4 ms·

these guys are actively searching people's computers on behalf of the Feds. Seems so, and $500 is a good incentive for a Geek Squad worker.

• roel_v 10y ago
  They are actively searching people's computers because that's exactly what the customer is asking them to do. This is how 'undelete' software works - you scan all sectors, take everything that looks like it might at some point have been part of an operational filesystem, then re-assemble sectors back into files. You then have to check if those files are actually what the algorithm thought they were. I can somewhat understand that a defense lawyer tries to muddle the waters to get his client off (as is done in the OP), but the comments on here claiming that this is somehow unusual or going beyond normal data recovery work leave me slapping my forehead.
• gist 10y ago
  Statistically, and with $500 as a reward, it seems plausible that a technician from time to time might plant something to collect the bounty. I would wonder what the 'chain of custody' is and/or the specific techniques used that would prove this was not possible. After all from what I read they aren't even looking for corroborating evidence just parts of files w/o knowledge of how they even got there.
  • fjdlwlv 10y ago
    It's a valid concern, but on the cases I have seen, convictions don't come from one piece of evidence, the initial evidence leads to far more. But even a dead end investigation (from a mistaken or false pretenses) can be a large burden on the accused