True Crime Online Newsletter - September 22, 2014
I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Chicken iPhone case part of KFC giveaway
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/09/2
KFC Japan is celebrating "Colonel Day" with a giveaway including chicken-themed computer accessories and an enormous iPhone 5s case. The Japanese wing of the U.S.-based fast-food company announced earlier this month it is celebrating the Sept. 9 birthday of founder Colonel Sanders, born in 1890, by giving away items to Twitter followers including a computer keyboard with chicken shapes instead of letters. The company announced late last week the giveaway will also include a massive iPhone 5s case shaped like a friend chicken drumstick and an enormous desk pillow that users can wear "as a helmet." KFC's ad features an animated colonel laughing at how the iPhone case is "so big," and a girl in the pillow ad comments, "You can use it as a helmet ... You can put your hands in it!" The items, along with other chicken-related accessories including earrings, will be given away to followers of the KFC Japan Twitter account who enter by using the #KFCColonelsDay hashtag prior to Sept. 24.
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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)
YouTuber Makes Videos Harassing Women, Receives Awesome & Appropriate Backlash from Laci Green and the YouTube Community - 09/22/14
http://www.themarysue.com/youtube-haras
Two days ago, YouTuber Sam Pepper uploaded a video to his channel called “Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank,” which sees him approaching and violating unsuspecting women on the street. Despite the obvious sexual harassment in the video, YouTube has yet to remove it – and it’s inspired the YouTube community (and the greater internet) to speak out against both the video, and Pepper.
How 'home hackers' spy on you and your children... with YOUR webcam: The shocking evidence that shows how private lives are snooped on and streamed live on web - 09/21/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art
Security camera footage from inside homes, offices and shops across Britain is being intercepted and broadcast live on the internet – without the owners’ knowledge. A Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal that ‘home hackers’ are easily able to spy on people going about their daily lives through cameras that were installed in homes to improve security. During a two-hour period last week we watched an internet website – available to anyone in the world – and saw footage from British locations of:
This Room Shows How Awful It Is To Be A Woman Online - 09/20/14
http://laist.com/2014/09/20/a_womans_ro
Amy Roth, also known as "Surly Amy," is an L.A. artist and writer. She writes about vegan cuisine and for the skeptic site, Skepchick. She founded the Los Angeles Women's Atheist and Agnostic Group (LAWAAG), and she also gets harassed online a lot. To provide an experience of what it can be like to be a woman on the Internet, she and her colleagues created 'A Woman's Room Online.' It's an 8 by 10 foot room in which every surface is covered in examples of harassment she and others have received.
Peoria Mayor Twitter Parody Account Led To A Police Raid, A Drug Charge And A Lawsuit Against The City - 09/19/14
http://www.ibtimes.com/peoria-mayor-twi
Parody accounts have proliferated on Twitter almost since the dawn of the micro-blogging platform. And far from being exempt, politicians have frequently been the subjects: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Queen Elizabeth and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have all been subjects of parody Twitter accounts, and as far as we know, these high-profile figures accept a certain amount of ribbing as part of their job.
How Cyber Mobs and Trolls Have Ruined the Internetand Destroyed Lives - 09/19/14
http://www.newsweek.com/internet-and-go
During the summer of 2008, “Anna Mayer” was getting ready to begin her first semester in graduate school. In her spare time, she wrote a pseudonymous blog about her weight struggles, body acceptance, and other personal issues. She enjoyed interacting with her readers and commenting on other blogs; it provided a support system and sounding board for her ideas.
Grimsley High School Girl Faces Cyberstalking Charge - 09/18/14
http://www.wfmynews2.com/story/news/loc
Police arrested a Grimsley High School student for her connection to a cybestalking crime on Wednesday. "Cyberstalking is when somebody threatens with bodily harm, showing pictures to embarrass or any kind of false things put out on the internet in reference to someone," said Greensboro officer E.Y. Watkins.
Smartphones help stalk, control domestic abuse victims - 09/18/14
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n
Most people are familiar with how Big Brother or the NSA uses our data to track our preferences, spending and location, But there's an even darker side. Spouses, lovers and exes secretly watch their partners from a distance. They are cyberstalking using digital tools that are a lot cheaper than hiring a private detective.
Now You Can Serve Legal Papers Over Facebook - 09/18/14
http://gothamist.com/2014/09/18/faceboo
It's been a while since Facebook was fun and games and casual internet stalking, but who among us could have predicted that someday we'd be able to use the social networking site to serve our spouses divorce papers? The future is now! The Post reports that a Family Court official ruled that one Staten Island man is authorized to use Facebook to notify his ex-wife that he will no longer be paying child support, in light of "traditional methods" having apparently failed.
Alert on hackers' attack on eBay which sees bidders redirected to malicious site in bid to capture their names and passwords - 09/18/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar
Hackers have launched an attack on eBay which meant that bidders were redirected to a malicious site designed to capture their names and passwords. The scam was spotted by an eBay user based in Scotland, who accused the company of taking too long to remove and shut down the rogue account. He said the auction site was alerted to the problem on Wednesday night but did not remove the suspect listings until more than 12 hours later.
Massachusetts woman who threatened actor Kevin Spacey sentenced to more than 4 years in prison - 09/18/14
http://www.lillooetnews.net/massachuset
In a April 26, 2014 file photo, actor Kevin Spacey walks the green carpet as he arrives for the 15th annual International Indian Film Awards, in Tampa, Fla. A Massachusetts woman, Linda Louise Culkin of Quincy, Mass., who threatened to blow up, torture and castrate Spacey in what prosecutors called a “persistent and malevolent” cyberstalking campaign, was sentenced Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, to more than four years in prison.
Study Reveals that Harassers Prefer Facebook Over Other Networks - 09/18/14
http://io9.com/study-reveals-that-haras
Preliminary results from a study of online harassment reveal that the most popular venue for harassment, stalking and other abuse is Facebook. And it's fairly common for online harassers to target their victims for over a year.
Unlike! Facebook and Twitter could be fined if they don't take down material considered harmful to young people - 09/18/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar
Twitter, Facebook and other online giants will face fines in Australia if they do not comply with plannned new laws to protect young people from harmful content online, the government says. In a major crackdown on offensive online behaviour targetting children, the government has announced the appointment of a Children’s e-Safety Commissioner as part of legislation to be introduced by the end of the year.
Zoe Quinn explains what it's like to be The Internet's Most Hated Person - 09/17/14
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/tec
If you haven't been following the gaming press in the past couple of months, let me tell you: it's been a real shitshow. Death and rape threats are a repulsive part of the status quo for women in gaming but between targeting feminist critic Anita Sarkeesian and indie game developer Zoe Quinn, the vitriol seems to have been particularly vicious recently.
Grindr security flaw has potential stalking implications for Australians - 09/17/14
http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/loc
A PERTH university researcher has commissioned a study into the high rates of stalking within the LGBTI community, which comes in light of recent news of security flaws found in a popular hook-up phone app. Based on anecdotal evidence, the study by Curtin University senior lecturer Dr Lorraine Sheridan will examine the apparent higher-than-average rates of harassment and stalking experienced by LGBTI people.
Why it's a bad idea to sell your child's cheap tablet on eBay - 09/17/14
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2
Parents understandably don’t want to spend excessive amounts of money on tablets for their children. Many choose to buy relatively low-cost Android devices from the supermarket, such as Tesco’s Hudl or Aldi’s Lifetab. Once the kids are done with the tablet, mums and dads often flog them on eBay to recover some of the expense. But researchers have warned this could be a privacy nightmare in waiting, as wiping functions on these devices have been known to fail, leaving data accessible to their buyers.
Yik Yak breeds rumors and cyberbullying - 09/16/14
http://dailytrojan.com/2014/09/16/yik-y
Over the last few years, social media has become a place for many to share opinions quickly, publicly and in many cases without immediate consequences. Apps such as Yik Yak, however, have taken things further by allowing users to post messages anonymously, a move that opens the door to hateful rumors, bullying and other types of internet harassment.
Victims Still Fear Convicted Cyberstalker - 09/16/14
http://www.csnchicago.com/article/victi
A Lincoln Park man is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday on charges of felony cyberstalking and residential theft, but even though he could be facing time behind bars, the criminal's victims still fear retribution. Jicheng "Kevin" Liu could face up to 14 years in prison for his crimes. One of Liu's victims, who asked to be referred to as Sherwood, says he's still putting his life back together after he and his wife marketed Liu's merchandise on eBay four years ago before discovering the goods were stolen and alerting police.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/09/2
KFC Japan is celebrating "Colonel Day" with a giveaway including chicken-themed computer accessories and an enormous iPhone 5s case. The Japanese wing of the U.S.-based fast-food company announced earlier this month it is celebrating the Sept. 9 birthday of founder Colonel Sanders, born in 1890, by giving away items to Twitter followers including a computer keyboard with chicken shapes instead of letters. The company announced late last week the giveaway will also include a massive iPhone 5s case shaped like a friend chicken drumstick and an enormous desk pillow that users can wear "as a helmet." KFC's ad features an animated colonel laughing at how the iPhone case is "so big," and a girl in the pillow ad comments, "You can use it as a helmet ... You can put your hands in it!" The items, along with other chicken-related accessories including earrings, will be given away to followers of the KFC Japan Twitter account who enter by using the #KFCColonelsDay hashtag prior to Sept. 24.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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)
YouTuber Makes Videos Harassing Women, Receives Awesome & Appropriate Backlash from Laci Green and the YouTube Community - 09/22/14
http://www.themarysue.com/youtube-haras
Two days ago, YouTuber Sam Pepper uploaded a video to his channel called “Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank,” which sees him approaching and violating unsuspecting women on the street. Despite the obvious sexual harassment in the video, YouTube has yet to remove it – and it’s inspired the YouTube community (and the greater internet) to speak out against both the video, and Pepper.
How 'home hackers' spy on you and your children... with YOUR webcam: The shocking evidence that shows how private lives are snooped on and streamed live on web - 09/21/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art
Security camera footage from inside homes, offices and shops across Britain is being intercepted and broadcast live on the internet – without the owners’ knowledge. A Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal that ‘home hackers’ are easily able to spy on people going about their daily lives through cameras that were installed in homes to improve security. During a two-hour period last week we watched an internet website – available to anyone in the world – and saw footage from British locations of:
This Room Shows How Awful It Is To Be A Woman Online - 09/20/14
http://laist.com/2014/09/20/a_womans_ro
Amy Roth, also known as "Surly Amy," is an L.A. artist and writer. She writes about vegan cuisine and for the skeptic site, Skepchick. She founded the Los Angeles Women's Atheist and Agnostic Group (LAWAAG), and she also gets harassed online a lot. To provide an experience of what it can be like to be a woman on the Internet, she and her colleagues created 'A Woman's Room Online.' It's an 8 by 10 foot room in which every surface is covered in examples of harassment she and others have received.
Peoria Mayor Twitter Parody Account Led To A Police Raid, A Drug Charge And A Lawsuit Against The City - 09/19/14
http://www.ibtimes.com/peoria-mayor-twi
Parody accounts have proliferated on Twitter almost since the dawn of the micro-blogging platform. And far from being exempt, politicians have frequently been the subjects: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Queen Elizabeth and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have all been subjects of parody Twitter accounts, and as far as we know, these high-profile figures accept a certain amount of ribbing as part of their job.
How Cyber Mobs and Trolls Have Ruined the Internetand Destroyed Lives - 09/19/14
http://www.newsweek.com/internet-and-go
During the summer of 2008, “Anna Mayer” was getting ready to begin her first semester in graduate school. In her spare time, she wrote a pseudonymous blog about her weight struggles, body acceptance, and other personal issues. She enjoyed interacting with her readers and commenting on other blogs; it provided a support system and sounding board for her ideas.
Grimsley High School Girl Faces Cyberstalking Charge - 09/18/14
http://www.wfmynews2.com/story/news/loc
Police arrested a Grimsley High School student for her connection to a cybestalking crime on Wednesday. "Cyberstalking is when somebody threatens with bodily harm, showing pictures to embarrass or any kind of false things put out on the internet in reference to someone," said Greensboro officer E.Y. Watkins.
Smartphones help stalk, control domestic abuse victims - 09/18/14
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n
Most people are familiar with how Big Brother or the NSA uses our data to track our preferences, spending and location, But there's an even darker side. Spouses, lovers and exes secretly watch their partners from a distance. They are cyberstalking using digital tools that are a lot cheaper than hiring a private detective.
Now You Can Serve Legal Papers Over Facebook - 09/18/14
http://gothamist.com/2014/09/18/faceboo
It's been a while since Facebook was fun and games and casual internet stalking, but who among us could have predicted that someday we'd be able to use the social networking site to serve our spouses divorce papers? The future is now! The Post reports that a Family Court official ruled that one Staten Island man is authorized to use Facebook to notify his ex-wife that he will no longer be paying child support, in light of "traditional methods" having apparently failed.
Alert on hackers' attack on eBay which sees bidders redirected to malicious site in bid to capture their names and passwords - 09/18/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar
Hackers have launched an attack on eBay which meant that bidders were redirected to a malicious site designed to capture their names and passwords. The scam was spotted by an eBay user based in Scotland, who accused the company of taking too long to remove and shut down the rogue account. He said the auction site was alerted to the problem on Wednesday night but did not remove the suspect listings until more than 12 hours later.
Massachusetts woman who threatened actor Kevin Spacey sentenced to more than 4 years in prison - 09/18/14
http://www.lillooetnews.net/massachuset
In a April 26, 2014 file photo, actor Kevin Spacey walks the green carpet as he arrives for the 15th annual International Indian Film Awards, in Tampa, Fla. A Massachusetts woman, Linda Louise Culkin of Quincy, Mass., who threatened to blow up, torture and castrate Spacey in what prosecutors called a “persistent and malevolent” cyberstalking campaign, was sentenced Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, to more than four years in prison.
Study Reveals that Harassers Prefer Facebook Over Other Networks - 09/18/14
http://io9.com/study-reveals-that-haras
Preliminary results from a study of online harassment reveal that the most popular venue for harassment, stalking and other abuse is Facebook. And it's fairly common for online harassers to target their victims for over a year.
Unlike! Facebook and Twitter could be fined if they don't take down material considered harmful to young people - 09/18/14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar
Twitter, Facebook and other online giants will face fines in Australia if they do not comply with plannned new laws to protect young people from harmful content online, the government says. In a major crackdown on offensive online behaviour targetting children, the government has announced the appointment of a Children’s e-Safety Commissioner as part of legislation to be introduced by the end of the year.
Zoe Quinn explains what it's like to be The Internet's Most Hated Person - 09/17/14
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/tec
If you haven't been following the gaming press in the past couple of months, let me tell you: it's been a real shitshow. Death and rape threats are a repulsive part of the status quo for women in gaming but between targeting feminist critic Anita Sarkeesian and indie game developer Zoe Quinn, the vitriol seems to have been particularly vicious recently.
Grindr security flaw has potential stalking implications for Australians - 09/17/14
http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/loc
A PERTH university researcher has commissioned a study into the high rates of stalking within the LGBTI community, which comes in light of recent news of security flaws found in a popular hook-up phone app. Based on anecdotal evidence, the study by Curtin University senior lecturer Dr Lorraine Sheridan will examine the apparent higher-than-average rates of harassment and stalking experienced by LGBTI people.
Why it's a bad idea to sell your child's cheap tablet on eBay - 09/17/14
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2
Parents understandably don’t want to spend excessive amounts of money on tablets for their children. Many choose to buy relatively low-cost Android devices from the supermarket, such as Tesco’s Hudl or Aldi’s Lifetab. Once the kids are done with the tablet, mums and dads often flog them on eBay to recover some of the expense. But researchers have warned this could be a privacy nightmare in waiting, as wiping functions on these devices have been known to fail, leaving data accessible to their buyers.
Yik Yak breeds rumors and cyberbullying - 09/16/14
http://dailytrojan.com/2014/09/16/yik-y
Over the last few years, social media has become a place for many to share opinions quickly, publicly and in many cases without immediate consequences. Apps such as Yik Yak, however, have taken things further by allowing users to post messages anonymously, a move that opens the door to hateful rumors, bullying and other types of internet harassment.
Victims Still Fear Convicted Cyberstalker - 09/16/14
http://www.csnchicago.com/article/victi
A Lincoln Park man is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday on charges of felony cyberstalking and residential theft, but even though he could be facing time behind bars, the criminal's victims still fear retribution. Jicheng "Kevin" Liu could face up to 14 years in prison for his crimes. One of Liu's victims, who asked to be referred to as Sherwood, says he's still putting his life back together after he and his wife marketed Liu's merchandise on eBay four years ago before discovering the goods were stolen and alerting police.
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