What Happens Online Stays Online?

By Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S

Today’s omnipresent fear that one’s personal identifying data (e.g., social security number or credit card information) may be vulnerable to hackers and identity theft has pushed millions of subscribers into the arms of “identity theft protection” companies like LifeLock.

But is anyone really paying attention to what will happen when the sexually explicit language and photos that are sent via the latest “friend finder” smart-phone app or sex website get hacked or otherwise exploited?

When “joining” sites like Ashley Madison or downloading apps like Blendr, participants are offered some measure of comfort via a click-it guarantee that personal information will be securely maintained. But somehow it seems off the radar to the same professionals and/or married individuals, who would never send their social security number online via an unsecured site, that when you sext and arrange app-based sexual hook-ups, every word and pic sent via these apps also resides in a far-away server. And that information lives there for a whole lot longer than the instant it takes to sext a potential hook-up.

What happens to all the intensely personal, intimate sexual imagery and language now housed in the servers of companies like Ashley Madison (currently reporting over 9 million members), Adult Sex Finder and Grindr, to name just a few, if these business are bought out, go under or just plain get hacked? If recent news stories are any indication, online sexual activity isn’t nearly as private as many may naively believe:

Last month, Grindr, a popular smartphone app that enables gay men to meet other gay men using their phone’s GPS, was compromised by a Sydney hacker, who then placed users’ personal chats, explicit photos and private information online. This app currently has more than one million users worldwide. Security experts warn that the same vulnerabilities are present in other hook-up apps such as Blendr (the straight version of the app) and Ashley Madison.

Last week, a young man affiliated with hacker group Anonymous claimed to have hacked into a website operated by pornography provider Brazzers. The emails, usernames and other personal information of more than 350,000 users may have been exposed, a small sample of which were posted publicly online.

Anonymous has also just claimed responsibility for taking down the CIA website. Previously, the group took aim at the FBI, the Department of Justice, entertainment companies and the Church of Scientology, among others. Similar groups have targeted the U.S. Census Bureau, Interpol and various state public safety departments.

Over 20 years as a specialist in the field of adult intimacy disorders and sexual addiction has taught me (and you can see it clearly in the film Shame), that those intellectually stable, but emotionally challenged adults with problem patterns of sexual behavior can and do destroy their careers and tear apart their relationships without meaning to do so. All the while they believe they were somehow “safe” from being found out.

Unfortunately nearly all of these men and women prior to getting help expressed feeling when they are in the pursuit or “bubble” of their sexual and romantic highs that:

• They are “in control” and “know what they are doing”
• “No one will ever know or find out” if they’re “careful”

I need only cite Fmr. Congressman Anthony Weiner as one of the many unfortunate examples of this type of denial. And there are many more such individuals with stories in and out of the media nearly every day.

As technology becomes more intimately threaded into our lives, perhaps we need to broaden our ideas about what is truly “private” and what can be readily uncovered and shared in a public forum. If not, when the day comes (and it will) that the personal data currently maintained by any of the friend-sex-finder websites/apps are exposed and posted on a U.S. website, the Anthony Weiner sexting story, his subsequent marital separation and congressional resignation are going to look like a Girl Scout party by comparison.

Robert Weiss is the author of three books on sexual addiction and Founding Director of the premiere sex addiction treatment program, The Sexual Recovery Institute. He is Director of Sexual Disorders Services at The Ranch and Promises Treatment Centers. These centers serve individuals seeking sexual addiction treatment, love addiction treatment, and porn addiction help. Specifically, the Centers for Relationship and Sexual Recovery at The Ranch (CRSR) offer specialized intimacy, sex and relationship addiction treatment for both men and women in gender-specific, gender-separate treatment and living environments.

original article here

When Your Online Life is Hacked

By Rowenna Davis

(NEW ZEALAND) In a technology-driven society, when an account gets hacked, you're suddenly hit with an organisational bombshell as the realisation dawns that the email account is the nexus of the modern world.

For the past week, a hacker has been occupying my email account. And he or she may still be there. A disembodied intruder, this person has been stalking my inbox, replying to messages, signing off with my nickname and refusing to let me in. He or she has been going through my personal history and making judgments about my character.

In the weirdest twist, the hacker even started writing to me. If it wasn't so unsettling, it could be the plot of a black postmodern comedy.

It started when my phone went crazy in the middle of a crucial meeting. Some 5000 contacts received an email from my account saying that I'd been held up at gunpoint in Madrid. My internet-savvy friends sent texts to say I'd been hacked, while my elderly, migrant and more vulnerable friends wanted to know where to send the cash. According to the story, my mobile phone and credit cards had been taken and I was badly in need of money. There was a number to call to reach me at my hotel - presumably chargeable - and a Western Union account had been set up in my name to wire a transfer.

Suddenly you're hit with an organisational bombshell: drop what you're doing; freeze your bank account, answer anxious calls, lose crucial messages; miss work deadlines, irritate bosses, reset all email-based passwords, forget to pay e-bills, irritate friends who think you're ignoring them. The realisation dawns that the email account is the nexus of the modern world. It's connected to just about every part of our daily life and, if something goes wrong, it spreads.

But the biggest effect is psychological. On some level, your identity is being held hostage.

Out of sheer frustration, I fired off an email to my occupied address labelled "to those who hacked my account", laying out how I felt and asking for my contacts. Shockingly, I got an almost instantaneous reply. The hacker said my address book would be returned for £500 ($989). It was unreal. Whoever it was must have been watching my account and responding. Who else was this person replying to in the same way?

I wrote back straight away, saying that I didn't have those kind of finances and pointing out that I had no reason to believe the deal would be kept even if I did send the money. I couldn't help but end with a rhetorical: "Do you ever feel even slightly bad about what you are doing?"

Just for a minute, the hacker seemed anxious to prove that he or she had any sense of morality. The reply: it "didn't feel great" to be a hacker, but they didn't have a choice. Why? They said their life "wasn't as nice and sweet" as mine. In what I guess was supposed to be a gesture of magnanimity, the hacker promised to release my contacts for just £300, and even offered to send me 20 contacts upfront as a sign of "goodwill".

I could tell this person thought this was being reasonable - that these actions weren't as bad as robbing people on the streets.

What I wanted to reply, but found difficult to articulate at the time, was that hacking can be worse than that. When someone holds you up in the street, you lose a set of isolated possessions and then get to walk away. But if someone colonises one of your chief platforms of interaction with the world, there's always a feeling of "what next?" They can read your most intimate emails and potentially pass them on. A simple search would allow them to find out not just my address, but also those of my friends and family.


Apparently around 3000 people reported such scams last year, but too few of these are brought to justice. When I did eventually get access to my account through Gmail a week later, I found that the hacker had written to more than 30 people who had asked about my problems in Madrid. The intruder said I'd had a "terrible experience" and signed off with my nickname, "Row". That someone could be so callous to people who cared about me - in my name - left me furious.

I was lucky. The only reason I was able to regain access to my account was through chance - a friend of a friend works at Google. Until then, my hacker had given me better feedback than Gmail and Google, following my attempts to get in touch with them. The company that presents itself as the friendly face of the web doesn't have a single human to talk to in these circumstances. The office just cut me off and, after a friend waited on hold for 20 minutes to ask if there was anything that could be done to help, the reply was a simple "nope".

When someone did bother to look into my problem, it took only five minutes to fix. The hacker had doubled the verification process on my password so I couldn't get in. Once Google disabled it from the inside, I was able to reset all my security checks without a problem.

Even now, I'm not sure it's over. In one last message, addressed from myself just two days ago, the hacker wrote: "I see you got the account back. Sorry for the trouble." I never replied, so I guess I'll never know what this individual's circumstances were. But I feel the need to understand them. Perhaps we believe that if we find reasons for things, we'll feel safer. Perhaps it's about restoring faith in human nature.

However, my hacker seems to have disappeared back into the ether. Of course, they could be reading this now.

Chatting with a hacker

Tuesday, 8.33am
From: Rowenna Davis
Hi, I can't believe you would do this. The poorest, most vulnerable of my contacts are the most worried about me and most likely to send you money. The most educated people with resources know it's a scam. I also find it difficult to make ends meet, but without access to this account I can't work because all my contacts are stored in the account you have taken over. I am totally paralysed. If there is any way you can send me my address book, I would be willing to pay for it. It's horrible to be forwarded messages that have been sent in your own name. I honestly don't know how you justify this to yourself.

8.42am
From: the hacker
Can you send me 500 quid?

10.33am
From: Rowenna Davis
1) I literally don't have 500 quid to give you. I can't make any more money until I have access to my account back - I work freelance and all my work contacts are being held by you. 2) How would I know if I gave you any money that you'd actually send me my contacts? 3) Do you ever feel even slightly bad about what you're doing?

10.38am
From: the hacker
Sure I don't feel great, but I don't seem to have a choice, it's way better than robbing you on the streets. I give you my word, if you send me money, I will give you back access to you account with all your emails and contacts intact. If you can't send 500 quid at least 300 quid will do. Send money by Western Union to Rowenna Davis Madrid Spain. Waiting

10.40am
From: Rowenna Davis
Why don't you have a choice?

10.44am
From: the hacker
You don't wanna the kinda life I am living. You think it's as nice and sweet as your life? But at least I don't rob on the streets

10.56am
From: Rowenna Davis
I'm not making judgments about your life - you are making judgments about mine. If you read some of those emails you'll know it gets pretty shit at this end too. And even if my life was really happy, I don't see why that justifies you taking over my emails. But I wonder why you feel that you have no choice.

10.58am
From: the hacker
Are you sending money?

11.17am
From: Rowenna Davis
I don't have £300. I have asked some of my friends if they can help, but they think it's a stupid idea because you can't be trusted to return the details.

11.23am
From: the hacker
I don't need your details for anything, to show some good will I could give you about 20 contacts, then when you send money, I give you the rest of it.

Thursday, 11.04pm
From: the hacker
I see you got back your account. Sorry for the trouble.


original article found here

Cyberstalking by Exes - It's Illegal

by Jann Blackstone-Ford & Sharyl Jupe

(Florida, U.S.A.) Question: I'm going through a divorce. Yesterday I found out my soon-to-be ex hacked my email account and changed all my passwords so he could read my private business. Then he changed them back, thinking I wouldn't know — but they send an alert and my email comes through my phone, so I knew what he was doing. He thinks I had an affair because he still can't believe I would leave him just because he's a jerk, so he's looking for some justification I was fooling around. I know you are going to say it's bad ex-etiquette, but what can I do about it?

Answer: It's not only bad ex-etiquette, but it also could be regarded as cyberstalking, and that's illegal. Hacking an ex's email is not new, but unless the victim feels he or she is danger, rarely does that person press charges. It really depends if this is an obsessed ex and your life is in danger or merely someone feeling particularly desperate one day and making bad choices. Hopefully, from your history with this guy, you know which it is. If it's an act of desperation, talking to him will probably do the trick, but make your boundaries clear.

After a breakup, people often continue to sleep together for various reasons and this sends mixed messages — especially if one of the parties wants to stay together. If you are doing this, or anything else like it, you may be contributing to the confusion. Make sure you're not doing anything that will keep your ex hanging on. That said, if your ex has acted irrationally in the past and you are frightened, consider going to the police. The police take cyberstalking very seriously and many have departments devoted specifically to problems with Internet and social-media interaction.

Unfortunately, it's common practice to share passwords — even PIN numbers — with your partner, but this can present a problem after a breakup. It gives them easy access to your personal life and even your money, so best practice is to change all passwords and PIN numbers as soon as you realize the breakup is final. You may even want to change the email accounts linked to your Facebook or other social-media accounts, so there is no way he can hack into your private business.

It goes without saying that your ex is breaking just about every rule of good ex-etiquette, but that doesn't mean that you have to break the rules when dealing with him. Being honest (Ex-Etiquette Rule No. 8) is always a good one to rely on, as well as rules No. 5 and 6, don't be spiteful and don't hold grudges. Finally, one rule your ex definitely forgot, Rule No. 9, is "respect each other's turf." Respect is critical to any successful relationship — even when breaking up.

original article found here

NOTE: CONTRARY TO WHAT THESE AUTHORS SAY - MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS DO NOT, UNFORTUNATELY, TAKE CYBERSTALKING SERIOUSLY. - EOPC

Search for Suspect Who Sent Topless Pics to Woman's Office

(FLORIDA, U.S.A.) A woman who works at a Bonita Springs medical practice told Lee deputies she arrived to work Monday and found four facsimiles in the machine – of a picture she took of herself topless.



The woman, whose name and other information was not released, said the photo was the same one contained on her home computer that she took after she’d lost some weight, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report. She never sent the photos to anyone, she told deputies.



She believes a man who wants to date her is responsible for hacking into her computer. She doesn’t want anything to do with the man, according to the report.



She does not know where the man lives, but told deputies where he works.



Deputies are investigating the incident as a cyber stalking complaint.





original article here

Man Gets 18 Years in Prison for Internet Harassment

By Kat Asharya

A Minnesota (USA) hacker received 18-years in jail for cyber-harassment against his neighbors, demonstrating the chaos that hacking can cause on a personal level.

Barry Ardolf, 46-year-old angered his neighbors, Matt and Bethany Kostolnik, after kissing their young son. Ardolf then allegedly hacked into the Kostolniks' Wi-Fi router and hijacked e-mail accounts to frame them for child pornography, sexual harassment and professional misconduct.

"Barry Ardolf has demonstrated by his conduct that he is a dangerous man. When he became angry at his neighbors, he vented his anger in a bizarre and calculated campaign of terror against them," said prosecutor Timothy Rank in a court filing. "And he did not wage this campaign in the light of day, but rather used his computer hacking skills to strike at his victims while hiding in the shadows."

For example, Ardolf created a fake MySpace page for the husband, where he posted a picture of young teens engaged in sexual activity. He then e-mailed child porn to Kostolnik's co-workers at a law firm using Kostolnik's e-mail account, in addition to sending flirtatious messages to women in Kostolnik's office.

However, Ardolf pushed too far when he used the Kostolnik accounts to send a message threatening Vice President Joe Biden, which drew the involvement of the Secret Service and FBI. Working with packet sniffers installed by Kostolnik's law firm on its network, the federal agencies pinpointed Ardolf.

The FBI got a search warrant for Ardolf's house and computer, where they found large amounts of evidence, including hacking manuals and data copied from the Kostolnik's computers. They also found handwritten notes laying out Ardolf's detailed revenge plans, as well as messages for the family.

"I told you about a year ago that you should be very afraid. I can destroy you at will, you sorry-ass excuse for a human," one letter said.

Ardolf's campaign of cyber-intimidation may be small in scale in comparison to the spate of hacker intrusions into corporations and government websites over recent months, but it is a reminder of how deeply entrenched technology is with everyday life, and how more and more consumers must be vigilant against security threats.

"Over months and months, he inflicted unfathomable psychic damage, making the victims feel vulnerable in their own home, while avoiding detection," said Rank.

In addition to the 18-year prison sentence, Ardolf, who had no previous criminal record, forfeited his house and computer gear. Further investigation revealed he also hijacked the Wi-Fi networks of other neighbors and harassed them as well. He eventually pleaded guilty to identity theft and two child pornography accusations carrying lifetime sex-offender registration requirements.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Cyberstalking on the Rise

by MICKI STEELE

When John Carlin began receiving photos on his cell phone last year of his live-in companion with other people, he didn’t realize he was being cyber-stalked.

Carlin says he turned to police after finding an online ad with his photo that encouraged men to come to his home for sex, but got no help stopping the harassment.

He said police didn’t want to look at the ad or other evidence he had collected, including alarming text and e-mail messages Carlin said were from a man he met in a bar.

“Crazy people don’t quit,” said Carlin, 38, of Dearborn. “I’m the one that’s going to go to jail trying to protect myself, especially when the cops do nothing.”

Metro Detroit authorities say they’re getting more complaints of online stalking, as social networking sites and cell phones make it easier to connect with people — and harass them.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reports receiving eight times more cyber-stalking complaints than two years ago.

In Dearborn, police saw cyber-stalking complaints rise from 12 in 2008 to 21 in 2009. The department has nine cases this year; Lt. Mark Tobias said he expects an uptick with schools open again.

“Cyber crime or anything else, our protocol is we will respond,” Dearborn Lt. Neil Myres said.

Recent high-profile cases such as the suicide of a Rutgers University student, whose intimate encounter with another man was broadcast online, have led advocates to push back against abusive cyber behavior.

The issue is attracting attention in Lansing, Michigan. State Rep. Lisa Brown, D-West Bloomfield, proposed legislation last week to crack down on cyber crimes against children and teens.

“We need to keep up with the new threats to our children,” she said. “It’s not acceptable to intimidate, harass or embarrass anyone using technology.”

Nationally, the number of people stalked is estimated at 3.4 million, according to a survey based on the 2006 Supplemental Victimization Survey of stalking behaviors, released in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Justice. One in four — or about 850,000 — were victims of cyber stalking.

In 75 percent of the surveyed cases, the stalker was a former lover, friend, neighbor or roommate whose actions caused victims to fear for their safety.

The relative anonymity of the Internet and the explosion of social networking sites have spurred a new breed of online criminal who uses personal information as a weapon, said Deputy Erin Diamond, an electronic forensics expert in the Internet Crimes Unit of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

Diamond said he gets at least two calls a week from police for help with cyber-stalking cases, up from one such call per month two years ago.

“You’re giving clues to where you’re hanging out, and that’s gold to stalkers,” Diamond said.

Diamond said local police departments “don’t exactly know how to handle the digital evidence” because it’s a newer crime and training isn’t widely available. And limited manpower forces investigators to choose between more tangible crimes, like homicide, over virtual ones.

Stalking is illegal in all 50 states, but laws vary. One expert thinks stalking is more likely to be prosecuted as a federal crime.

Nina Ginsberg, a criminal defense attorney in Virginia, said cyber stalking can become a felony when someone accesses another person’s stored electronic information and uses it to steal an identity, review bank records or make harassing phone calls.

“Getting into an e-mail account or Facebook account, snooping on them using the Internet or the telephone — that’s what cyber stalking is,” she said.

Jasmine O’Connor, a West Bloomfield computer repair technician, said more than two years after she divorced her second husband, she’s still being stalked and harassed.

When she learned her husband was seeing the mother of his child, she told him she wanted to end their six-week marriage and kicked him out of the house.

When he repeatedly called her at work, she almost lost her job. And when he could no longer reach her by phone, he sent her profane e-mails, she said.

The harassment has slowed, but “I just want it to go away,” she said.

Laura Gipson, 30, an administrative assistant at a Detroit hospital, said she couldn’t get a judge to take her seriously when a neighbor’s jealous girlfriend posted nasty Facebook updates about her and sent multiple friend requests daily for months.

Gipson blocked the girlfriend’s Facebook advances. Then, the woman confronted her at a party in late June. The two women fought in her neighbor’s apartment and Gipson was arrested. A court case is pending.

When Gipson sought a personal protection order after seeing the woman in July in her building, a judge refused her request, citing mutual harassment.

“To her, it was a ‘so what?’ kind of thing,” Gipson said. “People of an older generation don’t take things like that seriously.”

But the judge’s opinion in the Gipson case may be atypical.

“At some level, we shouldn’t be surprised that as tech develops that the stalker reflects society,” said Kevin Burke, vice president of the Williamsburg, Va.-based American Judges Association and a district judge in Minnesota. “It’s just one more tool for people whose aberrant behavior is to destroy somebody else.”

Additional Facts
If you're stalked - What to do

• Document stalking behavior.


• Print screen shots of unwanted electronic messages or pictures.


• Save text and voice messages.


• Contact an advocacy organization for help with stalking documentation and to develop a safety plan.


• Report the crime to your local police. (do not leave the station until you have moved up the chain of command and gotten a copy of the written report)
  

Safety Net Project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence http://www.nnedv.org/projects/safetynet
Working to Halt Online Abuse http://www.haltabuse.org
National Center for Victims of Crime http://www.ncvc.org

Cyberstalking on the Rise

by MICKI STEELE

When John Carlin began receiving photos on his cell phone last year of his live-in companion with other people, he didn’t realize he was being cyber-stalked.

Carlin says he turned to police after finding an online ad with his photo that encouraged men to come to his home for sex, but got no help stopping the harassment.

He said police didn’t want to look at the ad or other evidence he had collected, including alarming text and e-mail messages Carlin said were from a man he met in a bar.

“Crazy people don’t quit,” said Carlin, 38, of Dearborn. “I’m the one that’s going to go to jail trying to protect myself, especially when the cops do nothing.”

Metro Detroit authorities say they’re getting more complaints of online stalking, as social networking sites and cell phones make it easier to connect with people — and harass them.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reports receiving eight times more cyber-stalking complaints than two years ago.

In Dearborn, police saw cyber-stalking complaints rise from 12 in 2008 to 21 in 2009. The department has nine cases this year; Lt. Mark Tobias said he expects an uptick with schools open again.

“Cyber crime or anything else, our protocol is we will respond,” Dearborn Lt. Neil Myres said.

Recent high-profile cases such as the suicide of a Rutgers University student, whose intimate encounter with another man was broadcast online, have led advocates to push back against abusive cyber behavior.

The issue is attracting attention in Lansing, Michigan. State Rep. Lisa Brown, D-West Bloomfield, proposed legislation last week to crack down on cyber crimes against children and teens.

“We need to keep up with the new threats to our children,” she said. “It’s not acceptable to intimidate, harass or embarrass anyone using technology.”

Nationally, the number of people stalked is estimated at 3.4 million, according to a survey based on the 2006 Supplemental Victimization Survey of stalking behaviors, released in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Justice. One in four — or about 850,000 — were victims of cyber stalking.

In 75 percent of the surveyed cases, the stalker was a former lover, friend, neighbor or roommate whose actions caused victims to fear for their safety.

The relative anonymity of the Internet and the explosion of social networking sites have spurred a new breed of online criminal who uses personal information as a weapon, said Deputy Erin Diamond, an electronic forensics expert in the Internet Crimes Unit of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

Diamond said he gets at least two calls a week from police for help with cyber-stalking cases, up from one such call per month two years ago.

“You’re giving clues to where you’re hanging out, and that’s gold to stalkers,” Diamond said.

Diamond said local police departments “don’t exactly know how to handle the digital evidence” because it’s a newer crime and training isn’t widely available. And limited manpower forces investigators to choose between more tangible crimes, like homicide, over virtual ones.

Stalking is illegal in all 50 states, but laws vary. One expert thinks stalking is more likely to be prosecuted as a federal crime.

Nina Ginsberg, a criminal defense attorney in Virginia, said cyber stalking can become a felony when someone accesses another person’s stored electronic information and uses it to steal an identity, review bank records or make harassing phone calls.

“Getting into an e-mail account or Facebook account, snooping on them using the Internet or the telephone — that’s what cyber stalking is,” she said.

Jasmine O’Connor, a West Bloomfield computer repair technician, said more than two years after she divorced her second husband, she’s still being stalked and harassed.

When she learned her husband was seeing the mother of his child, she told him she wanted to end their six-week marriage and kicked him out of the house.

When he repeatedly called her at work, she almost lost her job. And when he could no longer reach her by phone, he sent her profane e-mails, she said.

The harassment has slowed, but “I just want it to go away,” she said.

Laura Gipson, 30, an administrative assistant at a Detroit hospital, said she couldn’t get a judge to take her seriously when a neighbor’s jealous girlfriend posted nasty Facebook updates about her and sent multiple friend requests daily for months.

Gipson blocked the girlfriend’s Facebook advances. Then, the woman confronted her at a party in late June. The two women fought in her neighbor’s apartment and Gipson was arrested. A court case is pending.

When Gipson sought a personal protection order after seeing the woman in July in her building, a judge refused her request, citing mutual harassment.

“To her, it was a ‘so what?’ kind of thing,” Gipson said. “People of an older generation don’t take things like that seriously.”

But the judge’s opinion in the Gipson case may be atypical.

“At some level, we shouldn’t be surprised that as tech develops that the stalker reflects society,” said Kevin Burke, vice president of the Williamsburg, Va.-based American Judges Association and a district judge in Minnesota. “It’s just one more tool for people whose aberrant behavior is to destroy somebody else.”

Additional Facts
If you're stalked - What to do

• Document stalking behavior.


• Print screen shots of unwanted electronic messages or pictures.


• Save text and voice messages.


• Contact an advocacy organization for help with stalking documentation and to develop a safety plan.


• Report the crime to your local police. (do not leave the station until you have moved up the chain of command and gotten a copy of the written report)
  

Safety Net Project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence http://www.nnedv.org/projects/safetynet
Working to Halt Online Abuse http://www.haltabuse.org
National Center for Victims of Crime http://www.ncvc.org

Beware of the 'HACK TRAP'

Don't fall for that elusive e-mail with an enticing subject line asking for your personal details. It's a cyber criminal who is using a facade to lure you into a trap. Don't just delete the mail, report it to the cyber cell!

The Mumbai police are waking up to battle the rampant increase of crime in the cyber world. All of us, at some point would have been victims in the virtual world, ranging from falling prey to deadly viruses, to internet stalking or the more serious hacking and character assassination.

The Mumbai police, apart from spreading awareness by holding workshops in schools and colleges and issuing advice to parents has also launched a drive to secure over 2 lakh wi-fi connections in the city.

According to statistics, there were 76 cases of cyber crime registered in 2010 as compared to just 6 cases in 2006.

"Cyber crime and white collar crimes is the new trend and is committed by people from the middle and upper middle class," remarked Sanjeev Dayal, Mumbai police commissioner at the annual police meet held recently. "It's a kind of crime where the educated are involved," he added.

The city's first cyber police station, which was set up in 2006 and the police are making efforts to create more awareness amongst the public. We give you a brief take on the kinds of cyber crime that you need to be wary of and guidelines to avoid being a victim.

Watch out for these cyber crimes

Hacking:
Hacking means an illegal intrusion into a computer system, network or your personal email id. The motive can range from monetary gains such as stealing credit card information, transferring money from various bank accounts to their own account followed by withdrawal of money. It could also be for revenge or a desire to access forbidden information

Cyber stalking:
Cyber stalking is a repeated act of harassment or threatening behavior of the cyber criminal towards the victim through the internet. A vast majority of stalkers are dejected lovers or jilted ex-lovers, who intend to harass the victim because they failed to satisfy their secret desires. Many a time, the stalker posts phone numbers or email address of the victim as willing to solicit sexual favours. The stalker even uses filthy and obscene language to incite the person.

Virus Dissemination:
Malicious software that attaches itself to other software. (virus, worms, Trojan Horse, Time bomb, Logic Bomb, Rabbit and Bacterium. These are malicious viruses

Phishing:
This is an act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs users to visit a website where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card details, social security and bank account numbers, already available to the legitimate organisation. The website, however, is bogus and set up only to steal user information.

Tips for adults, children and teens:
1. Do not give out identifying information such as name, home address, school name or telephone number in a chat room.
2. Do not send your photograph to any one on the Net without initially checking with the parent or guardian.
3. Do not respond to messages that are obscene or threatening.
4. Never arrange a meeting without informing your parents.
5. Remember that people online may not be who they seem to be
what you need to register a complaint
If you are a victim of hacking

Bring the following information:

• Server Logs
• Copy of defaced web page in soft copy as well as hard copy format, if your website is defaced
• If data is compromised on your server or computer or any other network equipment, keep a soft copy of original data and soft copy of compromised data.
• Access control mechanism details i.e. who had what kind of the access to the compromised system
• List of suspects - if the victim suspects anyone

If you're are a victim of e-mail abuse, vulgar e-mail;
Bring the following information-

• Extract the extended headers of the offending e-mail
• Bring a soft copy as well hard copy of the offending e-mail. Do not delete the offending e-mail from your inbox.
• Save the copy of the offending e-mail on your computer's hard drive.

Where to complain
Cyber Crime Investigation cell
Annex III, 1st floor, Office of the Mumbai Commissioner of Police,
DN Road, Mumbai 400001

How to safeguard yourself
1. Ensure your passwords have both letters and numbers, and are at least eight characters long. Avoid common words. Some hackers use programs that can try every word in the dictionary.
2. Don't use your personal information, your login name or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords
3. Don't share your passwords online or over the phone
4. Protect yourself from viruses by installing anti-virus software and updating it regularly
5. Use different passwords for different websites.
6. Send credit card information only to secure sites.

original article here

Beware of the 'HACK TRAP'

Don't fall for that elusive e-mail with an enticing subject line asking for your personal details. It's a cyber criminal who is using a facade to lure you into a trap. Don't just delete the mail, report it to the cyber cell!

The Mumbai police are waking up to battle the rampant increase of crime in the cyber world. All of us, at some point would have been victims in the virtual world, ranging from falling prey to deadly viruses, to internet stalking or the more serious hacking and character assassination.

The Mumbai police, apart from spreading awareness by holding workshops in schools and colleges and issuing advice to parents has also launched a drive to secure over 2 lakh wi-fi connections in the city.

According to statistics, there were 76 cases of cyber crime registered in 2010 as compared to just 6 cases in 2006.

"Cyber crime and white collar crimes is the new trend and is committed by people from the middle and upper middle class," remarked Sanjeev Dayal, Mumbai police commissioner at the annual police meet held recently. "It's a kind of crime where the educated are involved," he added.

The city's first cyber police station, which was set up in 2006 and the police are making efforts to create more awareness amongst the public. We give you a brief take on the kinds of cyber crime that you need to be wary of and guidelines to avoid being a victim.

Watch out for these cyber crimes

Hacking:
Hacking means an illegal intrusion into a computer system, network or your personal email id. The motive can range from monetary gains such as stealing credit card information, transferring money from various bank accounts to their own account followed by withdrawal of money. It could also be for revenge or a desire to access forbidden information

Cyber stalking:
Cyber stalking is a repeated act of harassment or threatening behavior of the cyber criminal towards the victim through the internet. A vast majority of stalkers are dejected lovers or jilted ex-lovers, who intend to harass the victim because they failed to satisfy their secret desires. Many a time, the stalker posts phone numbers or email address of the victim as willing to solicit sexual favours. The stalker even uses filthy and obscene language to incite the person.

Virus Dissemination:
Malicious software that attaches itself to other software. (virus, worms, Trojan Horse, Time bomb, Logic Bomb, Rabbit and Bacterium. These are malicious viruses

Phishing:
This is an act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs users to visit a website where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card details, social security and bank account numbers, already available to the legitimate organisation. The website, however, is bogus and set up only to steal user information.

Tips for adults, children and teens:
1. Do not give out identifying information such as name, home address, school name or telephone number in a chat room.
2. Do not send your photograph to any one on the Net without initially checking with the parent or guardian.
3. Do not respond to messages that are obscene or threatening.
4. Never arrange a meeting without informing your parents.
5. Remember that people online may not be who they seem to be
what you need to register a complaint
If you are a victim of hacking

Bring the following information:

• Server Logs
• Copy of defaced web page in soft copy as well as hard copy format, if your website is defaced
• If data is compromised on your server or computer or any other network equipment, keep a soft copy of original data and soft copy of compromised data.
• Access control mechanism details i.e. who had what kind of the access to the compromised system
• List of suspects - if the victim suspects anyone

If you're are a victim of e-mail abuse, vulgar e-mail;
Bring the following information-

• Extract the extended headers of the offending e-mail
• Bring a soft copy as well hard copy of the offending e-mail. Do not delete the offending e-mail from your inbox.
• Save the copy of the offending e-mail on your computer's hard drive.

Where to complain
Cyber Crime Investigation cell
Annex III, 1st floor, Office of the Mumbai Commissioner of Police,
DN Road, Mumbai 400001

How to safeguard yourself
1. Ensure your passwords have both letters and numbers, and are at least eight characters long. Avoid common words. Some hackers use programs that can try every word in the dictionary.
2. Don't use your personal information, your login name or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords
3. Don't share your passwords online or over the phone
4. Protect yourself from viruses by installing anti-virus software and updating it regularly
5. Use different passwords for different websites.
6. Send credit card information only to secure sites.

original article here

Recovering When Your Email is Hacked

It could happen to you. An unbelievable computer hoax that took many people by surprise. Investigators call it the 419 scam or the Nigerian scam.

Computer hackers find a way into your email accounts and send out hundreds of bogus messages saying. In this case, they say you are stranded in another country and need money.

It happened to our very own travel expert Sue McCarthy. She shared her story of getting her email and Facebook accounts straightened out.

original article here

Recovering When Your Email is Hacked

It could happen to you. An unbelievable computer hoax that took many people by surprise. Investigators call it the 419 scam or the Nigerian scam.

Computer hackers find a way into your email accounts and send out hundreds of bogus messages saying. In this case, they say you are stranded in another country and need money.

It happened to our very own travel expert Sue McCarthy. She shared her story of getting her email and Facebook accounts straightened out.

original article here

Hacker Jailed After Spying on Computer Users Using Their Own Cameras

A hacker spied on countless computer users by manipulating their home webcams.

Matthew Anderson, 33, is understood to have sent out 50million ‘spam’ emails containing an attachment for recipients to click on. All of those who did so – believed to be 200,000 – had their computer infected with a virus that left it effectively ‘enslaved’.

Anderson was then able to rifle through private files and saved photographs – and even switch on web cameras attached to the computers. At his leisure he then sat spying into the living rooms or bedrooms of strangers. The victims will have been completely unaware of his watching eyes.

When he was caught in a four-year police operation, officers found he had stored pictures and film of dozens of people in their own homes. Among clips was that of a 16-year-old girl bursting into tears when Anderson began changing words on her computer screen. He then gloated to a fellow hacker about tormenting her, revealing he had been using her webcam for hours, viewing her sisters, and lamenting the fact they were not naked.

Anderson was working in an international hacking gang called ‘m00p’ with at least three others. Only one other, from Finland, has been caught. He was jailed for 18 months today after pleading guilty to ‘unauthorised modification of computer systems’ at Southwark Crown Court in London. However, he is likely to serve just nine months. The court heard the father-of-five, who was born in Rochdale, carried out his crimes in the home of his mother Ruth, 54, in Banffshire, Scotland.

He claimed through his barrister that he joined online chatrooms after being left house-bound by panic attacks in his early 20s. Publicly he ran a computer security firm – offering to protect clients, ironically, from people like himself.

Simon Ward, defending, said Anderson was motivated by ‘the feeling of power that comes from the knowledge that you have control over something that others don’t know you have the control of’.

As well as private home computers, Anderson targeted the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, Oxford University and government computers. But he avoided military sources for fear of detection.

The ‘cutting edge’ software behind his virus has been ranked as among the best in the world.
Anderson was caught after the m00p gang was investigated jointly by Scotland Yard and Finnish authorities when a computer expert at John Radcliffe hospital raised concerns. Anderson was found to have profited by £12,000 by selling on to legitimate marketing firms email addresses harvested from computer address books.

But it was the webcams he used and the personal data, including nude photos and bank account details, which he had access to and copied that is particularly chilling. Investigating officer Detective Constable Bob Burls said Anderson’s initial spam emails typically told recipients they had a computer problem, and offered to fix it. When they clicked on the file, the hacker’s virus was let loose to hijack the computer, although it seemed to continue working normally. From his remote location he could record every word typed, or copy the computer screen at any time.

Anderson and his fellow gang members operated unhindered for years – with around one in 250 spam recipients being taken in.

During police monitoring, Anderson – who used online nicknames including warpig and, warpiglet – successfully enslaved 1,743 computers in just 90 minutes. His fellow gang members were known online as Kdoe, CraDle and Okasvi - with the last, real name Artturi Alm, being the only other hacker brought to justice when jailed in his native Finland two years ago.

Mr Burls said the hacker copied one victim’s will, website passwords, banking passwords.

original article here

Hacker Jailed After Spying on Computer Users Using Their Own Cameras

A hacker spied on countless computer users by manipulating their home webcams.

Matthew Anderson, 33, is understood to have sent out 50million ‘spam’ emails containing an attachment for recipients to click on. All of those who did so – believed to be 200,000 – had their computer infected with a virus that left it effectively ‘enslaved’.

Anderson was then able to rifle through private files and saved photographs – and even switch on web cameras attached to the computers. At his leisure he then sat spying into the living rooms or bedrooms of strangers. The victims will have been completely unaware of his watching eyes.

When he was caught in a four-year police operation, officers found he had stored pictures and film of dozens of people in their own homes. Among clips was that of a 16-year-old girl bursting into tears when Anderson began changing words on her computer screen. He then gloated to a fellow hacker about tormenting her, revealing he had been using her webcam for hours, viewing her sisters, and lamenting the fact they were not naked.

Anderson was working in an international hacking gang called ‘m00p’ with at least three others. Only one other, from Finland, has been caught. He was jailed for 18 months today after pleading guilty to ‘unauthorised modification of computer systems’ at Southwark Crown Court in London. However, he is likely to serve just nine months. The court heard the father-of-five, who was born in Rochdale, carried out his crimes in the home of his mother Ruth, 54, in Banffshire, Scotland.

He claimed through his barrister that he joined online chatrooms after being left house-bound by panic attacks in his early 20s. Publicly he ran a computer security firm – offering to protect clients, ironically, from people like himself.

Simon Ward, defending, said Anderson was motivated by ‘the feeling of power that comes from the knowledge that you have control over something that others don’t know you have the control of’.

As well as private home computers, Anderson targeted the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, Oxford University and government computers. But he avoided military sources for fear of detection.

The ‘cutting edge’ software behind his virus has been ranked as among the best in the world.
Anderson was caught after the m00p gang was investigated jointly by Scotland Yard and Finnish authorities when a computer expert at John Radcliffe hospital raised concerns. Anderson was found to have profited by £12,000 by selling on to legitimate marketing firms email addresses harvested from computer address books.

But it was the webcams he used and the personal data, including nude photos and bank account details, which he had access to and copied that is particularly chilling. Investigating officer Detective Constable Bob Burls said Anderson’s initial spam emails typically told recipients they had a computer problem, and offered to fix it. When they clicked on the file, the hacker’s virus was let loose to hijack the computer, although it seemed to continue working normally. From his remote location he could record every word typed, or copy the computer screen at any time.

Anderson and his fellow gang members operated unhindered for years – with around one in 250 spam recipients being taken in.

During police monitoring, Anderson – who used online nicknames including warpig and, warpiglet – successfully enslaved 1,743 computers in just 90 minutes. His fellow gang members were known online as Kdoe, CraDle and Okasvi - with the last, real name Artturi Alm, being the only other hacker brought to justice when jailed in his native Finland two years ago.

Mr Burls said the hacker copied one victim’s will, website passwords, banking passwords.

original article here

Estranged Husband Cyberstalks Then Kills Wife

Karen Kahler hired investigator to stop estranged husband from hacking family computer.

By Colleen Hogan

(Missouri, USA) Court documents reveal more about Karen Kahler's allegations that she suffered long-term abuse at the hands of her husband.

In cursive handwriting, Kahler wrote of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband and her fears that the situation would only get worse.

She wrote, "I'm afraid it will continue and possibly involve the kids when we do move out. He has forced himself on me, pushed me, man-handled me, now to the point of hurting me. I'm afraid it will escalate so far that someone is going to get seriously hurt."

Karen Kahler, her two daughters and grandmother were gunned down Saturday night in Kansas. Police say Kraig Kahler pulled the trigger. But even before that it appears he was stalking his wife in cyber space.

Karen hired an investigator from Columbia business Collectech back in July to keep her families computer safe after it appears her husband hacked into it, sending fake emails to try and slander his wife.

The deaths have left women's advocates more committed than ever to ending domestic abuse.

Barbara Hodges is the executive director of The Shelter in Columbia. She says stalking cases are hard to prosecute, especially cyber-stalking cases.

"There is probably a need for greater laws when it comes to cyber-crime because the technology is growing faster than laws can be passed,” said Hodges.

She also says abusive relationships are not limited to a certain segment of society. It's important to make sure you know the warning signs of abuse that can include a gradual need for control from a partner.

"Do they want to redirect your behaviors? If it's something that you do that's just a normal part of your life that is not harmful to anyone, it's just who you are, and they say, 'I don't want you to do that anymore,' said Hodges. “That leads to violence against the woman.”

A working safety plan is important for you and your family if you need to get out of a bad situation.

Two memorial services are planned 12/10/09 for the Kahler family. The first will be at Rock Bridge High School, where Emily graduated and Lauren attended this year from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Then, at 5:30 p.m., friends of Karen Kahler will gather at the Columbia Activity and Recreation Center where she worked as a personal trainer.

original article here

Estranged Husband Cyberstalks Then Kills Wife

Karen Kahler hired investigator to stop estranged husband from hacking family computer.

By Colleen Hogan

(Missouri, USA) Court documents reveal more about Karen Kahler's allegations that she suffered long-term abuse at the hands of her husband.

In cursive handwriting, Kahler wrote of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband and her fears that the situation would only get worse.

She wrote, "I'm afraid it will continue and possibly involve the kids when we do move out. He has forced himself on me, pushed me, man-handled me, now to the point of hurting me. I'm afraid it will escalate so far that someone is going to get seriously hurt."

Karen Kahler, her two daughters and grandmother were gunned down Saturday night in Kansas. Police say Kraig Kahler pulled the trigger. But even before that it appears he was stalking his wife in cyber space.

Karen hired an investigator from Columbia business Collectech back in July to keep her families computer safe after it appears her husband hacked into it, sending fake emails to try and slander his wife.

The deaths have left women's advocates more committed than ever to ending domestic abuse.

Barbara Hodges is the executive director of The Shelter in Columbia. She says stalking cases are hard to prosecute, especially cyber-stalking cases.

"There is probably a need for greater laws when it comes to cyber-crime because the technology is growing faster than laws can be passed,” said Hodges.

She also says abusive relationships are not limited to a certain segment of society. It's important to make sure you know the warning signs of abuse that can include a gradual need for control from a partner.

"Do they want to redirect your behaviors? If it's something that you do that's just a normal part of your life that is not harmful to anyone, it's just who you are, and they say, 'I don't want you to do that anymore,' said Hodges. “That leads to violence against the woman.”

A working safety plan is important for you and your family if you need to get out of a bad situation.

Two memorial services are planned 12/10/09 for the Kahler family. The first will be at Rock Bridge High School, where Emily graduated and Lauren attended this year from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Then, at 5:30 p.m., friends of Karen Kahler will gather at the Columbia Activity and Recreation Center where she worked as a personal trainer.

original article here

Facebook Helps Cybercrime Fighters in Case

School resource officers from across Alabama and the nation fielded complaints about an Internet extortionist badgering girls for nude pic­tures. Victims even created a Facebook page warning fe­males not to talk to the per­son with the username Meta­scape.

Metascape turned out to be Jonathan Vance, an Alabama man who made lewd cyber re­quests of 206 girls and young women and attempted to hack into and gain control of their e-mail, Facebook and MySpace accounts, federal authorities say. He was suc­cessful in at least 53 cases.

Johnathan Vance will serve 18 years in prison and then the rest of his life on probation as a sex offender.

Those complaints, includ­ing several from Birmingham-area high school students, sparked an investigation across state and federal juris­dictions. The groundbreaking case will be used as a tem­plate for cyber harassment cases and used to train law enforcement officials and prosecutors, federal authori­ties said.

This type of cybercrime is relatively new, and federal au­thorities said they know of no other case that comes close to the size of this one.

"We learned a lot from this case," said Assistant U.S. At­torney Daniel Fortune, who prosecuted the case. "We're going to use this case to edu­cate law enforcement, teach­ers, students and parents."

Vance, 24, of Auburn, was sentenced to 18 years in fed­eral prison last week after pleading guilty to several charges, including attempted production of child pornogra­phy and interstate extortion. Upon release Vance will have to report to a federal proba­tion officer for the rest of his life and register as a sex of­fender.

Only 53 victims agreed to cooperate in the investigation, authorities said. There likely are more victims authorities said they don't know about.

"The embarrassment factor was big in this case," said Dale Miskell, supervisory spe­cial agent for the FBI's cyber­crimes squad in Birmingham. "How can a girl go to her pa­rents and tell them what hap­pened? Even the adult victim didn't come forward until we contacted her."

Others either denied they were victims -- after being confronted with photographic evidence -- or simply refused to talk to investigators, For­tune said. Miskell said the FBI was able to identify the two minors and one adult who sent Vance nude pictures. There were four others agents were not able to identify. In some of the photos sent to Vance, authorities could not discern if the person was a minor and under what cir­cumstance Vance got the pho­tos.

'A difficult, unique case'
Authorities said from Janu­ary 2006 to June 2008, Vance targeted girls and women in Alabama, Pennsylvania and Missouri, ranging in age from 14 to 26. Miskell said the FBI got involved in the fall 2007 after a Hoover High School re­source officer reported a com­plaint he received from a stu­dent.

Starting with only a screen name, Miskell said, FBI agents were able to track down Vance. Vance eluded authori­ties for a while by changing screen names -- using as many as 10 -- after word got out about Metascape.

It took the cooperation of law enforcement and victims across several jurisdictions before the FBI pinned Vance as their man. "Tracking him down was complicated . . . This was really a difficult, unique case," Fortune said.

Vance lived with his grand­parents in Auburn. He was born to a teenage mother and was adopted by his grandpa­rents as a child, according to court records. He grew up be­lieving that his mother was his sister. He was active in his church -- Vance attended church with some of his vic­tims -- and sang in the choir.

Vance's defense lawyer, Tommy Spina, said in court records and at the sentencing hearing that Vance's austere upbringing might have led to his behavior.

Agents seized his computer in December 2007, but months later, Vance bought a laptop and his conduct esca­lated. He was arrested in July.

Court records show Vance gained control of his victims' Yahoo, Hotmail, Facebook and MySpace accounts using several means. In interviews with the FBI, Vance said he would contact his victims through instant messaging and pretend to be a friend or a relative. He persuaded some victims to give him their login and password information, saying he was locked out of his own Facebook, MySpace or e-mail account.

In more complicated in­stances, Vance hacked into his victims' e-mail accounts using information from public Face­book pages, which included information such as birth dates, the names of the vic­tims' schools and their home­towns. Password protection on the e-mail accounts would use standard questions such as ZIP code, date of birth or school mascot. Once Vance had control of an e-mail ac­count, he would go to Face­book, pretend he forgot the password and have Facebook send a link to the victims' compromised e-mail account.

Victim relieved
Vance threatened to expose embarrassing details he learned if he didn't get nude photos.

In court last week, Fortune read a letter from a 14-year-old girl who ex­pressed relief that Vance was behind bars. She said she knew that taking the nude photos was wrong, "but I just wanted my Facebook back."

Fortune said authorities passed on what they learned from Vance to programmers for the social networking sites and e-mail services. "I can't say it was as a direct result of this case, but their security questions are more sophisti­cated," Fortune said. "Face­book and Yahoo said they're going to reference this case for training purposes."

The case illustrates the need for parents to know what their children are doing, Mis­kell said.

"A lot of these kids have Fa­cebook without their parents knowing it," he said. "Parents really need to talk to their kids about this."

SOURCE

Facebook Helps Cybercrime Fighters in Case

School resource officers from across Alabama and the nation fielded complaints about an Internet extortionist badgering girls for nude pic­tures. Victims even created a Facebook page warning fe­males not to talk to the per­son with the username Meta­scape.

Metascape turned out to be Jonathan Vance, an Alabama man who made lewd cyber re­quests of 206 girls and young women and attempted to hack into and gain control of their e-mail, Facebook and MySpace accounts, federal authorities say. He was suc­cessful in at least 53 cases.

Johnathan Vance will serve 18 years in prison and then the rest of his life on probation as a sex offender.

Those complaints, includ­ing several from Birmingham-area high school students, sparked an investigation across state and federal juris­dictions. The groundbreaking case will be used as a tem­plate for cyber harassment cases and used to train law enforcement officials and prosecutors, federal authori­ties said.

This type of cybercrime is relatively new, and federal au­thorities said they know of no other case that comes close to the size of this one.

"We learned a lot from this case," said Assistant U.S. At­torney Daniel Fortune, who prosecuted the case. "We're going to use this case to edu­cate law enforcement, teach­ers, students and parents."

Vance, 24, of Auburn, was sentenced to 18 years in fed­eral prison last week after pleading guilty to several charges, including attempted production of child pornogra­phy and interstate extortion. Upon release Vance will have to report to a federal proba­tion officer for the rest of his life and register as a sex of­fender.

Only 53 victims agreed to cooperate in the investigation, authorities said. There likely are more victims authorities said they don't know about.

"The embarrassment factor was big in this case," said Dale Miskell, supervisory spe­cial agent for the FBI's cyber­crimes squad in Birmingham. "How can a girl go to her pa­rents and tell them what hap­pened? Even the adult victim didn't come forward until we contacted her."

Others either denied they were victims -- after being confronted with photographic evidence -- or simply refused to talk to investigators, For­tune said. Miskell said the FBI was able to identify the two minors and one adult who sent Vance nude pictures. There were four others agents were not able to identify. In some of the photos sent to Vance, authorities could not discern if the person was a minor and under what cir­cumstance Vance got the pho­tos.

'A difficult, unique case'
Authorities said from Janu­ary 2006 to June 2008, Vance targeted girls and women in Alabama, Pennsylvania and Missouri, ranging in age from 14 to 26. Miskell said the FBI got involved in the fall 2007 after a Hoover High School re­source officer reported a com­plaint he received from a stu­dent.

Starting with only a screen name, Miskell said, FBI agents were able to track down Vance. Vance eluded authori­ties for a while by changing screen names -- using as many as 10 -- after word got out about Metascape.

It took the cooperation of law enforcement and victims across several jurisdictions before the FBI pinned Vance as their man. "Tracking him down was complicated . . . This was really a difficult, unique case," Fortune said.

Vance lived with his grand­parents in Auburn. He was born to a teenage mother and was adopted by his grandpa­rents as a child, according to court records. He grew up be­lieving that his mother was his sister. He was active in his church -- Vance attended church with some of his vic­tims -- and sang in the choir.

Vance's defense lawyer, Tommy Spina, said in court records and at the sentencing hearing that Vance's austere upbringing might have led to his behavior.

Agents seized his computer in December 2007, but months later, Vance bought a laptop and his conduct esca­lated. He was arrested in July.

Court records show Vance gained control of his victims' Yahoo, Hotmail, Facebook and MySpace accounts using several means. In interviews with the FBI, Vance said he would contact his victims through instant messaging and pretend to be a friend or a relative. He persuaded some victims to give him their login and password information, saying he was locked out of his own Facebook, MySpace or e-mail account.

In more complicated in­stances, Vance hacked into his victims' e-mail accounts using information from public Face­book pages, which included information such as birth dates, the names of the vic­tims' schools and their home­towns. Password protection on the e-mail accounts would use standard questions such as ZIP code, date of birth or school mascot. Once Vance had control of an e-mail ac­count, he would go to Face­book, pretend he forgot the password and have Facebook send a link to the victims' compromised e-mail account.

Victim relieved
Vance threatened to expose embarrassing details he learned if he didn't get nude photos.

In court last week, Fortune read a letter from a 14-year-old girl who ex­pressed relief that Vance was behind bars. She said she knew that taking the nude photos was wrong, "but I just wanted my Facebook back."

Fortune said authorities passed on what they learned from Vance to programmers for the social networking sites and e-mail services. "I can't say it was as a direct result of this case, but their security questions are more sophisti­cated," Fortune said. "Face­book and Yahoo said they're going to reference this case for training purposes."

The case illustrates the need for parents to know what their children are doing, Mis­kell said.

"A lot of these kids have Fa­cebook without their parents knowing it," he said. "Parents really need to talk to their kids about this."

SOURCE