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360 thief rang MS to give details

Criminal genius from down under.

A man accused of stealing an Xbox 360 during a burglary has been caught in New Zealand after he rang up Microsoft to register the machine and ask for a power cord to replace the one he forgot to steal.

The console and some games were pinched in late January, but when the victim rang up Microsoft to inform them of the theft, quoting the serial number, he was told that the machine had already been registered - just a day after the burglary took place.

Police had to wait a while in order to obtain a court order allowing it to claim the information from Microsoft, but the Detective Sergeant involved said the company hadn't been obstructive at all.

The alleged receiver of the console has now been arrested and charged, admitting the theft. Probably by confiding in a biscuit sitting next to a giant microphone labelled "insert accidental confession" here, or something.

For more on this exciting upcoming criminal, hop on down to Stuff.co.nz.