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Want To Hunt Bank Robbers? There's an App For That, Says The FBI (networkworld.com) 68

Long-time Slashdot reader coondoggie quotes an article from Network World: The FBI today said it released a new application making it easier for the public -- as well as financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, and others -- to view photos and information about bank robberies in different geographic areas of the country.
The FBI's new "Bank Robbers" application runs on both Android and iOS, according to the article, "and lets users sort bank robberies by the date they occurred, the category they fall under (i.e., armed serial bank robber), the FBI field office working the case, or the state where the robbery occurred." The app ties into BankRobbers.fbi.gov, which overlays FBI information about bank robberies onto Google Maps.

The app's users "can also select push notifications to be informed when a bank robbery has taken place near their location," according to the FBI's site, which adds innocently that "If the location services on your device are enabled, you can view a map that shows the relevant bank robberies that took place in your geographic area..."
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Want To Hunt Bank Robbers? There's an App For That, Says The FBI

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  • by turkeydance ( 1266624 ) on Saturday August 20, 2016 @07:46PM (#52740251)
    for specific situations. some criminals like to read about themselves.
  • Damn ATM is right outside...

  • by Anonymous Coward

    I read to the point where it they said photos are involved. Instantly I knew this plan would not solve anything. The major reason security cameras are totally useless, everyone knows that. Have you ever seen a security camera that took non blotchy video? Few if any security camera exists that takes clear enough video to be usable in identifying suspects.

    • I read to the point where it they said photos are involved. Instantly I knew this plan would not solve anything. The major reason security cameras are totally useless, everyone knows that. Have you ever seen a security camera that took non blotchy video? Few if any security camera exists that takes clear enough video to be usable in identifying suspects.

      Your mistake is in assuming that 'security cameras' are meant to take usable video. They are not. They are meant to lower insurance rates and convey a false sense of security to the general public.

      None of that requires good video quality.

      Strat

      • That used to be true but now it's not. There's plenty of 1080p digital security hardware now. If you have enough of them even crappy old cameras are useful. They show who got into a vehicle, then some witness fingers the vehicle, etc. But now it's not unusual for a really good face shot to come from someone's security cam.

        • That used to be true but now it's not. There's plenty of 1080p digital security hardware now. If you have enough of them even crappy old cameras are useful. They show who got into a vehicle, then some witness fingers the vehicle, etc. But now it's not unusual for a really good face shot to come from someone's security cam.

          You're right in that it's not as universally true as it once was particularly with newer businesses and big-box stores etc, but among older sole proprietorships and Chapter 'S' corporations which still make up the majority of businesses and employers in the US it's still true to a great extent.

          If they upgrade video security equipment it's usually because the old hardware stopped working due to age and the better stuff was what was readily available at a discount to replace it and/or the new insurance plan h

  • I'd rather have an app to hunt the banks.
  • Trust is lacking (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Install an app made by the FBI? Uh, no thanks.

    • Especially one that says, "Oh, we need to use your GPS. But just so we can tell you where the bad people are around you! Really! We wouldn't use it for anything else..."

  • I don't know why bank robbers and other criminals don't simply claim they were on the way to the Clinton Foundation with a bag full of foreign lobbyist's checks when they tripped and fell into a bank robbery without any intent to actually rob a bank.

    I'm sure Director Comey will understand. They may even get an Ambassadorship out of the deal from Hilly!

    Strat

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Why would I want to help those criminals? Come to think of it fuck the banks too.

  • ROTFL!

    Yes, of course FBI that illegally spies on people, that uses more methods to bend, and creatively interpret the law than your average bank robber.. yes, PLEASE can I have apps that you author to install?

    Oh wait, I'm already running a few you uploaded to Google Play under false identities to track and root my device, so maybe this app is legit I guess.

  • turn tables (Score:4, Insightful)

    by kqc7011 ( 525426 ) on Saturday August 20, 2016 @09:30PM (#52740663)
    How about a app that lets one find Stingrays?
  • ...it's the app America deserves.

    I've seen enough Batman movies to know it's a bad idea to be a vigilante. Also, bat nipples.

  • .... and all I could see was the Goldman Sachs home page.

  • FBI Bank Robbers APK Can access your contacts FBI Bank Robbers APK Can access your accounts FBI Bank Robbers APK Can access your USB storage FBI Bank Robbers APK May share your location
  • Am I paranoid ... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by MondoGordo ( 2277808 ) on Saturday August 20, 2016 @11:12PM (#52740983)
    to think this would be a perfect opportunity for FBI malware that collects information about the American public to be distributed to your phone? They don't need a back door in the OS if you can be convinced to install one for them.
  • Trying to be cute with an article title appeals only to the lowest common denominator.
  • by Anonymous Coward

    Banks ARE robbers.

  • I thought you only had to look at the board of directors. :)

  • Who robs banks anymore? The take is comparatively low, the risk of capture extremely high and prison sentences lengthy.

    It's a crime that is rapidly dying out,

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new... [telegraph.co.uk]

    https://www.theguardian.com/ed... [theguardian.com]

  • it tells me which banks have been robbed most often and where the cases are not solved. Thus which ones I should rob since I would be most likely to not get caught!

    Thanks FBI - a great tool to help me plan my next bank job!

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