History Main / LostPropertyLiveDrop

* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', the events that lead to [[LivingMemory Tom Riddle's diary]] being planted on [[spoiler:Ginny Weasley]] proceed slightly differently than they did in the original novel: here, instead of just slipping the diary into the recipient's cauldron while nobody's looking, [[spoiler: Lucius Malfoy]] briefly removes one of the schoolbooks under the pretense of wanting to take a look at it. Then, once he's finished, he returns the textbook — which really ''is'' the recipient's property — though [[FreezeFrameBonus sharp-eyed viewers]] will notice that he returns another book alongside it.

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic,'' after you kill [[spoiler: legendary bounty hunter Calo Nord]] in the wilderness of whatever planet you visit first in your search for the Star Forge, you will later be unexpectedly approached in the street by a stranger who claims that you dropped your datapad. If you accept the "lost" pad, he'll tell you to check to make sure it isn't broken before promptly leaving; the datapad turns out to be a message from the [[MurderInc Genoharadan]], inviting you to a meeting on Manaan to discuss membership—and warning you to come alone or not at all.
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', in Markarth you are approached by a man who gives you a note under the pretense that you had dropped it. [[spoiler: This gives you a miscellaneous quest which turns into The Forsworn Conspiracy.]]

Whatever the case, a '''live drop''' must be used... and sometimes, the only safe way to organize the transmission of goods or data is to make it look like they belonged to the recipient all along.

[[folder: Films — Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', the events that lead to [[LivingMemory Tom Riddle's diary]] being planted on [[spoiler: Ginny Weasley]] proceed slightly differently than they did in the original novel: here, instead of just slipping the diary into the recipient's cauldron while nobody's looking, [[spoiler: Lucius Malfoy]] briefly removes one of the schoolbooks under the pretense of wanting to take a look at it. Then, once he's finished, he returns the textbook—which really ''is'' the recipient's property—though [[FreezeFrameBonus sharp-eyed viewers]] will notice that he returns another book alongside it.
* In ''Film/NineteenEightyFour,'' surveillance is ubiquitous as it was in the original novel, so in order to hide her affair with Winston from the eyes of the Thought Police, Julia passes one message to him by rolling it up inside a pen and pretending that he dropped it.
* During ''Film/SchindlersList,'' [[BadassBureaucrat Itzhak Stern]] does his best to save his fellow Jews from the concentration camps by getting them documents certifying them as industrial workers—and [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou too valuable to be killed]]—even though most of them are actually teachers, writers, musicians, and the like. In one case, after forging the documentation for a history teacher, Stern manages to save the intended recipient from being loaded onto a truck by pretending that the guy accidentally left his certificate at home and dragging him back to be reassessed with the forged certificate, loudly remarking, "How many times have I told you?"

[[folder: Literature]]
* In ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour,'' because all of Airstrip One is under the watchful eyes of the [[SecretPolice Thought Police]], when Winston Smith finally makes contact with LaResistance via O'Brien, the only way for them to provide him with a copy of Goldstein's infamous book is to arrange for Winston to be at a demonstration in Central London during the climax of Hate Week. Here, at the height of the confusion over who Oceania is at war with, an unseen pedestrian says, "I think you dropped your briefcase," and hands Winston a briefcase containing the book.

* ''Literature/{{Sunshine}}'': Rae makes a show of "returning" the pocketknife she "borrowed" from the [[HumanDisguise undercover vampire]] Constantine—actually a ProtectiveCharm she made to let him survive in sunlight. Impressively, she sells the act to TheMenInBlack who are interviewing them.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Lensman}} First Lensman]]'' the bad guys pass a stash of smuggled drugs from one agent to another via a swap of identical lunch boxes. Subverted in that both agents are actually Lensmen who have infiltrated the drug-smuggling organization.

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

[[folder: Video Games]]
* The inverted variant appears in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' in the quest "Miracle Makers," a city guard sergeant has Hawke eliminate a group of Carta swindlers, and in keeping with the sergeant's need to abide by PlausibleDeniability, she pretends not to hear you when you report success... and "accidentally" drops your payment in such a way that it just happens to fall right into your hands.

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': In the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "unused emails", Strong Bad claims he sometimes sells email addresses to Bubs for spam mailing lists, and their exchange involves "accidentally" dropping "a CD of five-thousand email addresses" and a sack containing "a quarter for each one".

* The inverted variant appears in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII:'' in the quest "Miracle Makers," a city guard sergeant has Hawke eliminate a group of Carta swindlers, and in keeping with the sergeant's need to abide by PlausibleDeniability, she pretends not to hear you when you report success... and "accidentally" drops your payment in such a way that it just happens to fall right into your hands.

* In "VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim," in Markarth you are approached by a man who gives you a note under the pretense that you had dropped it. [[spoiler: This gives you a miscellaneous quest which turns into The Forsworn Conspiracy.]]

* In "VideoGame/Skyrim," in Markarth you are approached by a man who gives you a note under the pretense that you had dropped it. [[spoiler: This gives you a miscellaneous quest which turns into The Forsworn Conspiracy.]]

There are many other variations on this theme, however: a popular variant features the agent and contact both holding identical briefcases and secretly exchanging them under the pretense of retrieving their ''own'' property so any watchers will be none the wiser. Another popular variant completely inverts this by having the agent pretending to absent-mindedly drop something so that the contact can pick it up.

[[folder: Films - Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', the events that lead to [[LivingMemory Tom Riddle's diary]] being planted on [[spoiler: Ginny Weasley]] proceed slightly differently than they did in the original novel: here, instead of just slipping the diary into the recipient's cauldron while nobody's looking, [[spoiler: Lucius Malfoy]] briefly removes one of the schoolbooks under the pretense of wanting to take a look at it. Then, once he's finished, he returns the textbook - which really ''is'' the recipient's property - though [[FreezeFrameBonus sharp-eyed viewers]] will notice that he returns another book alongside it.

* During ''Film/SchindlersList,'' [[BadassBureaucrat Itzhak Stern]] does his best to save his fellow Jews from the concentration camps by getting them documents certifying them as industrial workers - and [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou too valuable to be killed]] - even though most of them are actually teachers, writers, musicians, and the like. In one case, after forging the documentation for a history teacher, Stern manages to save the intended recipient from being loaded onto a truck by pretending that the guy accidentally left his certificate at home and dragging him back to be reassessed with the forged certificate, loudly remarking, "How many times have I told you?"

* ''Literature/{{Sunshine}}'': Rae makes a show of "returning" the pocketknife she "borrowed" from the [[HumanDisguise undercover vampire]] Constantine - actually a ProtectiveCharm she made to let him survive in sunlight. Impressively, she sells the act to TheMenInBlack who are interviewing them.

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic,'' after you kill [[spoiler: legendary bounty hunter Calo Nord]] in the wilderness of whatever planet you visit first in your search for the Star Forge, you will later be unexpectedly approached in the street by a stranger who claims that you dropped your datapad. If you accept the "lost" pad, he'll tell you to check to make sure it isn't broken before promptly leaving; the datapad turns out to be a message from the [[MurderInc Genoharadan]], inviting you to a meeting on Manaan to discuss membership - and warning you to come alone or not at all.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Films - Live Action]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

* ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'': On the Upper River, one of the activities tied to the Great Game is supplying Halcyonic Tonic to a Surface power. You pour its contents in an agreed-upon location in the cobbles, and later, you're rewarded by a bureaucrat who pointedly asks you if you dropped your wallet, which contains your payment. You've never seen the wallet before, but you say yes.

* Variant in ''Film/ChildrenOfMen'': Because they're officially a terrorist movement wanted by the government, the Fishes can't contact Theo through normal channels after their first meeting; so, Luke gives Theo a missing poster of a lost dog and tells him to pin it to the notice board at Camden tube station if he ever decides to accept their offer. When he finally does, Theo's left in the dark up until a woman approaches him at the dog track with the poster and directs him outside. Not only does the woman actually ''own'' the "lost" dog, but this is just a pretext to get Theo onto a bus where he can meet up with Julian and Luke for the mission.