the world’s dumbest criminals

The world is full of dumb criminals who have done the police’s job for them.
Source: Supplied

SOMETIMES the police don’t have to work that hard to catch the criminals… because the bad guys do all the work for them.

Forget everything you’ve heard about criminal masterminds who devise elaborate plots to beat security systems and evade capture, those sorts of bad guys are usually the products of Hollywood movies.

A large chunk of crime, in Australia and around the world, is opportunistic – acts into which very little thought has gone.

It shows in this lot — from the Queensland man whose fraud was discovered after he publicly admitted how he really damaged his property, to a New Zealand murderer who told his friends what he’d done, to the Colombian who robbed an internet Cafe at gunpoint… but couldn’t resist checking Facebook while he was there.

1. YOUTUBE “CONFESSION”

This really is unbelievable. Within hours of committing a Texas robbery, Hannah Sebata posted on YouTube a video of herself with bundles of cash.

On the video she boasted of doing the robbery and stealing a car, as well as smoking cannabis. The video got thousands of views and she was quickly arrested, although police did insist they tracked her down after receiving multiple calls from people who recognised her from a picture they had circulated.

Hannah Sebata robbed a bank and then boasted about it on YouTube.
Source: Supplied

2. INTERNET ROBBER

A group of Colombian robbers set their sights on an internet cafe in the city of Calima, casually walking in and sitting down prepared to be genuine customers. They then revealed their true intentions when they pulled out guns and cleaned out the cash register. While all that was happening, El Tiempo newspaper reported, one couldn’t resist checking his Facebook account and left it open.

Police found his address and met him at home, where they arrested him.

If you’re going to rob an internet cafe, don’t log into Facebook while you’re there.
Source: Supplied

3. BURGLAR “BUTT DIALS” POLICE

Ever accidentally called someone on your mobile phone? It can certainly be awkward.

None more so than last year when Ohio man Douglas Wolaver accidentally placed a call to 911 – as he broke into a home. The dispatcher, fearing the call was being made by someone in trouble, directed police to the home where they found a shattered window.

Wolaver had reportedly hidden by this point but once again his phone gave him away – its low battery beeping from his back pocket led officers right to him.

Douglas Wolaver “butt dialled” police while he was carrying out a burglary.
Source: Supplied

4. THE FRAUDSTER WHOSE PEN GAVE HIM AWAY

Queensland man Lex Adams claimed tens-of-thousands of dollars in Government handouts because he claimed his boat washed away in the disastrous 2011 floods.

Only problem is that it didn’t. He wrecked the uninsured boat on a sandbar off Townsville in 2010.

That didn’t stop him applying for the funds, though, and he eventually got almost $60,000 in crisis money.

Unfortunately for Mr Adams, he wrote about what REALLY happened in a sailing magazine.

“The boat was uninsured and a total loss. I don’t know what I am going to do now … That’s life, I suppose. Just keep trying and keep your dreams in sight!”

The judge told him he “blatantly rorted” the funds and had shown no remorse and sentenced Adams to three-and-a-half years’ jail to be suspended after 12 months.

Lex Adams wrongly claimed money meant to be for flood victims.
Source: Supplied

5. THE KILLER WHO COULDN’T KEEP QUIET

Homicide detectives say the perfect crime is when no one sees you do it and you don’t tell anyone. A surprising number of killers, possibly acting out of stress or even overwhelming guilt, actually do confess to loved ones what they’ve done.

Brad Callaghan, a New Zealand engineer, went to great lengths to cover up killing his former partner — dismembering her, burying the remains in secluded bush, leaving a false trail for police and sending texts from her phone pretending to be her.

Only problem is he also told several people exactly what he did, even pointing one to where the remains were in the back of his car.

Police interviewed the friends who told them everything and eventually Callaghan told police where the burial site was.

Brad Callaghan pleaded guilty to a brutal murder after telling several friends exactly what he did.
Source: Supplied

6. THE TEEN ROBBER WHO APPLIED FOR A JOB USING HIS REAL NAME

You would think if you were going to commit a robbery you would just get in and get out.

Not Cody Conner though who, according to a police summary, demanded at gunpoint money from a sex shop worker.

The quick-thinking clerk asked him what he was doing it for and was told he needed money to help his grandparents out. She offered to help him get a job at the store and he filled out an application form using his real name.

He didn’t get a job at the shop that sells sexy lingerie… but he did get arrested.

Cody Conner went into a store with agun and ended up filling out a job application, using his real name.
Source: Supplied

7. THE MAN WHO FORGOT TO HANG UP

A judge in West Australia said the case of James Patrick Bermingham reminded him of the world’s dumbest criminals. It’s easy to see why.

His court was told how Bermingham dialled 000 after a friend of his was assaulted by another man.

Bermingham called police but then forgot to hang up and was recorded planning revenge, the ABC reported.

He and others used a cricket bat to smash windows of the man’s house. Police arrived and arrested him. He was placed on a community-based sentence and had to pay a quarter of the repair bill.

Literally telling the police he was going to assault someone, by not hanging up the phone, reminded a WA judge of the world’s dumbest criminals.
Source: Supplied

8. THE INTRUDER WHO CALLED POLICE

An intruder in Portland, Oregon called police and outed himself as an intruder because he was fearful of his safety.

The intruder, named by police as Timothy James Chapek, was in the bathroom having a shower (probably his first mistake), CNN reported, when the homeowner returned.

Chapek was confronted by the homeowner and his two dogs so Chapek, fearing the homeowner had a gun, called 911 himself, explained everything and asked for help. Awkward.

Timothy James Chapek broke into a house and was confronted by a homeowner he thought had a gun.
Source: Supplied

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