Colleague exchanged asset ID sticker on my computer

Question

Summary:

A colleague exchanged the ID sticker on my computer (our company's registered computer ID) with that of another computer. He did so with other computers as well.

In details:

In my company, computers and some other deemed important (expensive or not) pieces of equipment have a sticker with a QR-code containing information on the location of the equipment, owner and a unique procurement registration number. My company maintains a list of the equipment and every employee is supposed to be aware of the whereabouts of the equipment. The QR-codes are periodically scanned to check that the equipment is still present.

After a recent inspection (where each equipment with a QR code sticker was scanned) I noticed that one of my computer that a colleague took to his lab to help fix it didn't have the same registration number as the original one. So to give a concrete illustration, that computer of mine is registered with ID 12345 but after I take back possession of it, the sticker shows the registered ID is 67890.

I have found another computer with my original ID and it's an old one, definitely not mine.

Obviously the colleague exchanged my computer's sticker ID with that of another one, I have found out he did so with other computers as well (rarely used computers or that of former employees).

There are 2 aspects in this situation:

• the wrong doings of the colleague
• I have been unknowingly directly involved

Knowing that:

• this colleague is famous, is appreciated by many other colleagues (and the boss)
• this colleague is "useful" to the company
• I would prefer a peaceful resolution of the issue rather than openly reporting him (with possibly serious consequences for the colleague, maybe myself, and our boss seems aware of the practice)
• I don't want to have problems myself
• I feel the colleague deserves some form of warning

How should I deal with this matter?

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Further development and details.

After posting the question here, I have sent the colleague a friendly email (copied our boss), telling him that I took back my computer but noticed the ID was different, asking him if he had any idea about it.

When he arrived at the office I also directly told him I had taken back my computer to my lab. I saw him going to his lab, coming back with a PC and leaving my lab with the PC I had taken back earlier today (which is mine but with the wrong asset ID). The one he left in my lab is an old one but with my original PC asset ID. He came to me and said I took the wrong computer and added he replaced it with the correct one. I said mine isn't this brand, to which he replied that according to the sticker, the computer is his asset. I expressed my astonishment, saying again I was certain my computer was of brand xxx-xxx, to which he replied that from the ID it was his, and he added that the computer had been in his lab for a long time (the later is true, I asked him help to fix it more than 1 year ago). The whole conversation was cordial, he showed an incredible self assurance in lying, and I didn't insist.

I suppose that now he knows I know he cheated. The next course of action is to find proof of his wrong doing, and then either I kick the ant nest (and I may be bitten), or I let it all go, swallow his lie (which implies in a way that I give him reason, isn't it?), be fine with the old PC (I don't really mind the PC, it wasn't and won't be my day-to-day computer), and do not say anything about what he did (which I find serious enough for it to be reported).

I can't see any legitimate reason he may have to exchange the asset ID sticker of computers, one illegitimate reason is to obtain a computer with better hardware than he originally had and doing so without having to go through the whole procurement process of upgrading one's computer.

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A witness

Honestly at some point, given the straightforwardness of my colleague to claim the computer as his, I questioned my sanity in this incident. I didn't have any tangible proof about anything, I was only certain about my computer's brand. My memory didn't fail. The computer in question (the one, mine, but with the wrong asset sticker) was passed on to me by an ex-employee when he left the company (a common practice here). I've contacted him and challenged him to try to remember his ex-computer's brand. Bingo! He did clearly remember, and it is indeed the one my colleague took away claiming it's his.

Answer 1

This is the time you go directly to your manager. You give him all the evidence of tag-swapping on your and other equipment, and say "Hey, maybe this is all innocent but that's a lot of very questionable behavior that seems like it needs to be investigated." Ideally your manager gets whatever other accounting or IT folks involved to look at it. There are very few explanations to this that don't involve endemic fraud, so this person is likely a criminal and you shouldn't expose yourself to them or risk from them any more.

Answer 2

Too late for this instance, but during investigations I have sometimes marked assets with an ultraviolet pen. These pens leave a transparent mark which only shows up under ultraviolet. I also routinely do this with my personal electronic equipment.

However any asset list should have enough information to identify a computer, brand, model, RAM, OS and usage are always included in my experience. It makes no sense not to have those things listed. Not foolproof as sometimes the people servicing the machines are the ones who update the list.

I'm not convinced you need to get involved with this though.

Answer 3

If you really want to give him a warning, do it via email.

Just do not assume malicious intent in the way that you phrase your message. For all you know, there could have been a legitimate reason for doing this (for instance, some numbers could have been duplicated by mistake, or there could some other weird technical licensing issue).

Then print out that email (with all its headers) and keep it for your personal records at home.

If he calls you or tries to speak to you privately, retroactively memorialize anything he tells you via email as well. And if he doesn't have a good explanation for any of this, ask via email that he rectifies the situation by a certain date (don't bother asking this in person, ask it by email).

Use the following sequence. First, address the sticker problem on your workstation. That's the first priority. Then once that one is corrected, you can tell him you just noticed the stickers on the other equipment as well, and to correct those too (again, that's assuming he doesn't have a good explanation).

PS: If he really did have a legitimate reason to switch out the stickers, please let us know what it was. I'm very curious.

PS2: You've done your part for your tag. You've covered yourself. That part is good. But now, if I were you, I would log those other tags, take a couple of pictures, keep all those logs and pictures at home, and just keep an eye out for anything else. It's not worth mentioning anything unless or until you really have undeniable proof of real fraud that benefits him personally (instead of just his department).

Answer 4

Laptop Computers

The service tag is located on the bottom of the laptop.

Desktop Computers

The service tag is either located on the top of the computer, or the back of the computer.