left. I thought I have some free time so decided to pull the Steam Deck out but it was missing.

<vent>

I was absolutely devastated; I can’t even begin to explain in words what it felt like. I asked, through the person who hired the workers, if they took it. But all the workers refused. I was just crushed; I could feel my heart dropping into my stomach. Even now, as I am typing this story, that emotion is replaying.

</vent>

After this happened, I removed all payment methods from my Steam account (Steam Guard 2FA was already active). I saw after 5 days that the Steam Deck was online for a brief period of time, via Steam Guard. I purposefully didn’t sign out of the device because I wanted the thieves to make the mistake of signing in and giving me some clue about their location; the Steam Deck was still inside my city. I took the IPs and submitted it to the police and asked them if they could track it. They said they will try their best since getting the customer details from an IP is a “lengthy and time-consuming process”. But at this point, I can’t do anything; it’s not possible for me to visit all the worker’s home individually and check as I don’t have the authority. I gave up and convinced myself to move on.

</story>

This taught me a lot of things and I wanted to share with the community, now that I have slightly recovered mentally.

Secure your luggage when moving

When you are moving, you usually have a million thoughts in your head. This can cause you to neglect your luggage’s safety. If you are going to unload your luggage temporarily, KEEP IT IN A SECURE MANNER FIRST and then do everything else.

A secure manner could mean

  • Under someone’s watch
  • Putting it far away from the exit
  • Putting a lock on the luggage
  • Putting it inside a cabinet and locking it

Don’t just unload the luggage and start doing something mentally involving.

Be wary of outsiders

Sometimes, there will be outside people in your home. It’s crucial to keep the Steam Deck out of reach of everyone. Not everyone is a thief but different people have different moral standards. Don’t create a tempting scenario for others. Keep it secure when there are guests/workers at your place.

Put some form of tracking on the device

The Steam Deck is like a traditional laptop; it has no SIM or GPS. Once it’s lost, it’s really hard to get it back. There are methods by which you can track the Steam Deck (Steam Guard) but it involves IP and it’s not enough to get an exact location. Other than law-enforcement, no one can find the customer details associated with an IP address.

An alternate approach, which can be slight pricey, is to put a Tile tracker on the device. There are tutorials on how it can be attached to the device.

Note: I’m not associated with Tile in any way.

Get the official Serial Number and MAC ID of the device

It will help you to uniquely identify the device IF it gets stolen. You may find the serial number on

  • The bill of purchase
  • Inside the Steam Deck settings section
  • On the Steam Deck package
  • You can ask Steam support for the serial number once it’s associated with your account The MAC ID is present on the Steam Deck settings page (and also on your access point logs if it has connected even once).

I hope this post is educational and makes you wary of the physical dangers around us. Please keep your handhelds or any valuables safe

<vent>

What hurts even more is that the Steam Deck, which was the 1 TB OLED model, was a gift from a very special person and I feel like I have betrayed that person by losing it. I had lots of plans with the device, like making a couch plug-and-play setup, a retro gaming setup, a productivity device by using desktop mode, etc. But all my plans were shattered in an instance. I’m now convincing myself to move on to something else.

</vent>

Edit: As of 20th August, I can see via Steam Guard that the device was logged into a few hours ago (2 weeks post the burglary). I know the risks involved in keeping my device signed in. I’m counting on the person’s stupidity. Any proper thief would have formatted the device.

  • Joelk111@lemmy.world
    0·
    3 months ago

    Heads up, Google now has a FindMy network like Apple’s that’ll update much more frequently than a Tile due to the sheer number of users. The downside, as compared to a tile, is that it’ll notify the thief that a tracker is following them.

    • Opisek@lemmy.world
      0·
      3 months ago

      All the times I checked, there isn’t any hardware yet that would be worth it. Chipolo sounded promising, but the reviews really disagree. I wish Samsung adopted Google’s network. Their trackers are fantastic and offer features no other company does.

        • Opisek@lemmy.world
          0·
          3 months ago

          The reviews I had taken a look at as chipolo came out unfortunately made it clear that those trackers didn’t… Well, track very well. I haven’t researched pebblebees yet, thanks for the hint. One feature that I believe no Google find my device trackers have yet, though, is utilizing UWB for close-range tracking, like the Samsung ones do in their ecosystem. I’ll take a look at the trackers you mentioned, but I’d like to see some more development from other companies.

          • Joelk111@lemmy.world
            0·
            3 months ago

            Ahh, yeah, I’d guess the ecosystem isn’t that large yet, as updates roll out to Android devices n such. I haven’t really tested mine in the real world yet. I’ve been meaning to.

            One time I got a notification that someone was tracking me with a tracker. It was my own wallet that is registered to my account lol.

    • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      Can you give me a little more detail on this? How to enable it and does it work on devices without GPS?

      • Joelk111@lemmy.world
        0·
        3 months ago

        It works like Tile and Apple’s FindMy network, mostly through Bluetooth I believe. Every single phone running android (and with the setting enabled) can ping the location of your trackable when nearby. It’s just like Tile, except with a network of every single Android device instead of just Tile users. If you’re unsure how Tile or Air tags work, then you might have bit more research to do that’s outside the scope of this comment.

        I’m not sure what you mean by enable it, the first step would be to purchase a compatible trackable. Currently there are only two brands making them, unless others have started since I bought mine. Pebblebee seems to be the more popular ones, and that’s what I went with.

        If you want to play around with the app, you can download it here, but there won’t be much to do in it until you have a trackable.

        https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.adm

        • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
          0·
          3 months ago

          Thanks a lot! I wanted something like AirTag but for Android. I am convincing myself to wait for the Steam Deck OLED 2. I’ll buy the tracker and put it under a decal or something.

          • Joelk111@lemmy.world
            0·
            3 months ago

            Yeah, it’s cool that Google has finally got their shit together with that. What’s fascinating is that Google and Apple worked together to provide cross device notifications if an Air tag is following an Android or a Google FindMy tracker is following an iPhone.

            • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
              0·
              3 months ago

              Google and Apple worked together to provide cross device notifications

              One of the rare instances of collaboration where it actually matters.

              Somehow this news flew under the radar for me

    • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      I, along with the rest of my family, are probably too trusting of people. At my old place, i used to leave stuff like this all the time and I never even thought that it could get stolen.

      I wish I learnt this lesson earlier but in a different manner. 😔

  • cRazi_man@lemm.ee
    0·
    3 months ago

    Sorry for the loss OP.

    Maybe not what you want to hear right now, but I’m really glad Steam cloud minimises the impact of a loss. When I had a Nintendo Switch I was terrified of losing hundreds of hours of Dead Cells or Enter the Gungeon progress. Losing a Deck is obviously a financial loss (and the emotional attachment of someone special giving you yours), but at least there isn’t insult to add to the injury the way Nintendo would do.

    • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      I am extremely grateful of Steam Cloud. I was playing Celeste and I saw that my progress is saved.

      Also, I thankfully didnt use my personal IDs on the device. So the thieves couldn’t use it for any other purpose.

    • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      I’m pretty sure about it. I put the Deck in the bag, put the bag in the house and leave. After I come back, it’s gone. There was no one else other than the workers.

  • serenissi@lemmy.world
    0·
    3 months ago

    I’ve a suggestion that might work depending on how honest the perspn hiring the worker is and on their contract. You can tell the person to send some questionnaire or feedback form etc to all of them which will track their ip and name/email (say unique form per worker). Then you can match the ip, as home ips are mostly static for short duration. Tell them to send the form at night or sometime when they’ll be at home and give it a short deadline.

    • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      Hi there, I can see that the thief is currently using the device. Will it be possible to send a link via my friend saying “Yo bro, check this meme. This girl is crazzyyyy <link>” which, once clicked, gets the GPS coordinate?

      For example, it’s possible via browser to get the location of a device. Can the same thing be done on Linux? I can create a simple nginx webserver on my spare server but unsure about how to proceed.

      • serenissi@lemmy.world
        0·
        3 months ago

        Afaik steam deck doesn’t have a gps module. You’ve to get any of their identifying information.

        What you can do is perhaps sending memes with different cannery token redirects for each worker. Send them around when the device is being used. That way you can compare the grabbed ip with steam log and see which worker’s match. As the deck doesn’t have sim they either will use home wifi or mobile hotspot. Both will work this way.

    • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      This is actually a terrific idea. Unfortunately there is a high probability that the workers will use their mobile data to access the form. But I’m thinking how it might be possible to set this up in a believable manner. These workers from the lower lower middle class section of society and they don’t understand forms. Thanks for the suggestion.

  • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
    0·
    3 months ago

    “is a lengthy time consuming process”

    No, it REALLY isn’t, and any pig that tells you otherwise is trying to get you to drop the issue so they don’t have more paperwork.

    They don’t give a shit about your stolen items, and 9/10 times it’s a complete waste to even contact them over “petty theft”, regardless of how valuable the item/s are to you.

    • xavier666@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      True, but I would have been filled with regret if I never even tried the official way of recovering it :(

      is trying to get you to drop the issue so they don’t have more paperwork.

      I had to visit 3 police stations before they agreed to take my case

      • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
        0·
        3 months ago

        Oof. Honestly I’m surprised it was only three. At least you finally have a paper trail, if you’ve got any insurance that might cover it.

        As for the ISP, there’s always the possibility of requesting assistance directly from them, but they probably have internal rules about handing info to non-law enforcement, regardless of the reason.

        And if you’ve got some friends who don’t mind backup for intimidation, you could always show up at each workers door, politely introduce yourself and the reason for your appearance. If any of them immediately slam the door in your face or get defensive upon recognizing you (before you tell them why you’re there) then there’s a good chance they know you’re there because they took something.

        Anecdote: this happened with my truck in 2019. Someone broke in and stole about $1500 worth of things from a really nice pair of binocs, to the 2000w inverter, and my hand-made bowie knife, and a couple small camping and fishing things. Had to threaten to call the only supervisor I know by name in the police department to get the guy to even take a report for my insurance. They didn’t bother following up with the woman who told me she saw the guy. A few weeks go by and I see someone fitting his description driving the described car, I follow for a bit and he went home. I parked the truck right up in front of the door, knocked, and as soon as he opened and looked past me to the truck he yelled “GET LOST OR I’LL FUCK YOU UP” and that was all I needed to call the cops. After about an hour of waiting someone showed up, talked to the guy, said “well he said he didn’t do it and we never called this woman for a description so we can’t be SURE”

        Well lo and behold, a quick glance into his car showed the 2kw inverter under the dashboard, and I was positive I could see the rather distinct custom leather strap of the binoculars under the seat.

        No idea who, but apparently someone smashed the guys window to steal a bunch of stuff out of it and they were kind enough to return my items. Crazy how they knew just where to leave them for me to find.

        Best of luck in recovering it. Hopefully you get the quick and less… legally/morally ambiguous way.

    • copd@lemmy.world
      0·
      3 months ago

      In the UK its not a “complete waste to even contact the police” because you need a crime number from them to claim on insurance.

      I can and would claim home insurance for this and just buy a new one. It would only cost me time but my dumb ass has a lot of that

    • FiveMacs@lemmy.ca
      0·
      3 months ago

      Just claim your a company and they will magically give a shit about $1 of missing junk

    • chetradley@lemmy.world
      0·
      3 months ago

      They don’t give a shit about your stolen items, and 9/10 times it’s a complete waste to even contact them over “petty theft”, regardless of how valuable the item/s are to you.

      When I was in college, my apartment got broken into. The cop that came when I called was less than helpful. Some highlights:

      • He immediately argued with me that the crowbar marks on the door frame must have been there before.
      • I told him about the TV that was stolen and he bragged that he had two TVs that were larger than that.
      • He tried to bust me for weed when he saw my hookah. I had to explain to him that it was in fact not a bong and was only used for tobacco.
      • He mentioned that if it were him robbing me, he would have stolen the microwave instead.
      • As he was leaving, he told me that they wouldn’t be able to catch whoever did it, so they weren’t going to look.
      • Latuga17@lemmy.world
        0·
        3 months ago

        The cops are so unhelpful with break ins. I had a very similar experience when our house was broken into. First they told us our TV couldn’t have been stolen out the window if we only had a bigger tv, then they told us they couldn’t find any of our stuff and that they wouldn’t try either.

  • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
    0·
    3 months ago

    I asked, through the person who hired the workers, if they took it. But all the workers refused.

    Cool, you’re all fired. GTFO of my house.

  • xor@infosec.pub
    0·
    3 months ago

    reminds me of when i had a backpack with all my stuff stolen by knifepoint….

    also, get another one. i’d bet the person that bought it for you was hoping to play games with you…

  • toasteecup@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    Not sure which country you live in, but renter’s insurance covered a stolen item for me when I was renting. Worth a check if you have a similar thing.