WHO@ Newsletter - August 23, 2010
I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Stupid robber
Doh! Upstate NY bank robber forgets to put on mask
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100821/ap_
Note to would-be bank robbers: when robbing a bank, be sure to put on your mask. Police said a robbery suspect had a dust mask around his neck but didn't pull it over his face when he walked into an HSBC branch Wednesday afternoon in the town of Eden, 15 miles south of Buffalo.
The bank's surveillance video shows the man walking into the bank and handing a teller a note that police said demanded money. The video also shows a dust mask that remains hanging around the man's neck.
While handing the note to the teller, the man answers his cell phone, then grabs the note and runs out of the bank.
Police speculate that the call came from the suspect's get-away driver, alerting him that he forgot to put on his mask.
The suspect remains at large.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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)
Beating the bullying problem - 08/23/10
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Defau
As 55-million children head back to school, thousands of unsuspecting students will encounter bullies -- so the Department of Education is taking steps to confront the growing trend.
Many students learn every year that the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is anything but true. So hundreds of school administrators and teachers from across the U.S. recently gathered in Washington, DC, to study methods that could cut down on the issue. They recognize that bullying has evolved from name-calling to methods like cyber-stalking through social networking sites, physical abuse, and intimidation.
Electronic Frontier Foundation warns of Epersonation Bill - 08/23/10
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/new
ONLINE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has warned that a bill working its way through the California legislature will make it a crime to impersonate someone online in order to "harm" that person. The law will make it illegal to create a Facebook or Twitter account with someone else's name, and then use that account to embarrass that person.
TalkTalk defends website spying - 08/23/10
http://www.techeye.net/internet/talktal
TalkTalk has today issued a statement defending its recent action of spying on customers, reiterating its assertion that its website tracker is only part of its anti-malware program, not an attempt to invade users' privacy. It said that its approach is designed to make the internet “a safer place”, scanning the URLs of websites visited and comparing them to a database of threats, allowing TalkTalk to block such threats before customers engage them.
Guess who's stalking you on the Web? - 08/23/10
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/intern
Asha (name changed), a 14-year-old student, befriended a stranger on one of the social networking sites a few months ago without realising that her innocent move could land her in trouble. When she decided to meet her cyber-chat friend in person, she was abducted, only to be released after her parents paid a ransom.
Software searches for faces online - 08/23/10
http://www.tgdaily.com/software-feature
A new program will soon be released which can scan social networks for pictures of particular individuals. Israeli company face.com has been testing a product which works by scanning a face and matching the relative positions of eyes, nose and mouth to photos that it reckons could be of the same person. It's claimed to have 90 percent accuracy.
'Ex-blocker' helps during those crazy post-breakup days - 08/22/10
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dl
While we used to simply look through old photos or listen to sappy love songs after a break-up, we can now spend hours online, scrolling through old memories, or more importantly, checking up on what new memories our ex may be creating post-"us."
Facebook revenge plot nets 6-month sentence - 08/22/10
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/s
A young Winnipeg man's plot to seek revenge on his ex-girlfriend by posting explicit photos of the teen on Facebook has netted him a six-month jail term for distributing child pornography. The 18-year-old was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in July to the child-pornography charge and another allegation of criminal harassment.
Facebook could be your downfall! - 08/22/10
http://www.stuckon.co.uk/facebook-c
If you were to ask a physicist what the most abundant material was in the universe, he or she would put down their pipe (because female physicists also smoke pipes, fact), pick absentmindedly at the Sellotape holding their glasses together and proclaim ‘Hydrogen’. They would then talk at great length how the element is the answer to our impending energy woes, and the key to unlocking interplanetary travel, and thereafter, the stars.
Judge declares accused stalker incompetent for trial; prosecutors say they'll drop charges - 08/22/10
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/08/judge_d
A Florida man accused of stalking a Daphne woman on the Internet and showing up at her house one day last year is mentally unfit to stand trial, a federal judge in Mobile ruled last week. With that ruling and the likelihood that Jeremy Lee Taff would have found not guilty by reason of insanity if he ever did go to trial prosecutors indicated they would ask a judge to dismiss the charges.
Cyber stalking: Loopholes abound - 08/22/10
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/fea
When a department head with a technology firm in Bangalore, wanted to repeatedly meet up with a female subordinate outside work, but was frustrated in his attempts, he decided to play nasty. He posted intimate chat conversations which the object of his obsession had with her boyfriend on various social networking sites, and splattered the text with obscene, doctored images of the lady.
Those facing a bad rep online are looking to strike back - 08/22/10
http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/t
Some people with bad “online reputations” are hitting the undo button. Those who’ve been slandered online or a embarrassing moments caught on the web are taking their cyber lives into their own hands by hiring attorneys, detectives and online “reputation managers” to clean up the dirt.
The price of being plugged into the digital age - 08/21/10
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/p
My friend Nicki Jenish's daughter Rachael is a pretty and athletic 14-year-old with plenty of friends, a huge smile -- and a major addiction that's costing hundreds of dollars and causing huge family arguments. At least that's the story her mother tells.
Baboon on the loose? Girl starts false frenzy -08/21/10
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100821/ap_
Police in the St. Louis suburb of Florissant spent a big part of the day looking for a baboon on the loose. A grade school went into lockdown. A woman scattered potato chips on the ground and made monkey sounds to try and lure the primate. But in the end, a 14-year-old girl admitted it was all a hoax after the picture she claimed to have snapped proved to be one she actually found on the Internet.
CyberStalking Easier Than You Think? - 08/20/10
http://wbztv.com/local/geotag.cell.phon
Sending a picture to the web from your smartphone is easy and convenient, but what you don't see can be the most revealing part. Embedded inside several smartphones is a geotag feature which can reveal the exact location of pictures you post online and much more.
He Met Women on Craigslist, Then Harassed Them: Cops - 08/20/10
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-be
When Randall Mason’s girlfriend ended their relationship, the harassing calls began, police said. The threats led the victim to being fired and led police to capture a man they believe is a serial harasser. The Greenwich woman called police in July and they soon determined that Mason, 28, had a history of meeting women on Craigslist. When they ended the relationship, he would harass them, the Greenwich Time reports. Police believe there are at least six victims, mostly in Connecticut and New York.
Trial date set for College Place woman in cyberstalking, threats - 08/19/10
http://union-bulletin.com/stories/2
A College Place woman is scheduled to stand trial in November for allegedly sending e-mails threatening to kill local judges and a state Supreme Court justice two years ago, as well as stalking her former boyfriend and stealing his identity.
Know the laws before you make mistakes - 08/19/10
http://www.centredaily.com/2010/08/19/2
About 4,000 students every year get more from their time at Penn State than just a diploma. They leave with a notation of discipline on their transcript often accompanied by a criminal record that can haunt them as they apply for jobs, apartments, loans or grad school. Some of those co-eds are even worse off. Their education gets derailed before they get their degrees by jail or disciplinary expulsion.
Comprehensive Internet law pushed - 08/19/10
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/273203/co
Senator Edgardo Angara Thursday pushed for a comprehensive Internet law in the Philippines to curb the rising incidence of online-related crimes in the country. Angara, chair of the Senate committee on Education, Arts and Culture, said recent studies have shown that a number of crimes and other forms of violations committed over the Internet are rapidly increasing, thus, a stringent law should be crafted that would give heavy penalties to “cybercriminals.”
Oshkosh teen, Joshua J. Cheek, faces charges in another e-mail bomb threat - 08/19/10
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/201
An Oshkosh teen accused of making bomb threats to three downtown buildings earlier this year is now facing an additional criminal charge. Joshua J. Cheek, 19, was charged in Winnebago County Circuit Court Tuesday with a single count of bomb scares, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of three years, six months in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Addicted Gamer Sues Game-Maker, Says He is ‘Unable to Function’ - 08/19/10
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/0
A federal judge is allowing a negligence lawsuit to proceed against the publisher of the online virtual-world game Lineage II, amid allegations that a Hawaii man became so addicted he is “unable to function independently in usual daily activities such as getting up, getting dressed, bathing or communicating with family and friends.”
Columbia Business School Grad Files Lawsuit Over YouTube Comment - 08/18/10
http://www.reelseo.com/columbia-busines
Can you sue someone for writing an ugly YouTube comment about you? One woman is about to find out. Her name is Carla Franklin, and she is a former model who holds degrees from Duke and Columbia universities, and she’s filed paperwork to attempt to force Googlewhich owns YouTubeto reveal the identity of the offending comment’s author.
Shamebook: Should Cops Use Facebook to Publicize the Accused? - 08/18/10
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/m
In February 2010, New Jersey's Evesham Township Police Department joined Facebook. Like most new members of the social network, it posted its contact and personal information, linked out to some of its favorite sites, and began writing updates about daily events in its community.
Craigslist police blotter: Bryan pastor in gay sex scandal; Azle man faces charges over fake ad - 08/17/10
http://www.dallasvoice.com/craiglist-po
While we’re on the subject of hookup site-related crime stories in Texas, we’ve got two more to tell you about. One involves a 51-year-old closeted church pastor from Bryan who’s accused of meeting other men online and forcing them to have sex with him. According to KBXT.com, Pastor George Randall Scott resigned from the Bethel Temple Church, where he had served since 1990, following his arrest last Tuesday.
Doh! Upstate NY bank robber forgets to put on mask
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100821/ap_
Note to would-be bank robbers: when robbing a bank, be sure to put on your mask. Police said a robbery suspect had a dust mask around his neck but didn't pull it over his face when he walked into an HSBC branch Wednesday afternoon in the town of Eden, 15 miles south of Buffalo.
The bank's surveillance video shows the man walking into the bank and handing a teller a note that police said demanded money. The video also shows a dust mask that remains hanging around the man's neck.
While handing the note to the teller, the man answers his cell phone, then grabs the note and runs out of the bank.
Police speculate that the call came from the suspect's get-away driver, alerting him that he forgot to put on his mask.
The suspect remains at large.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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)
Beating the bullying problem - 08/23/10
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Defau
As 55-million children head back to school, thousands of unsuspecting students will encounter bullies -- so the Department of Education is taking steps to confront the growing trend.
Many students learn every year that the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is anything but true. So hundreds of school administrators and teachers from across the U.S. recently gathered in Washington, DC, to study methods that could cut down on the issue. They recognize that bullying has evolved from name-calling to methods like cyber-stalking through social networking sites, physical abuse, and intimidation.
Electronic Frontier Foundation warns of Epersonation Bill - 08/23/10
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/new
ONLINE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has warned that a bill working its way through the California legislature will make it a crime to impersonate someone online in order to "harm" that person. The law will make it illegal to create a Facebook or Twitter account with someone else's name, and then use that account to embarrass that person.
TalkTalk defends website spying - 08/23/10
http://www.techeye.net/internet/talktal
TalkTalk has today issued a statement defending its recent action of spying on customers, reiterating its assertion that its website tracker is only part of its anti-malware program, not an attempt to invade users' privacy. It said that its approach is designed to make the internet “a safer place”, scanning the URLs of websites visited and comparing them to a database of threats, allowing TalkTalk to block such threats before customers engage them.
Guess who's stalking you on the Web? - 08/23/10
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/intern
Asha (name changed), a 14-year-old student, befriended a stranger on one of the social networking sites a few months ago without realising that her innocent move could land her in trouble. When she decided to meet her cyber-chat friend in person, she was abducted, only to be released after her parents paid a ransom.
Software searches for faces online - 08/23/10
http://www.tgdaily.com/software-feature
A new program will soon be released which can scan social networks for pictures of particular individuals. Israeli company face.com has been testing a product which works by scanning a face and matching the relative positions of eyes, nose and mouth to photos that it reckons could be of the same person. It's claimed to have 90 percent accuracy.
'Ex-blocker' helps during those crazy post-breakup days - 08/22/10
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dl
While we used to simply look through old photos or listen to sappy love songs after a break-up, we can now spend hours online, scrolling through old memories, or more importantly, checking up on what new memories our ex may be creating post-"us."
Facebook revenge plot nets 6-month sentence - 08/22/10
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/s
A young Winnipeg man's plot to seek revenge on his ex-girlfriend by posting explicit photos of the teen on Facebook has netted him a six-month jail term for distributing child pornography. The 18-year-old was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in July to the child-pornography charge and another allegation of criminal harassment.
Facebook could be your downfall! - 08/22/10
http://www.stuckon.co.uk/facebook-c
If you were to ask a physicist what the most abundant material was in the universe, he or she would put down their pipe (because female physicists also smoke pipes, fact), pick absentmindedly at the Sellotape holding their glasses together and proclaim ‘Hydrogen’. They would then talk at great length how the element is the answer to our impending energy woes, and the key to unlocking interplanetary travel, and thereafter, the stars.
Judge declares accused stalker incompetent for trial; prosecutors say they'll drop charges - 08/22/10
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/08/judge_d
A Florida man accused of stalking a Daphne woman on the Internet and showing up at her house one day last year is mentally unfit to stand trial, a federal judge in Mobile ruled last week. With that ruling and the likelihood that Jeremy Lee Taff would have found not guilty by reason of insanity if he ever did go to trial prosecutors indicated they would ask a judge to dismiss the charges.
Cyber stalking: Loopholes abound - 08/22/10
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/fea
When a department head with a technology firm in Bangalore, wanted to repeatedly meet up with a female subordinate outside work, but was frustrated in his attempts, he decided to play nasty. He posted intimate chat conversations which the object of his obsession had with her boyfriend on various social networking sites, and splattered the text with obscene, doctored images of the lady.
Those facing a bad rep online are looking to strike back - 08/22/10
http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/t
Some people with bad “online reputations” are hitting the undo button. Those who’ve been slandered online or a embarrassing moments caught on the web are taking their cyber lives into their own hands by hiring attorneys, detectives and online “reputation managers” to clean up the dirt.
The price of being plugged into the digital age - 08/21/10
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/p
My friend Nicki Jenish's daughter Rachael is a pretty and athletic 14-year-old with plenty of friends, a huge smile -- and a major addiction that's costing hundreds of dollars and causing huge family arguments. At least that's the story her mother tells.
Baboon on the loose? Girl starts false frenzy -08/21/10
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100821/ap_
Police in the St. Louis suburb of Florissant spent a big part of the day looking for a baboon on the loose. A grade school went into lockdown. A woman scattered potato chips on the ground and made monkey sounds to try and lure the primate. But in the end, a 14-year-old girl admitted it was all a hoax after the picture she claimed to have snapped proved to be one she actually found on the Internet.
CyberStalking Easier Than You Think? - 08/20/10
http://wbztv.com/local/geotag.cell.phon
Sending a picture to the web from your smartphone is easy and convenient, but what you don't see can be the most revealing part. Embedded inside several smartphones is a geotag feature which can reveal the exact location of pictures you post online and much more.
He Met Women on Craigslist, Then Harassed Them: Cops - 08/20/10
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-be
When Randall Mason’s girlfriend ended their relationship, the harassing calls began, police said. The threats led the victim to being fired and led police to capture a man they believe is a serial harasser. The Greenwich woman called police in July and they soon determined that Mason, 28, had a history of meeting women on Craigslist. When they ended the relationship, he would harass them, the Greenwich Time reports. Police believe there are at least six victims, mostly in Connecticut and New York.
Trial date set for College Place woman in cyberstalking, threats - 08/19/10
http://union-bulletin.com/stories/2
A College Place woman is scheduled to stand trial in November for allegedly sending e-mails threatening to kill local judges and a state Supreme Court justice two years ago, as well as stalking her former boyfriend and stealing his identity.
Know the laws before you make mistakes - 08/19/10
http://www.centredaily.com/2010/08/19/2
About 4,000 students every year get more from their time at Penn State than just a diploma. They leave with a notation of discipline on their transcript often accompanied by a criminal record that can haunt them as they apply for jobs, apartments, loans or grad school. Some of those co-eds are even worse off. Their education gets derailed before they get their degrees by jail or disciplinary expulsion.
Comprehensive Internet law pushed - 08/19/10
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/273203/co
Senator Edgardo Angara Thursday pushed for a comprehensive Internet law in the Philippines to curb the rising incidence of online-related crimes in the country. Angara, chair of the Senate committee on Education, Arts and Culture, said recent studies have shown that a number of crimes and other forms of violations committed over the Internet are rapidly increasing, thus, a stringent law should be crafted that would give heavy penalties to “cybercriminals.”
Oshkosh teen, Joshua J. Cheek, faces charges in another e-mail bomb threat - 08/19/10
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/201
An Oshkosh teen accused of making bomb threats to three downtown buildings earlier this year is now facing an additional criminal charge. Joshua J. Cheek, 19, was charged in Winnebago County Circuit Court Tuesday with a single count of bomb scares, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of three years, six months in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Addicted Gamer Sues Game-Maker, Says He is ‘Unable to Function’ - 08/19/10
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/0
A federal judge is allowing a negligence lawsuit to proceed against the publisher of the online virtual-world game Lineage II, amid allegations that a Hawaii man became so addicted he is “unable to function independently in usual daily activities such as getting up, getting dressed, bathing or communicating with family and friends.”
Columbia Business School Grad Files Lawsuit Over YouTube Comment - 08/18/10
http://www.reelseo.com/columbia-busines
Can you sue someone for writing an ugly YouTube comment about you? One woman is about to find out. Her name is Carla Franklin, and she is a former model who holds degrees from Duke and Columbia universities, and she’s filed paperwork to attempt to force Googlewhich owns YouTubeto reveal the identity of the offending comment’s author.
Shamebook: Should Cops Use Facebook to Publicize the Accused? - 08/18/10
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/m
In February 2010, New Jersey's Evesham Township Police Department joined Facebook. Like most new members of the social network, it posted its contact and personal information, linked out to some of its favorite sites, and began writing updates about daily events in its community.
Craigslist police blotter: Bryan pastor in gay sex scandal; Azle man faces charges over fake ad - 08/17/10
http://www.dallasvoice.com/craiglist-po
While we’re on the subject of hookup site-related crime stories in Texas, we’ve got two more to tell you about. One involves a 51-year-old closeted church pastor from Bryan who’s accused of meeting other men online and forcing them to have sex with him. According to KBXT.com, Pastor George Randall Scott resigned from the Bethel Temple Church, where he had served since 1990, following his arrest last Tuesday.
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