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A German TikToker's viral story has reminded people to think twice about checking their electronic devices before donating them to thrift shops like Goodwill.
Of course, shopping at thrift stores and grabbing yourself a bargain is undoubtedly one of life's many joys. And the thought of your once-loved belongings finding new homes is much nicer than just throwing them in the trash.
But it turns out people need to be pretty careful over what they donate to thrift stores, as one viral video once revealed.
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TikTok user @dankeunextgay has received millions of views on his video talking about an 'Apple Time Capsule' he bought for $15 from the thrift store, as well as the juicy content he found on it.
The viral video from last year shows the TikToker connecting the device to his computer and bringing up the previous owner's files dating back to 2010, saying: "I bought this Apple Time Capsule at a thrift store for fifteen dollars.
"It works and the person who donated it did not delete their information off of it before they donated it, so I've connected it to my computer and it's - whoever Don is, I'm sorry Don that I'm going through your s**t - but I have Don's computer and I'm going to update you guys on what I find."
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The clip, that is captioned 'This is [kinda] scary', and only mentions the previous owner by their first name, has had millions of views.
One platform user commented: "My biggest nightmare. this is why i keep all of my old devices." While another confessed, "I’m just now remembering that I donated my time capsule without deleting it."
The TikToker then posted a two-minute follow-up clip giving some more information about the discontinued Apple Time Capsule and how it works, saying: "Instead of having just one backup, it has a whole list of backups. That way, if you want to go back to a certain period, you’re able to just go there instead.
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“So it’s not just one copy of his computer, it’s dozens from different time periods dating back to 2010.”
From his findings, the Tiktoker claimed that 'Don's device contained photos dating all the way back to the 1980s,' theorising that he was some kind of business owner or CEO after finding 'audit history, credit card numbers, flight information'.
The TikToker continued by saying: "I have this man's bank account number. I can see how much money he had in the bank at one point. I even have his life insurance information, and this dude is worth millions of dollars."
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He added: “Now, keep in mind, this is from, like, 2010, so he’s probably dead by now. But still, the fact that I have access to this is crazy.”
TikTok users, who have been following the crazy story, commented on how the discovery had caused mixed feelings, with one saying: “This is a NIGHTMARE of mine & exactly why I hoard every electronic I’ll ever have."
Another added: “LOL the way that my dead grandpa was named Don, was an Apple nerd since they dropped the Mac, and was a business owner… I am suspicious.”
On a positive note, the TikToker who bought the Time Capsule has stated in a third video that he's trying to track down Don's family to return the device, concluding: “It serves me no purpose, and I feel uncomfortable keeping other people’s stuff.
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“I don’t feel comfortable having it, and I don’t want to just delete it, so I’m gonna see if I can find at least someone to give it to.”
He added: "And to answer the question that I know that everyone’s gonna ask, there was porn. So there you have it."
Topics: Technology, TikTok, Viral, Weird, Money, World News