True Crime Online Newsletter - July 21, 2014
I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Eat your face: Selfie-toasters from the Vermont Novelty Toaster Corporation are real
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/07/1
"If you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself? I know I would! I'd cover myself in brown mustard and relish. I'd be delicious," – Will Ferrell as Cubs announcer Harry Caray. Ferrell/Caray's dream is now a reality thanks to Vermont Novelty Toaster Corporation, except people will have to settle for toast instead of hot dogs. The company has a new line of toasters that allow customers to take a selfie and then have that image burned onto a piece of toast, providing it's not too complicated. "You don't have to be famous or Jesus to have your face on toast!" the company says on its site. "Give us a hi rez photo of a face or pet and let our toast engineers create fun breakfast memories! We are good but remember fine detail is darn near impossible to achieve with heat and toast." The toasters retail for $75 and they ship free of charge. "I've been doing novelty toasters for four years now," company founder Galen Dively told ABC News. He came up with the selfie-toaster after cooking up a photo of his son. "It came out great," said Dively. "He loved it! And then he ate it."
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Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabuse.org
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NEWS TO USE AND PASS ALONG!
(DISCLAIMER: The following news items were found on the web and were not written or endorsed by WHO@; they are for informational purposes only)
Women arrested for shoplifting after posting Facebook selfie while wearing stolen dress - 07/21/14
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/07/2
An Illinois woman who allegedly stole a dress from a West Frankfort store was arrested after she posted a selfie of herself wearing the pilfered garment on Facebook. Danielle Saxton allegedly swiped a leopard-print dress from Mortie's Boutique and then posted four photos of herself wearing the ill-gotten garb just hours later. Saxton even made one of the snaps her profile picture.
Man accused of stalking and threatening to post 'revenge porn' online - 07/21/14
http://news.stv.tv/tayside/283375-stewa
A man is to stand trial accused of stalking a woman and threatening to post "revenge porn" pictures of her on the internet. Stewart Black is alleged to have bombarded the woman with phone calls, text messages and emails at addresses across Dundee.
Funny Facebook video scam leaves unamusing Trojan - 07/21/14
http://www.net-security.org/malware_new
A new funny video spreading on Facebook leaves a not-so-hilarious Trojan in its wake on users’ computers, according to research by Bitdefender. The malware, believed to originate from Albania, can access a large amount of data from the user’s internet browser.
Jilted lovers upload explicit pictures but police can't do anything - 07/20/14
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyl
The House of Lords will debate a change to the law that could make it an offence to publish a sexually explicit or pornographic image without consent With trembling hands, 21-year-old Hannah Thompson typed in the web address and hit enter.
Chromecast Leaves Local Wi-Fi Networks Open to Cracks - 07/20/14
http://vpncreative.net/2014/07/20/chrom
This week, security researcher and all-around prankster Dan Petro debuted his new Chromecast-pwning device labeled the “Rickmote” after the famous Rick Astley prank which plagued the Internet for years before everyone finally got themselves in on the joke and learned to be a little more careful the next time they opened an unrecognized link.
Indentifying cyber-criminals is No. 1 challenge, high-profile lawyer says - 07/19/14
http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/6
A hacker known as “Track2” helped steal more than 200,000 credit card numbers from small retailers across the United States and sold them online to other criminals for more than $2 million, according to a federal indictment. “This is a very, very famous hacker,” said Arkady Bukh , a Brooklyn-based defense attorney. “... That person deserves to be sentenced to a very, very long jail time. It's not a question.”
Ex-Fairfield official illegally posted 'scandal' videos - 07/19/14
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Cop
Another former top official at the Fairfield Housing Authority is facing criminal charges within less than two years. Michael L. Gurge, the FHA's former deputy director, was charged with second-degree harassment and fifth-degree computer crime for posting agency documents on YouTube under video headings of "Fairfield Housing Authority Scandal Part 1" and "Fairfield Housing Authority Scandal Part 2."
Palmdale kidnapping, assault actually a hoax - 07/19/14
http://abc7.com/news/palmdale-kidnappin
A call reporting a kidnapping in Palmdale early Saturday morning that resulted in a massive response by the sheriff's department turned out to be a hoax. An alleged woman called a sheriff's dispatcher at about midnight and said she had been kidnapped by two men, assaulted and then left at a Palmdale home.
17-year-old boy held in Gujarat for harassing woman via FB - 07/18/14
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-art
A 17-year-old boy made a desperate bid to extort Rs2,000 from a woman by portraying her as a prostitute on social media but fell flat on his face. The teenager residing in Gadhda village near Bhavanagar, 170 km from Ahmedabad, was arrested after the Surat-based woman’s husband, a doctor, complained to the police who collared the mischief-monger by tracing his cellphone number.
This Guy Is Cyberstalking the World's Cats in the Name of Privacy - 07/17/14
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-g
If you have posted a picture of your cat online, data analyst and artist Owen Mundy, and now, the rest of the world, knows where it lives. And, by that logic, he knows where you live, too. That should probably creep you out a little bit, and that's really the point. Developed by Mundy, I Know Where Your Cat Lives is meant as part art project, part wake up call to people to scrub their photos of the EXIF metadata stored on every photo you take.
Former St. Louis police officer pleads guilty to harassing a transgender man - 07/17/14
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/v
A former St. Louis police officer has pleaded guilty of harassing a transgender man by yelling slurs and posting a picture of his home and a gay pride flag on the Internet.
Police chief charged after signing tea party leader up on gay dating sites - 07/17/14
http://bringmethenews.com/2014/07/17/po
A western Wisconsin police chief is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly signing a tea party leader up on gay dating, pornography and federal health care websites. Town of Campbell Police Chief Tim Kelemen and La Crosse Tea Party leader Greg Luce have been at odds with each other since last fall.
The 16-Year-Old Girl Whose Rape Went Viral Is Reclaiming Her Power - 07/17/14
http://thinkprogress.org/health/20
Last week, images of 16-year-old Jada’s rape went viral on social media, as her peers mocked her unconscious body with the hashtag #Jadapose an act of cyberbullying that horrified Americans across the country. Since then, there’s been an outpouring of public support for Jada, who has taken control of the story and refused to let the online harassment silence her.
Lawyer accused of threatening foe in battle over French Quarter music - 07/17/14
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/ne
A lawyer at the center of efforts to draft stricter noise regulations for the French Quarter faces a misdemeanor charge after allegedly sending a threatening text message to the owner of a Bourbon Street strip club at the height of the battle over sound levels in the Quarter.
Stalking complaints up 60% in five years - 07/17/14
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-2833
Complaints of stalking in Devon and Cornwall have risen by more than 60% over the past five years, according to figures obtained by the BBC. There were more than 1,220 reports to police in 2013 - more than 100 a month. That was up from 753 in 2009, according to a response under the Freedom of Information Act. The figures also showed prosecutions related to stalking had gone up by about 50% in the last five years, from 236 in 2009 to 354 last year.
Bus company owner charged with online harassment - 07/16/14
http://www.paxtonrecord.net/news/c
The owner of a local bus company has been charged in northern Illinois after allegedly harassing a customer online. Highland Park Deputy Police Chief George Pfutzenreuter said Suburban Express owner Dennis Toeppen is due in Lake County court on Aug. 1 on two charges of electronic harassment.
Google Drops Its ‘Real Name’ Policy, but Has Plans to Stomp Out ‘Wretched Hive of Scum’ Internet Trolls - 07/16/14
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/20
“Over the years … we steadily opened up this policy … Today, we are taking the last step: there are no more restrictions on what name you can use,” Yonatan Zunger, chief architect at Google+, said in a blog post. Privacy advocates had petitioned the company for years, insisting the restrictions on false names especially harmed “marginalized” society members, such as rape survivors or victims of stalking, who want to remain anonymous but still yearn to get a message out to hungry audiences who could share in their life lessons.
Male nurse, 57, 'bought an axe from Homebase and went to Eurostar terminal to meet 14-year-old girl he planned to have sex with, kill and eat' - 07/16/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar
A nurse told a 14-year-old girl he planned to kill and eat her as he groomed her for sex online, a court heard. Dale Bolinger, 57, even went to a local DIY shop and bought an axe the day before he was due to meet his victim. But she did not turn up and he was arrested after his sick boasts were discovered by investigators on a sinister internet chat room.
I Quit Social Media For a Week: Here’s What Happened - 07/15/14
http://stylecaster.com/i-quit-social-me
One week ago, I decided to make a pretty epic decision by today’s standards: I was going to quit social media for seven days. There were a number of factors influencing my decision, but mainly I was feeling overwhelmed with my social media habits and thought it would be useful and interesting to take a step back. Some of the results were expected (reaching for my phone every few minutes in the beginning), but there were a few pleasantly surprising realizations as well.
Ex-rated: The total scandal of revenge porn - 07/15/14
http://www.independent.ie/life/exr
Break-ups are tough. There's the pain of accepting the relationship isn't working, the awkward return of keys, clothes, albums and box-sets, and, for some, the worrying question of what happens to items of a more personal nature. In today's digital world it shouldn't be surprising that more couples are bringing technology into the bedroom, using mobile phones for sexy selfies and iPads to record intimate moments.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/07/1
"If you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself? I know I would! I'd cover myself in brown mustard and relish. I'd be delicious," – Will Ferrell as Cubs announcer Harry Caray. Ferrell/Caray's dream is now a reality thanks to Vermont Novelty Toaster Corporation, except people will have to settle for toast instead of hot dogs. The company has a new line of toasters that allow customers to take a selfie and then have that image burned onto a piece of toast, providing it's not too complicated. "You don't have to be famous or Jesus to have your face on toast!" the company says on its site. "Give us a hi rez photo of a face or pet and let our toast engineers create fun breakfast memories! We are good but remember fine detail is darn near impossible to achieve with heat and toast." The toasters retail for $75 and they ship free of charge. "I've been doing novelty toasters for four years now," company founder Galen Dively told ABC News. He came up with the selfie-toaster after cooking up a photo of his son. "It came out great," said Dively. "He loved it! And then he ate it."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabuse.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NEWS TO USE AND PASS ALONG!
(DISCLAIMER: The following news items were found on the web and were not written or endorsed by WHO@; they are for informational purposes only)
Women arrested for shoplifting after posting Facebook selfie while wearing stolen dress - 07/21/14
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/07/2
An Illinois woman who allegedly stole a dress from a West Frankfort store was arrested after she posted a selfie of herself wearing the pilfered garment on Facebook. Danielle Saxton allegedly swiped a leopard-print dress from Mortie's Boutique and then posted four photos of herself wearing the ill-gotten garb just hours later. Saxton even made one of the snaps her profile picture.
Man accused of stalking and threatening to post 'revenge porn' online - 07/21/14
http://news.stv.tv/tayside/283375-stewa
A man is to stand trial accused of stalking a woman and threatening to post "revenge porn" pictures of her on the internet. Stewart Black is alleged to have bombarded the woman with phone calls, text messages and emails at addresses across Dundee.
Funny Facebook video scam leaves unamusing Trojan - 07/21/14
http://www.net-security.org/malware_new
A new funny video spreading on Facebook leaves a not-so-hilarious Trojan in its wake on users’ computers, according to research by Bitdefender. The malware, believed to originate from Albania, can access a large amount of data from the user’s internet browser.
Jilted lovers upload explicit pictures but police can't do anything - 07/20/14
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyl
The House of Lords will debate a change to the law that could make it an offence to publish a sexually explicit or pornographic image without consent With trembling hands, 21-year-old Hannah Thompson typed in the web address and hit enter.
Chromecast Leaves Local Wi-Fi Networks Open to Cracks - 07/20/14
http://vpncreative.net/2014/07/20/chrom
This week, security researcher and all-around prankster Dan Petro debuted his new Chromecast-pwning device labeled the “Rickmote” after the famous Rick Astley prank which plagued the Internet for years before everyone finally got themselves in on the joke and learned to be a little more careful the next time they opened an unrecognized link.
Indentifying cyber-criminals is No. 1 challenge, high-profile lawyer says - 07/19/14
http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/6
A hacker known as “Track2” helped steal more than 200,000 credit card numbers from small retailers across the United States and sold them online to other criminals for more than $2 million, according to a federal indictment. “This is a very, very famous hacker,” said Arkady Bukh , a Brooklyn-based defense attorney. “... That person deserves to be sentenced to a very, very long jail time. It's not a question.”
Ex-Fairfield official illegally posted 'scandal' videos - 07/19/14
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Cop
Another former top official at the Fairfield Housing Authority is facing criminal charges within less than two years. Michael L. Gurge, the FHA's former deputy director, was charged with second-degree harassment and fifth-degree computer crime for posting agency documents on YouTube under video headings of "Fairfield Housing Authority Scandal Part 1" and "Fairfield Housing Authority Scandal Part 2."
Palmdale kidnapping, assault actually a hoax - 07/19/14
http://abc7.com/news/palmdale-kidnappin
A call reporting a kidnapping in Palmdale early Saturday morning that resulted in a massive response by the sheriff's department turned out to be a hoax. An alleged woman called a sheriff's dispatcher at about midnight and said she had been kidnapped by two men, assaulted and then left at a Palmdale home.
17-year-old boy held in Gujarat for harassing woman via FB - 07/18/14
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-art
A 17-year-old boy made a desperate bid to extort Rs2,000 from a woman by portraying her as a prostitute on social media but fell flat on his face. The teenager residing in Gadhda village near Bhavanagar, 170 km from Ahmedabad, was arrested after the Surat-based woman’s husband, a doctor, complained to the police who collared the mischief-monger by tracing his cellphone number.
This Guy Is Cyberstalking the World's Cats in the Name of Privacy - 07/17/14
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-g
If you have posted a picture of your cat online, data analyst and artist Owen Mundy, and now, the rest of the world, knows where it lives. And, by that logic, he knows where you live, too. That should probably creep you out a little bit, and that's really the point. Developed by Mundy, I Know Where Your Cat Lives is meant as part art project, part wake up call to people to scrub their photos of the EXIF metadata stored on every photo you take.
Former St. Louis police officer pleads guilty to harassing a transgender man - 07/17/14
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/v
A former St. Louis police officer has pleaded guilty of harassing a transgender man by yelling slurs and posting a picture of his home and a gay pride flag on the Internet.
Police chief charged after signing tea party leader up on gay dating sites - 07/17/14
http://bringmethenews.com/2014/07/17/po
A western Wisconsin police chief is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly signing a tea party leader up on gay dating, pornography and federal health care websites. Town of Campbell Police Chief Tim Kelemen and La Crosse Tea Party leader Greg Luce have been at odds with each other since last fall.
The 16-Year-Old Girl Whose Rape Went Viral Is Reclaiming Her Power - 07/17/14
http://thinkprogress.org/health/20
Last week, images of 16-year-old Jada’s rape went viral on social media, as her peers mocked her unconscious body with the hashtag #Jadapose an act of cyberbullying that horrified Americans across the country. Since then, there’s been an outpouring of public support for Jada, who has taken control of the story and refused to let the online harassment silence her.
Lawyer accused of threatening foe in battle over French Quarter music - 07/17/14
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/ne
A lawyer at the center of efforts to draft stricter noise regulations for the French Quarter faces a misdemeanor charge after allegedly sending a threatening text message to the owner of a Bourbon Street strip club at the height of the battle over sound levels in the Quarter.
Stalking complaints up 60% in five years - 07/17/14
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-2833
Complaints of stalking in Devon and Cornwall have risen by more than 60% over the past five years, according to figures obtained by the BBC. There were more than 1,220 reports to police in 2013 - more than 100 a month. That was up from 753 in 2009, according to a response under the Freedom of Information Act. The figures also showed prosecutions related to stalking had gone up by about 50% in the last five years, from 236 in 2009 to 354 last year.
Bus company owner charged with online harassment - 07/16/14
http://www.paxtonrecord.net/news/c
The owner of a local bus company has been charged in northern Illinois after allegedly harassing a customer online. Highland Park Deputy Police Chief George Pfutzenreuter said Suburban Express owner Dennis Toeppen is due in Lake County court on Aug. 1 on two charges of electronic harassment.
Google Drops Its ‘Real Name’ Policy, but Has Plans to Stomp Out ‘Wretched Hive of Scum’ Internet Trolls - 07/16/14
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/20
“Over the years … we steadily opened up this policy … Today, we are taking the last step: there are no more restrictions on what name you can use,” Yonatan Zunger, chief architect at Google+, said in a blog post. Privacy advocates had petitioned the company for years, insisting the restrictions on false names especially harmed “marginalized” society members, such as rape survivors or victims of stalking, who want to remain anonymous but still yearn to get a message out to hungry audiences who could share in their life lessons.
Male nurse, 57, 'bought an axe from Homebase and went to Eurostar terminal to meet 14-year-old girl he planned to have sex with, kill and eat' - 07/16/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar
A nurse told a 14-year-old girl he planned to kill and eat her as he groomed her for sex online, a court heard. Dale Bolinger, 57, even went to a local DIY shop and bought an axe the day before he was due to meet his victim. But she did not turn up and he was arrested after his sick boasts were discovered by investigators on a sinister internet chat room.
I Quit Social Media For a Week: Here’s What Happened - 07/15/14
http://stylecaster.com/i-quit-social-me
One week ago, I decided to make a pretty epic decision by today’s standards: I was going to quit social media for seven days. There were a number of factors influencing my decision, but mainly I was feeling overwhelmed with my social media habits and thought it would be useful and interesting to take a step back. Some of the results were expected (reaching for my phone every few minutes in the beginning), but there were a few pleasantly surprising realizations as well.
Ex-rated: The total scandal of revenge porn - 07/15/14
http://www.independent.ie/life/exr
Break-ups are tough. There's the pain of accepting the relationship isn't working, the awkward return of keys, clothes, albums and box-sets, and, for some, the worrying question of what happens to items of a more personal nature. In today's digital world it shouldn't be surprising that more couples are bringing technology into the bedroom, using mobile phones for sexy selfies and iPads to record intimate moments.
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