Ensnared: Internet Creates New Group of Sexual Addicts

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Facebook Hijacker Charged with Coercion & Harassment

by Amanda Melillo & Kirsten Fleming

A Queens man took his girlfriend's Facebook account hostage, changed her sexual preference to gay, and demanded cash for her profile's safe return, authorities said yesterday.

But Paul Franco's bizarre manipulations backfired when his stunned gal pal went to cops and had him arrested on Feb. 10 on charges of coercion and harassment, according to a spokeswoman for DA Richard Brown.

"My family convinced me to go to police," said Jessica Zamora-Anderson, a native of Guatemala. "Half the people in my country have heard about this. It's destroyed my life."

Ironically, Franco, 38 and his ex-girlfriend Zamora-Anderson, 30 met on Facebook in November 2008, when he posed as a 29-year-old English teacher from Queens College, where Zamora-Anderson blogged about taking classes, she said.

And the rocky relationship ended more than a year later on Facebook, as Franco's true identity and violent temper began to shine through, she said.

The Internet courtship started to sour in November 2009, when Franco, a musician, threw a phone at Zamora-Anderson's head, causing swelling and bruising, according to court papers.

But she stood by her man, especially after he claimed to have taped her during steamy sex sessions, the complaint says.

On Jan. 30, Franco's car was towed because it was illegally parked near Zamora-Anderson's Kew Gardens apartment.

He allegedly demanded $185 from his girlfriend to get it from the impound lot, or else.

Fearful that Franco would make the sex tape public, she forked over the cash and demanded he never contact her again, Zamora-Anderson said.

But she realized on Feb. 2 that the password to her Facebook account had been changed.

"He changed all of my personal information and said I was interested in women. I got a lot of requests for relationships with women -- and he was the one accepting them," said the housekeeper.

Zamora-Anderson said Franco was also spamming her family and friends and changing her preferences.

She hit the negotiating table two days later, asking what she needed to do to get her password back.

"I got worried that he wasn't going to stop," she said. "He was imitating me on Facebook and everyone believed it was me."

"Pay what you owe," Franco allegedly told her. He demanded an additional $390 for the inconvenience of having his car locked up, cops said.

She then went to police, and charged that he had beaten her throughout the relationship.

Franco did not return a call for comment.

original article here

Revenge -- Campaign of Hatred

When Elvis Kovacic discovered his girlfriend was still friends with a former boyfriend he had never met, the 30-year-old accountant set out to destroy the man's reputation in an anonymous hate campaign of phone threats, pamphlet letterbox drops and emails.

His target, Richard Gazzard, was a happily engaged co-director of Prestige Auto Traders in Rozelle. Kovacic falsely accused him of being a rapist and local police of covering up the crime.

The extraordinary tale of one man's blind jealousy was detailed by police when Kovacic stood trial in Central Local Court.

Prosecutor Sergeant Brad Scanlan told the magistrate, Gail Madgwick, that Kovacic, of Chiswick, could not handle the thought his now former girlfriend, Meje Tran, had kept in touch with Gazzard, who she had once dated.

Kovacic waged his hate campaign between 2004 and early 2006, distributing pamphlets with Mr Gazzard's photo under the heading "Buyer Beware" to letterboxes in the inner west.

His campaign came unstuck in an investigation that involved police retracing phone records and internet sites to Kovacic's home and work computers.

Kovacic pleaded not guilty to the charges, for which he faces up to five years' jail and fines of up to $5,500. But last Thursday Ms Madgwick found Kovacic guilty of two charges: using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend, and stalking with intent to cause fear, physical and mental harm.

In evidence at his trial last April, Sergeant Scanlan said the hate campaign began in April 2004, when Mr Gazzard received two anonymous calls from a man that were later traced to the home of Kovacic's father.

The caller told Mr Gazzard "you are f---ing dead. I know where you live" and later "I know where you work". By the end of the year, Kovacic had produced the first of three pamphlets.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Woman Fears for Her Life due to Cyberstalker

by Angela Sachitano

FLORIDA resident Deborah Riley hasn't been able to find a job in months. Google her name and she understands why.

Log on to deborahkayriley.com and a website dedicated completely to trashing her repuation appears.

Comments like 'she is on cocaine and crystal meth' and 'sleeps with anyone on the first date.'

This is only a small part of what Riley's ex boyfriend, Alex Dimusto, is accused of writing on the site he created.

"I feel violated and hopeless," Riley said. "It seems like there is nothing in place to protect the victim."

Riley says Dimusto purchased her name and other similar domains like it a few weeks after she broke up with him in January.

She says he has continued to fill the pages with lies.

"I wrote to web.com and they sent me to the abuse team," Riley said. "They told me I had to get a court order."

Riley has gone to the courts to get the website taken down and is currently waiting on a hearing, which could take another week.

In the meantime, we got in touch with Dimusto over the phone today.

When asked if he created the site, Dimusto answered, "I did not but I might know someone who did."

But according to godaddy.com, Dimusto is in fact the owner of the domain 'deborahkaeyriley.com.'

We also talked with a lawyer, who says Riley could have a strong libel case on her hands.

"This could be actionable," said attorney Barry Balmuth.

Riley says she not only fears for her reputation, she fears for her life. She says she only dated Dimusto for two months and wonders how far he will go to ruin her.

"He has told me he is going to put me in a dark place where no one can find me," she said.

According to Balmuth, here is what it takes to prove libel on the web - or anywhere for that matter:

Statement of fact - such as "She's a drug addict." Not a stated opinion, such as "I don't like her."
Has to be proven false.
Statement made carelessly or intentionally.
Damage to reputation.

original article here

How To Seduce Women Online

Excerpted from just ONE of hundreds of sites that tells Potential Internet Predators HOW TO DO IT!! (try not to throw up!) - EOPC

"When it comes to seducing women online, there are some different strategies that every guy must take not only to get her to fork up the nickname but also to get her to come to your place, or even a date.

"There are tons of dating sites to meet women online so we wont even get into that. If you really were born in the stone age and don't know, you shouldn't be online. Every single one is a potential f*ck mate. I was walking in the mall with a friend of mine while I was in Atlanta, GA last May and I found it so interesting, just noticing how most of the women we see walking by and encounter as we go, seem to be "looking", flirting for the next potential guy to get with.

"Don't forget, even if she's with someone, she still longs for SOMETHING. We all long for SOMETHING.There is something she need and want that she's not getting. YOU must be that person to give it to her, or at least make her believe its ultimately possible. Its so amazing when you can just think, and imagine the very real potential that any one of those broads can be in laying in your bed tonight! Powerful! This is how you have to think when you talk to women, even on the phone.

Telephone disadvantages: For one, you don't know if shes a fat, ugly pig that just has a sexy voice. Some of the sexiest voices I ever heard are from some of those chunky over-weight women, who by the way, are just itching to get laid. So be careful. You might think your game and strategy is what hooked her but if shes as big as a cow, she was easy anyway.

The second disadvantage is you might end up captivating and hooking an ugly duckling. This one has the same insecurities as the fat pig, although she might not be as desperate. From what I have seen, guys are more likely to forgive overlook an ugly face, provided the body is easy on the eyes. And thirdly, most of the tricks, like touching, implanted thoughts, mirroring, piercing eye contact is reduced to zero, although you can use these later when you meet together.

Online seduction: is much like telephone seduction. The difference is, you have to be skillful at writing so that the words she reads gives her the same deep intense feeling she would get from hearing your voice. Luckily, the words you inject in your sentences are the same ones you would use for your telephone seduction.

Phrases like:
intense feeling,
deep inside,
highest peak,
come inside,
more and more,
warm all over,
talk together,
really look forward to,
feel loved,
get excited,
excitement and anticipation,
see yourself,
so sexual,
desires you feel

...are phrases you MUST add to your argument so as to get their juices flowing. They have to be able to see and hear and feel what you are saying while they're reading it. So for instance if you're describing how good a massage feels, you would begin to describe the scenery.... laying on the beach in south florida, the cool gentle breeze lightly ruffling your sexy silky hair. You can see the sun as it disappears behind the ocean. Imagine how good that feels NOW as you begin think about it.... as the warm oil touches your welcoming body think of how its warm slitherly feel just massages you and penetrates and relaxes you deep inside etc etc.

Now how do you tell if shes a fat pig or an ugly duckling? If you met her online, the obvious answer is to ask for a picture, however, keep in mind that she might ask for yours too. So if you're not the best looking guy in the world you might want to keep this in mind. You might not have to be concerned too much if you have already conquered her mind and showed her your value. If she believes you're the best thing that came along since slice bread, it wont matter how ugly you are.

What I recommend is to delve into her insecurities by your questions so as to determine if one of those is her weight or her looks. You might ask her questions like "so when you go to the beach (presup) do you find that its very exciting or is it kinda boring?" That way, if she says she hates going to the beach, you know she's fat and/or ugly and is ashamed of showing anyone her body. To be absolutely sure you might also make a joke about her in the bathroom. Pre-suppose that shes hot and sexy and also that shes cocky and conceited about it. (All you're doing is using reverse psychology). So how do you do it? You say to her "Hmmmm you're probably so conceited (jokingly) I can just imagine you coming out of the shower, and standing in front of the mirror saying (imitate a woman's voice) "Damn I look good! Look at my butt, I'm gonna make those guys drool tonight". If her response is to laugh it off and say shes not conceited, she will tell you how she looks, just to defend herself.

If she's fat and ugly she will do the same thing but do it in a serious way, or even try to get you to not get your hopes up high. She might even try to change the subject. If you even get a hunch that shes fat, she probably is. At that point I just ask her outright and get measurements.

She Tricks You: So you arrange to meet this PREY at say, Barnes & Noble, the mall or wherever. You're expecting to see a nice, sexy petite eye-candy type you can feast your eyes on, and guess what - she tricked you. She shows up on time, all 250 pounds of her, wobbling and smiling as if to say, here I am baby....TAKE ME NOW! What do you do? Dont run away like a distraught little girl who was just told shes ugly. You're a gentleman, go out and meet with her. After saying your hello's this is what you say to her: "You lied to me about your weight, that means you're a liar. If you're a liar that means you're also a thief. I cant be with someone who is a liar and a thief!" Then turn, get into your car and drive the hell away from her. If the issue is that shes an ugly ducklin, you have to prepare your exit a bit different. If you were to meet at say 6pm, call your buddy and ask him to call you at like 6:30pm. That way if she's unbearably too ugly to look at you can just tell her "I have an emergency, I have to go!"

See ya! :) Happy seducing guys.

from: http://www.seducenow.com/telephone_love.html

(THIS IS GENTLEMANLY? THIS IS HONESTY? THIS IS SOMEONE WHO WANTS A REAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A REAL PERSON? DON'T THINK SO! it's SICK SICK SICK! and By the way, FEMALE Online Predators do this same stuff!! - EOPC)

'Rob me' Site = Dangers of Social Networking

By Zoe Kleinman

A website called PleaseRobMe claims to reveal the location of empty homes based on what people post online.

The Dutch developers told BBC News the site was designed to prove a point about the dangers of sharing precise location information on the internet.

The site scrutinises players of online game Foursquare, which is based on a person's location in the real world.

PleaseRobMe extracts information from players who have chosen to post their whereabouts automatically onto Twitter.

"It started with me and a friend looking at our Twitter feeds and seeing more and more Foursquare posts," said Boy Van Amstel, one of PleaseRobMe's developers.

"People were checking in at their house, or their girlfriend's or friend's house, and sharing the address - I don't think they were aware of how much they were sharing."

Mr Van Amstel, Frank Groeneveld and Barry Borsboom realised that not only were people sharing detailed location information about themselves and their friends, they were also by default broadcasting when they were away from their own home.

Simple search
The website took just four hours to create.

"It's basically a Twitter search - nothing new," said Mr Van Amstel. "Anyone who can do HTML and Javascript can do this. You could almost laugh at how easy it is."

He said that the site would remain live but stressed it was not created to encourage crime.

"The website is not a tool for burglary," he said. "The point we're getting at is that not long ago it was questionable to share your full name on the internet. We've gone past that point by 1,000 miles."

Mr Van Amstel added that in practice it would be "very difficult" to use the information on the website to carry out a burglary.

Charity Crimestoppers advises people to think carefully about the information they choose to share on the internet.

"We urge users of Twitter, Facebook or other social networks to stop and think before posting personal details online that could leave them vulnerable to crimes including burglary and identity theft," said a spokesperson.

"Details posted online are available for the world to see; you wouldn't hang a sign on your door saying you're out, so why would you post it online?"

original article here

Florida Woman Charged with Cyberstalking

A 32-year-old Brevard County woman is accused of cyber stalking after police said she used Facebook to make threats against another woman, according to Florida Today.

Sylvia Jennifer Hernandez of Melbourne also is accused of violating an injunction, the Web site said.

Florida Today is reporting the alleged victim was granted a court injunction against Hernandez in December.

The woman told police Sunday that Hernandez recently contacted her and she had a number of unspecified threats on her Facebook page.

Cyber-Scammer Causes Suicide

Divorcee kills himself after falling for £82,000 (~$128,000. U.S.) internet dating con

By Chris Brooke

When lonely divorcee Philip Hunt fell for a beautiful woman on an internet dating site he thought all his prayers had been answered.

She convinced him she was young, fabulously rich and if he could help transfer $2.9million from Nigeria to the UK then they could start a new life together, an inquest heard today.

Unfortunately it was all an elaborate scam that would cost Mr Hunt £82,000 and ultimately his life.

The 58-year-old was hooked on the fantasy of a future with the stunning 'Rose' and he willingly paid out tens of thousands of pounds to help her beat malaria and get her funds through customs and into the UK.

The cargo officer remortgaged his house, took out loans, ran up overdrafts and begged for cash from his employers after repeatedly transferring money across to the fraudsters' account.

Eventually he became so hopelessly mired in debt that he committed suicide by lying down in front of a train.

Although warned by a former girlfriend that he was the victim of a 'scam', Mr Hunt appeared to believe in Rose until the very end.

His mobile phone was found in a rucksack near his body and a text message to Rose - which was never sent - read: 'I'm cold, lonely and depressed, I'm so lonely without you tonight. Going to meet my maker..'

Twice-married Mr Hunt went online in search of love after splitting up with girlfriend of three years Lesley Smith.

He began exchanging texts and emails with Rose, who claimed to be living in Nigeria. She sent him a picture of herself and he quickly fell in love with the attractive white brunette.

Over the months that followed Mr Hunt was tricked into thinking Rose was seriously ill and in desperate need of his help. The prize was the rest of his life with her and her cash.

Each time he came close to arranging a meeting with 'Rose' the anonymous criminals behind the 'romance scam' demanded further cash for hotels, medical bills and travel expenses to the UK.

He even travelled to London to meet two of the fraudsters who claimed they needed money for an expensive solution which would magically turn scrap paper into $100 bills.

Mr Hunt met two 'agents' at the Travelodge near London's City Airport. He was greeted by two large men who opened a case containing scraps of black and grey paper.

One of the men then sprayed a note with a mystery substance which seemed to turn the filthy paper into a $100 in front of his eyes - convincing him to hand over more money to pay for the chemical spray.

Mr Hunt began wiring over money in December 2008. At one stage he asked to borrow £25,000 from his employer, a shipping company at Immingham Docks, but later retracted the request and resigned from his job.

His last contact with the fraudsters was in June last year and he died on August 13 when he was hit by a train and suffered multiple injuries.

Police investigating his death found a handwritten note at his home in Grimsby addressed to them, which read: 'I just can't take it any more.' They also found bundles of emails outlining the huge scale of the fraud and a message predicting his own suicide. He wrote: 'I have insurmountable debts and will take my own life.'

A jury at the inquest in Hull returned a verdict of suicide.

After the hearing former girlfriend Miss Smith said: 'These people are out to get people when they are very vulnerable, they are like vultures. I'd like to alert people to this so they can be aware and be cautious.

'Philip was a quiet and reserved gentleman, and he was very intelligent which makes it all the more unbelievable that he fell for this, but he was at a low ebb and they got him when he was most vulnerable.'

Detective Chief Inspector Danny Snee, of British Transport Police, said: 'People need to be very wary, if something looks too good to be true it usually is. They should be particularly wary about parting with money with someone they have never met, it just doesn't ring true.

'The demands for money for supposed medical bills, hotel bills and travel expenses were endless.'

He said a criminal investigation into the international fraudsters was ongoing, although no arrests have been made.

original article here

Man Who Listed Ex in Sex Ads Gets Harassment Charges

(United Kingdom) FUMING Kath Thompson was plagued by strangers wanting sex after her ex-lover advertised her on a website for hookers.

More than a hundred punters bombarded her with "particularly salacious sexual" calls and texts, a court heard.

Dumped Nigel Hadley, 55, also spread tacks on the driveway of the 51-year-old - who was forced to change her phone numbers.

The jobless salesman, of Tiverton, Devon, was nicked - and admitted harassment.

Exeter JPs adjourned sentence for reports.

original article here

Facebook em'!

By DAREH GREGORIAN

More people are cheating on their spouses using Facebook -- and more divorce lawyers are returning to the scene of the crime for evidence.

A whopping 81 percent of matrimonial lawyers say that in the past five years they've seen a massive spike in the use of social-networking information as evidence of infidelity, a new poll shows.

The most widely used cyber-evidence -- including messages to lovers and incriminating photos -- is found on Facebook, the survey from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers reveals.

"Every client I've seen in the last six months had a Facebook page," said the group's vice-president, Ken Altshuler, "and the first piece of advice I give them is to terminate their page immediately."

Sixty-six percent of those surveyed said they'd used Facebook postings as evidence, with 15 percent from MySpace and 5 percent from Twitter.

Altshuler said he's had three cases in the past six months where Facebook postings were a key piece of evidence.

In one case, he was representing a woman getting divorced from her alcoholic husband and also seeking custody of their kids. The man had told the judge he had found God and hadn't had a drink in months.

"It was all the stuff you're supposed to say," Altshuler said.

The claim was exposed as bogus thanks to Facebook pictures of the man partying at a friend's house three weeks before the court hearing.

"The friend had a picture of him holding a beer in each hand with a joint in his mouth," Altshuler said, leading the judge to question the man's credibility.

"If you have your picture taken, you never know where it's going to wind up," Altshuler said.

He also cited another recent custody case where his client's ex-wife had claimed she was engaged and set to be married in a bid to show how stable her household was.

That was called into question by the woman's Facebook posting where she wrote "she'd broken up with her abusive boyfriend and that if anybody had a rich friend to let her know," Altshuler said.

He said the posting was given to his client by a friend of the ex-husband who was still Facebook friends with the ex-wife.

"People don't think about who has access to their Facebook page," Altshuler said, and faux Facebook friends will usually sell out a true pal's spouse.

"It's often the third party who's the source of information," he said.

"Don't do anything because you don't know who's looking. A good attorney can have a field day with this information."

original article here

Arrested for Cyberstalking

BOULDER, Colorado -- Boulder police have arrested a 37-year-old man and accused him of cyber-stalking his ex-girlfriend by breaking into her apartment, installing listening devices and placing spyware on her computer, police said Monday.

Christopher Spiewak also is accused of sending the woman threatening e-mails, police said.

Spiewak was arrested Friday and booked on charges of domestic-violence related stalking, second-degree burglary, computer crimes and repeated harassment, police said.

original article here

Husband's online revenge nipped in the bud

Celebrity adulterers have human rights too

A wronged husband bent on revenge who threatened to reveal the identity of his wife's celebrity lover on the internet has been barred from doing so. An interim injunction has been served on human rights grounds.

In a case which could have serious repercussions for online and offline media law the High Court has ruled that the wife of the celebrity adulterer should be protected from the publication of the details of the affair.

The identities of all parties have been kept secret. The husband was referred to as AB, the celebrity adulterer, believed to be a figure from the world of sport, as CC.

Justice Eady ruled that the privacy rights of CC's wife under the European Convention of Human Rights would be infringed by AB's revelations about their affair.

"In personal and sexual relationships the courts have for some time recognised that there is what is now generally referred to as a reasonable or legitimate 'expectation of privacy'," said Eady in his ruling.

The case involved a balancing of competing EHCR rights, said Eady: that of CC's wife to privacy and that of AB to freedom of expression. Eady said that he had to make sure that his judgments were free of personal moral bias.

"It is not for judges when applying the European Convention, which is a secular code applying to those of all religions and none, to give an appearance of sanctimony by damning adulterers or seeking, as I was invited to do by Mr Bartley Jones, to 'vindicate' the state of matrimony," he said.

In assessing the free speech rights of AB, Eady said that not all speech was of equal value and due equal protection. "The communication of material to the world at large in which there is a genuine public interest is naturally to be rated more highly than the right to sell what is mere 'tittle-tattle'," he said.

Eady was particularly concerned with the effects that any publicity would have on CC's wife. She was said to be suffering stress and anxiety which requires medical attention and the court heard that she had talked of committing suicide.

"If I come to the conclusion that, in order to protect [CC's family life], it is necessary to prevent the Defendant going directly or indirectly to the media for no better reason than spite, money-making or 'tittle tattle', then I would be obliged to restrain him. The fact that he may be, or may see himself as, an 'injured party' does not accord him a special status, not given to others, which inherently raises the value of the communications he wishes to make to the tabloids on to some higher plane or renders them more valuable in Article 10 terms," said Eady.

The court issued a temporary injunction stopping AB from communicating with the media directly or indirectly or publishing on the internet any details of the affair.

SOURCE

Ex- Sheriff's Deputy Charged with Felony Over E-Threat

By Dan Nienaber

(MINNESOTA) A former Blue Earth County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with a felony for an alleged e-mail threat he sent to other deputies in November.

The terroristic threats charge was filed Wednesday against Richard Glenn Miller, 36, of Mankato. Miller resigned from his job as a deputy in December after being placed on paid administrative leave Nov. 11.

That was the day Miller allegedly sent an e-mail, with the subject “Union Contract,” to 14 other deputies at 5:46 a.m. He was the only deputy on duty at the time, the criminal complaint said.

After discussing upcoming union negotiations, Miller allegedly ended the e-mail with, “We absolutely need to have this added to our contract and if we don’t I’m gonna bring a gun into our office and shoot this place and everyone to hell.” The e-mail allegedly ended with “MILLER” in all capital letters.

Miller was put on administrative leave later that day after the e-mail was shown to Lt. David Karge and Capt. Rich Murry. Miller allegedly told Karge and Murry, who went to his house to confront him, that the e-mail was a joke, and he ends all of his e-mails with a “bit of his sense of humor,” the complaint said. Miller’s squad car, M16 rifle and handgun were taken at that time.

All of the deputies who received the e-mail, as well as Karge and Murry, were interviewed by Sgt. Steve Collins of the Scott County Sheriff’s Department. Three of the deputies said they felt threatened by the e-mail and several said they felt “slightly alarmed,” Collins reported.

Others said they weren’t threatened but could understand how the e-mail could be perceived as a threat, the complaint said.

Miller said Wednesday that he never intended to harm or threaten anyone.

“It was an expression meant in a humorous way, and it was taken out of context,” Miller said. “It was a phrase that’s commonly used.

“If I would have known I was going to threaten someone with what I said, I most certainly wouldn’t have said it.”

Miller also said it might have been a mistake to make the comment in an e-mail because it’s more difficult to convey that a phrase is meant to be humorous. If he would have said it in person, the other deputies would have seen him smiling and understood it wasn’t meant to be a threat, he said.

“They were co-workers and friends,” Miller said. “It’s a real tight group of people. Whenever you’re dealing with union negotiations, you always try to lighten the mood.

“It’s really hurtful that someone would think I’m capable of something like that. I’ve spent the last 13 years of my life trying to help people. To be accused of something like that is really hurtful.”

After Miller’s resignation, Blue Earth County Chief Deputy Mike Maurer would not disclose why Miller had been placed on paid leave or the reason for his resignation. Maurer would only say there was an internal investigation and that the Scott County department had been asked to do a criminal investigation.

The investigation ended in early January and was turned over to the Brown County attorney’s office to decide if any criminal charges should be filed. Scott and Brown counties were asked to help to avoid any conflicts of interest, Maurer said.

Miller, who had been a Blue Earth County deputy since 1999, had been disciplined twice before by superiors, according to personnel records available to the public.

In 2005, he was suspended for 10 hours without payhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif for failing to complete two training courses. He also was suspended without pay for one work week in February 2002 after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. In that incident, Miller also was accused of distracting a state trooper so he would be pulled over instead of an intoxicated friend who was driving another car.

original article here

CHEATING HEARTS CAUGHT ONLINE

Cheating Hearts Caught Online
By Walaika K. Haskins
(excerpted)

Internet dating sites have never been more popular. They have been a romantic oasis for people with busy lifestyles, allowing them to pursue a relationship at their own pace. Many women are comfortable with the sites because they can become well acquainted with a prospective partner before even going on a date.

However, for every online testimonial that greets the lovelorn masses, there is a story of bitterness and spite. A growing number of Web sites now traffic in the business of warning women (and sometimes men) about prospective mates who have a very loose relationship with the truth.

Welcome to the online antidote for a broken heart. Web sites such as StopTheAct and TrueDater have taken up the call to expose liars and cheats before they have a chance to make a fool of you. Call it the online version of the popular reality show "Cheaters."

Rewarding the Faithful
On one site, jilted or cheated-on lovers, girlfriends, and wives can post a picture of their significant offender and list all the gory details of the philandering for the entire world to see. Think you might have a cheater on your hands? The site also has a search engine through which you can seek a scoundrel by name, city, or keyword.

Those who need or want to learn more about a questionable prospect can submit an e-mail message or go to the site's blog. In an attempt at some degree of fairness, if people feel they know a man who has been maligned unjustly, they can post a rebuttal that will be included with the other comments under his name.

"It's like a dating credit report," one site's creator, said in an interview with The New York Times.

One site's creator said that roughly 170,000 women have registered to use it and that the site's members have posted the lowdown on some 3,000 men.

While many women say the sites perform a valuable service, some men, not surprisingly, have taken a dim view of the trend.

The sites have been criticized for being biased and harmful. Detractors have said there is little to stop a woman from posting a man's picture along with a completely fictitious account of a relationship gone awry. (not really... this site, such as others - require posters to affirm their statements as true and we ask for backup. On many of these sites including ours, the information is the property & responsibility of the poster. Plus, we do some checking ourselves)

An Alternate View
Seeking to serve all sides of the online dating community, TrueDater gives both sexes the chance to reveal the lies and deceit behind an unscrupulous online profile.

Using the nickname of the person they found at their dating site, men and women can uncover the truth behind that perfect physique -- a balding head, missing teeth, or ever-expanding waistline -- and post a warning with a link to the credulity-stretching profile.

The site is not focused exclusively on liars. If a posted profile turns out to be from an honest Joe, it will be flagged as a "true dater." The rules stipulate, however, that negative feedback relates only to information posted in the profile.

If, for instance, someone reveals during the date that he lives with his parents, and if the profile does not mention that living situation or if the appropriate field is left blank, then the site simply will edit out remarks about living arrangements.

But focusing on such technical limitations might be missing the larger point. For increasing numbers of women, what matters is that these Web watchdogs are helping to separate the studs from the duds.

"With the advent of the Internet, some can be what they want instead of what they are," one site owner told the Times. "You think this guy sounds great. Turns out, he's married, and he's got five kids."

(using the links in our far right margin - you can post information about your cheater or loser on a number of different sites. Be SURE you are being truthful! EXPOSING THEM can be the first step in healing.

Also, see the links on the left margin to obtain our criteria for submitting your online predator - EOPC)

Texas Man Arrested for "Spoofing"

Missouri City Police Department’s arrest of a Stafford man for Internet harassment and “spoofing” was the first of its kind in Texas using a new law that went into effect Sept. 1 of last year. The crime is so new that police had to call Austin to figure out how to get the charge entered into computers because a number had yet to be assigned.

Years ago, Missouri City police were also the first to charge someone with failure to register as a sex offender.

All of the benefits of technology also come with a price – for every new and innovative way discovered to communicate and do business, criminals will find new and innovative ways to use the technology for malicious purposes.

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2003 as an effort to keep up with how the Internet and electronic communication have changed the ways people can harass and possibly harm one another.

The new section in the penal code makes “Online Harassment” a crime, and deals with two separate issues.

The first makes it a third degree felony to use someone else’s identity to create a web page or message on a commercial social networking site without that person’s consent and with malicious intent. “Commercial Networking” includes Internet sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

The second section deals with what is called “spoofing,” now a Class A Misdemeanor. Spoofing is when someone sends an electronic message, such as an e-mail or an instant message, pretending to be someone else. If the intent of the message was to solicit a response from emergency personnel, it is a third degree felony.

Wesley Wittig, an assistant district attorney with the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, said that prosecuting new crimes does not necessarily present any difficulties, as the law is clear on what constitutes each crime. The difference with new charges is that there is no history of rulings that attorneys can use for research when preparing.

Missouri City police charged 54-year-old Stafford resident John Johnson with Internet Harassment and spoofing earlier this month, after they say he set up a fake dating site account and posed as the victim while instant messaging.

Missouri City police were called by a nervous and scared 35-year-old Missouri City woman who told police she received a phone call from a strange man who told her he had just been to her house, and no one answered the door. He told her he even tried the front door, but it was locked.

She asked the stranger where she lived, and he gave her the correct address. She told him she didn’t know who he was, and he said he had been having Instant Messaging conversations with her on the computer after having met her on the Internet dating site Plenty of Fish. He told her she invited him over.

The victim knew nothing about the man, the site or the alleged conversations.

After investigating, police say Johnson set up a fake account on the dating site, complete with photos of the victim and her correct home address, cell phone number and location of her work. Johnson is the boyfriend of the victim’s boyfriend’s mother, who apparently wanted to end the relationship between her son and the victim.

It is still unclear who was pretending to be the victim during the online conversations.

original article here

Man Held in Indiana Cyberstalking Case

A former youth pastor from Clarksville appeared in court Tuesday afternoon accused of stalking and threatening harm to two teenage girls if they did not perform sexual acts for him online.

An automatic plea of not guilty was entered on behalf of 47-year-old Ronald Wayne Williams. Clark County Magistrate Kenneth Abbott set bond at $100,000 cash-only, and appointed a public defender to represent Williams.

According to a probable-cause affidavit, detectives literally caught Williams with his pants down.

Acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Greenwood Police Department learned that a man was attempting to coerce a 15-year-old girl into performing sex acts on her webcam as he watched.

Detectives took over the girl’s e-mail account and reportedly used evidence from their conversations to trace the suspect to the 2800 block of Blackiston Mill Road and Williams’ computer.

With search warrant in hand, detectives from the Indiana State Police, Greewood Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Department knocked on the door to Williams’ residence. Court records state that officer saw Williams pulling up his pants as he walked to answer the door.

Once inside, detectives found Williams’ laptop computer with a live video feed of a partially nude 16-year-old girl performing sex acts. There were also beer bottles and empty food containers, along with about 20 2-liter plastic bottles filled with urine, indicating he may have not wanted to leave his computer to use the restroom.

A detective took over the chat and asked the girl to call the police department. She called and agreed to speak with detectives at the Clark County Sheriff’s Department.

The 16-year-old alleged victim said Williams added her as a friend on MySpace.com in April. She added him because he said he was old friend of her parents. He then allegedly began sending her messages asking her to go on her Webcam and get naked, saying he had embarrassing pictures of her he would spread all over the school if she did not comply.

When she refused, he allegedly threatened to rape her.

In May, she heard the sound of a car honking behind her house. She said Williams messaged her that night, asking if she had heard him honking. She said she feared for her safety and began complying with his demands.

She told police that she began ignoring his messages in July until one day when she went to a swimming pool in Corydon. She said Williams messaged her that night, describing what she and others at the pool were wearing that day. Another day, he said he had seen her at the mall.

The 16-year-old alleged victim saw Williams’ picture for the first time when detectives showed it to her. She said she knew him from church when she was in elementary school and that she had played with his daughters as a child.

Clark County Sheriff’s Department Detective Rachael Lee, who investigated the case, said it is a reminder for parents to watch what their children are doing online.

“I do recommend parents get on their kids’ computers periodically,” she said.

Lee said many laptop computer now come with built-in Webcams, but parents are often unaware of that.

“Some don’t even know their computers have that capability,” she said.

Lee said Williams had been a youth pastor at Georgetown Community Church and more recently Henryville Community Church. Lee said she spoke with church officials in Henryville, who said Williams was removed from his position about a year ago, although she did not say why he was removed.

A message left at the Henryville church late Tuesday afternoon was not returned, while the number listed in a phone director for the Georgetown church had been disconnected.

Williams is charged with 12 felony counts — class C felony child exploitation; three counts of class C felony child solicitation; three counts of class D felony vicarious sexual gratification; three counts of class D felony intimidation; and two counts of class D felony stalking.

He faces 12 to 56 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

original article here

CYBERPATHS DO THIS TO OTHER ADULTS, TOO!

Dark Market

To the casual observer, there was little to distinguish the Java Bean internet cafe in Wembley from the hundreds of others dotted around the capital. But to surveillance officers staking it out month after month, this unremarkable venue was the key to busting a remarkable and sophisticated network of cyber criminals.

From the bank of computers inside, a former pizza bar worker ran an international cyber "supermarket" selling stolen credit card and account details costing the banking industry tens of millions.

Renukanth Subramaniam, 33, was revealed today as the founder and a major "orchestrator" of the secret ­DarkMarket website, where elite fraudsters bought and sold personal data, after it was infiltrated by the FBI and the US Secret Service.

Membership was strictly by invitation. But once vetted, its 2,000 vendors and buyers traded everything from card details, obtained through hacking, phishing and ATM skimming devices, to viruses with which buyers could extort money by threatening company websites.

The top English language cybercrime site in the world, it offered online tutorials in account takeovers, credit card deception and money laundering. Equipment – including false ATM and pin machines and everything needed to set up a credit card factory – was available.

It even featured breaking-news-style updates on the latest compromised material available, while criminals could buy banner adverts to promote their wares.

So vast was its reach, with members in the UK, Canada, US, Russia, Turkey, Germany and France, the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), which helped bust it, said it was "impossible" to put a figure on how much it cost banks worldwide.

Subramaniam, who used the online soubriquet JiLsi, was remanded in custody at his own request at Blackfriars crown court today after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud and five counts of furnishing false information. Judge John Hillen warned it was "inevitable" he faced a "substantial custodial sentence".

A Sri Lankan-born British citizen, Subramaniam was a former member of ShadowCrew, DarkMarket's forerunner, which was uncovered by the US Secret Service in 2004. "JiLsi was one of the highest in cybercrime in this country with what he managed to achieve setting up a forum globally. No JiLsi, no DarkMarket," said one Soca investigator.

Its 2,000 members never met in real life. Quality, not quantity, was the key. DarkMarket was fastidious in banning "rippers" who would cheat other criminals. Honour among thieves was paramount.

It operated an "escrow" service, with payments and goods exchanged through a third party – "like a PayPal for criminals", the judge observed, and an arbitration service resolved disputes. To keep off the radar, the rules were strict: no firearms, drugs or counterfeit currency.

Built on a pyramid structure, administrators decided who joined, moderators ran specific site sections, and reviewers vetted wannabes – each demanding 5% or £250 per transaction as a fixer's fee.

To get on, criminals had to present details of 100 compromised cards free of charge - 50 to one reviewer, 50 to another. Reviewers would test the cards and write an online review of customer satisfaction – just like eBay customers. "If the cards did what they were supposed to … they would be recommended. If not they weren't allowed in," said the investigator.

Payment was via accounts on WebMoney, or E-Gold. "It was the QuickTime method of sending money anywhere."

Subramaniam was one of the top administrators. He kept his operating system on memory sticks. But when one was stolen, costing him £100,000 in losses and compromising the site's security, he was downgraded to reviewer. Surveillance officers caught him logging on to the website as JiLsi unaware the fellow criminal MasterSplyntr he was talking to was, in fact, an FBI agent called Keith Mularski.

Considerable money was exchanged, though actual transactions took place away from the site for security reasons. One buyer spent £250,000 on stolen personal information in just six weeks.

Described as "a very quiet man", Subramaniam worked at Pizza Hut and as a dispatch courier. "He owned three houses but was largely itinerant," said Sharon Lemon, Soca deputy director. "The key to investigations of this sort is finding the evidence to connect the online persona with a living, breathing person."

Harendra de Silva QC, defending Subramaniam, said the "evidence was unchallenged" but said the "question of interpretation does arise in certain areas" and there would be submissions on "nuance" of the fraud in so far as it applied to his client. He is charged alongside John McHugh, 66, known as Devilman, also a site reviewer who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and at whose Doncaster home officers found a credit card-making factory. The two will be sentenced later.

But the battle against cybercrime continues. "This was one of the top 10 sites in the world, but there are more than 100 we know of globally, and another 100 we don't yet know of," said the investigators.
In the DarkMarket

DarkMarket price list

Trusted vendors on DarkMarket offered a smorgasbord of personal data, viruses, and card-cloning kits at knockdown prices. Going rates were:

Dumps Data from magnetic stripes on batches of 10 cards. Standard cards: $50. Gold/platinum: $80. Corporate: $180.

Card verification values Information needed for online transactions. $3-$10 depending on quality.

Full information/change of billing Information needed for opening or taking over account details. $150 for account with $10,000 balance. $300 for one with $20,000 balance.

Skimmer Device to read card data. Up to $7,000.

Bank logins 2% of available balance.

Hire of botnet Software robots used in spam attacks. $50 a day.

Credit card images Both sides of card. $30 each.

Embossed card blanks $50 each.

Holograms $5 per 100.

original article here