If you have found a Mac on the street, in a bus station, in the subway, etc. You might be wondering if it’s a good idea to take it to an Apple Store, instead of going directly to the police. And in this post we are going to see what can happenif circumstances accompany us.
Depends on the circumstance
All owned Mac computers will be password and Apple ID protected, unless they have just been purchased and are still in the box. If a Mac computer has been lost, and we see that it is in its case and has signs of use, then do not hesitate: will have password, will require TouchID and will have Apple ID. In addition, it most likely has the Find My Mac function activated, which will make it a locatable computer. This will prevent us from accessing and viewing that person’s data and files.
Now, that Mac that we find on the street also has a serial number. And the company that controls the serial numbers of all your computers is Apple. So, if we come across a Mac and want to take it to an Apple Store, it might be a good idea if the place where you find it is in a city where you have an Apple Store nearby. And what can you do by taking a Mac to an Apple Store? Several things can happen:
- Let them check if the computer serial number has been reported as stolen or lost.
- If, based on the characteristics of the computer, the serial number of the equipment and the username, they see that the person who lost the computer bought it at that specific store, they might contact her and tell her that her computer is in the store.
Of course, as you can see, taking a lost Mac to an Apple Store can be done if there are specific circumstances that accompany it. And you are not 100% sure that the person who has lost the computer bought it at that Apple Store. But you can go to check the serial numbers.
First to the store, then to the police
Something very important to note: the right place to take any lost item is a police station. If you come across a missing Mac, going to the authorities should always be the goal. The process of taking it to an Apple Store is optional, and it can serve as a tool for double verification of certain data.
Of course, keep in mind that when you take the computer to the police, you must provide all the computer data you can. One of the things that they will ask you for will be the serial number. In the case of portable Macs, this is silkscreened at the bottom, just at the top edge.
It is also very important that you return the computer as you found it: with its cover (if it has one), with its peripherals (if it has one), documents, papers, etc. From the police they will be in charge of contacting the person who has lost it, and for our part, we will avoid falling into legal problems that could put us in good trouble.
