Net Crimes & Misdemeanors: Outmaneuvering Web Spammers, Stalkers, and Con Artists

497 Pages·2001·7.13 MB·English

by  Graeme Browning

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Net Crimes &
Misdemeanors
ii
“J. A. Hitchcock uses her own experience as the victim of a cyberstalker to help
others avoid the very real problems of online crime.”
—St. Petersburg Times
“Hitchcock thoughtfully discusses every major type of online crime,including
identity theft,credit card fraud,cyber stalking,and harassment. Each chapter is
cleverly structured,beginning with the presentation of a cyber crime topic and then
illustrating that topic with actual case examples.”
—Journal of High Technology Law
“Net Crimes & Misdemeanorsconveys,in clear and direct language,what to do
when faced with electronic attacks,online opportunists,and con artists. ... Each
chapter gives the reader strategies and places to go for help.”
—Business Information Alert
“From protecting children whilst on the Net,staying safe in the workplace or uni-
versity,to using sensible measures to protect your PC from viruses and hackers ...
the book is a must-see for anyone using the Internet.”
—NewLibrary World
“While the crimes keepthe reader glued to the book (I did not put it down until I
reached the end),its real value lies in its advice for current victims,as well as for
those who want to better protect themselves online.”
—The Virtual Chase
“The language is nontechnical and explanatory. There are numerous interviews and
other primary data,illustrating or providing examples for various points ... This
reviewer learned something new from almost every chapter.”
—Journal of Academic Librarianship
“Amust-read ... if you are victimized,or know someone who has been,the
resources and advice provided in this book will prove invaluable.”
—Online Magazine
“Filled with easy-to-understand tips and techniques about what to do about junk
e-mail,invasion of privacy,financial schemes and scams,cyberstalking,and the
dreaded identity theft ... a valuable reference resource in any type of library setting ...”
—Journal of Hospital Librarianship
“The writing is clear and aimed at the nontechnical Internet user,with a glossary
defining technical terms ... Internet usersshould takethe advice Jayne Hitchcock
gives and stop themselves from becoming victims in the first place.”
—FreePint
“Reporters are only as good as their best sources. I wouldn’t think of preparing a
story on the latest Internet consumer scam without first calling J. A. Hitchcock.”
—Paul Wenske,Kansas City Star
“Filled with real-world examples,hard advice,and Web pointers. An eye opener for
those who think the Internet is only a virtual world.”
—Vint Cerf
“If you ever find yourself being harassed online,get Net Crimes & Misdemeanors.”
—AuctionBytes.com
“Must Read!!!!!”
—Today’s Books
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Net Crimes &
Misdemeanors
Outmaneuvering Web Spammers,
Stalkers, and Con Artists
Second Edition
By J. A. Hitchcock
Edited by Loraine Page
Medford, New Jersey
iv
First printing,2006
Net Crimes & Misdemeanors:Outmaneuvering Web Spammers,Stalkers,and
Con Artists,Second Edition
Copyright ©2006 by J. A. Hitchcock
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems
without permission in writing from the publisher,except by a reviewer,who may quote
brief passages in a review. Published by CyberAge Books,an imprint of Information
Today,Inc.,143 Old Marlton Pike,Medford,New Jersey 08055.
Publisher’s Note:The author and publisher have taken care in preparation of this book
but make no expressed or implied warranty of any kind and assume no responsibility for
errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for incidental or consequential damages in
connection with or arising out of the use of the information or programs contained herein.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their
products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book
and Information Today,Inc. was aware of a trademark claim,the designations have
been printed with initial capital letters.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hitchcock,Jayne A.
Net crimes & misdemeanors :outmaneuvering web spammers,stalkers,and
con artists / J. A. Hitchcock ; edited by Loraine Page.-- 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-910965-72-2
1. Computer crimes. 2. Computer crimes--Prevention. I. Page,Loraine,1952-
II. Title.
HV6773 .H575 2002
364.16’8--dc22
2006006218
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
President and CEO:Thomas H. Hogan,Sr.
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher:John B. Bryans
Managing Editor:Amy M. Reeve
Cover Design:Michele Quinn
Book Design:Kara Mia Jalkowski
Copy Editor:Dorothy Pike
Proofreader:PatHadley-Miller
Indexer:Sharon Hughes
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Dedication
To my husband, Chris, who has never wavered in his support for
me during the ups and downs of my cyberstalking case,who has been
my biggest cheerleader when the going got tough, who has put up
with my getting laws passed,traveling the world training law enforce-
ment and doing speaking engagements, being interviewed by the
media many, many times, and who has endured my writing of this
book past dinnertime more often than not. You’re the best, hon!
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Table of Contents
Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Sidebars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii
Foreword, by Vint Cerf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxv
About the Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxix
Introduction
You Can Be Safe Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1
Cyberstalking Happened to Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 2
Words Can Hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Springtime for Stalkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
I Am Not a Terrorist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Nina’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Andy’s Houseguest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
“I’m Your Worst Nightmare” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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viii Net Crimes & Misdemeanors
What You Should Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Will It Stop? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chapter 3
Spam Not in a Can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
The Green Card Spam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Spam I Am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Usenet Spammers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to Tell If It’s Spam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
The Difference Between Spam and Harassment . . . . 52
Fighting Spam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
The Future of Spam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter 4
Urban Legends and Hoaxes:
Can They Possibly Be True? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
The David Allen Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The E-Mail Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Free Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Top 10 Urban Legends/Hoaxes/Chain Letters . . . 69
Educate Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Chapter 5
Scams, Safe Shopping, and Online Banking . . . . 77
Credit Card Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Online Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
How the Government Helps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Online Banking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Table of Contents ix
Chapter 6
Auction Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Phony Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
You’ve Got Mail from eBay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
“Reverse” Auction Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The Flip Side of Auctions:
Scamming the Scammer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Chapter 7
Gone Phishing: Nigerian Scams and More . . . . 117
Nigerians Go Phishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
A Brief History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
A Simple Scam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Another Phishing Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Chapter 8
Where the Heartache Is: Adoption Fraud . . . . 139
Trusting Sonya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Daughter for Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
The Internet Twins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Chapter 9
Cases of Stolen Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Another Kind of Identity Theft: No Parking . . . . . . . 150
Chapter 10
Your Personal Life Exposed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Askance Romance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Sorry, Wrong Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Lawmakers Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159