Cyber Crime Fighters: Tales from the Trenches

Description

Cyber Crime Fighters: Tales from the Trenches offers one of the most insightful views of the latest criminal threats to the public: cyber crime. This book provides a good primer on how your personal information can be easily obtained by some of the folks you least want to have it.

 - Maureen Boyle, crime reporter,

The Enterprise of Brockton, MA

Experts Felicia Donovan and Kristyn Bernier pull no punches in explaining the dangers lurking on the Web, from identity appropriation and theft to using new technology and the Internet to facilitate real-life stalking. Parents especially will be shocked at how easy it is for predators to target and solicit children online.

By clearly explaining the dangers that lurk online and highlighting practical tips to minimize your risk, the authors have created a book that not only educates but empowers readers to protect themselves.

 - Jennifer Hemmingsen, columnist and former public safety reporter,

The (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) Gazette

Written by leading cyber crime investigators, Cyber Crime Fighters: Tales from the Trenches takes you behind the scenes to reveal the truth behind Internet crime, telling shocking stories that aren't covered by the media, and showing you exactly how to protect yourself and your children. This is the Internet crime wave as it really looks to law enforcement insiders: the truth about crime on social networks and YouTube, cyber stalking and criminal cyber bullying, online child predators, identity theft, even the latest cell phone crimes. Here are actual cases and actual criminals, presented by investigators who have been recognized by the FBI and the N.H. Department of Justice. These stories are true - and if you want to stay safe, you need to know about them.

     * Learn how today's criminals can track your whereabouts, read your emails, and steal your identity

     * Find out how much of your personal information is already online - and how to keep the rest private

     * Learn how cyber stalkers really think - and how to protect yourself from them

     * Protect your laptop, your iPod, and your precious data from getting stolen

     * Encounter the dark side of Internet dating

     * Discover the hidden crime wave on today's specialized social networks

     * Uncover the cell phone upskirters and downblousers - and the technicalities that keep them out of jail

     * Follow cyber crime specialists as they investigate and catch online sexual predators

     * Get the real truth about phishing, pharming, criminal spam, and online scams

     * See how investigations really work - and why TV crime shows often get it wrong!

     * Walk through your own personal, step-by-step, online safety checkup

CONTENTS:

Chapter 1 Cyber Stalking 1

High-Tech Stalkers 2

How I Stalked My Girlfriend 4

The Victim's Side 8

Identity Assumption 9

The Wild, Wild Web 10

Sticks and Stones 13

The Stalker E-Card 14

Cyber Stalking and the Law 16

Cyber Stalking Facts 17

Lethality Assessment Tools 18

If You Think You Are Being Cyber Stalked 19

Teen/Tech Stalking 21

                Teen Study 21

Online Games - The New Stalker's Ground 22

Online Gaming and Malware 23

Would You Say It to My Face? 23

National School Board Survey 23

Women as Perpetrators 26

Cyber Stalking Prevention Resources 26

Chapter 2 Two Bedrooms Up, One Bedroom Down - What Someone Can Find Out About You on the Internet 27

Your Digital Footprint 28

The Best Sources to Find Out About People 28

                                Tracking Teresa 29

                Town and City Websites 29

                                Zillow - We Know Your Neighborhood 31

                We Know Your Dog's Name 31

                                Online Memorials 32

                                Political Contributions 32

                                People Search Sites 33

                                Search Your Own Name 33

                The Wayback Machine 34

                                Website Registration Records 34

E-Venge 35

                DontDateHimGirl. com 36

Lessons Learned 36

Chapter 3 Cyber Crime Tools You Won't Believe 37

Wi-Fi Tracking 37

Packet Sniffers 37

Bluetooth Locating 38

What Is an IP Address 38

Anonymizers and Anonymous Remailers 40

Fake Name Generators 42

Fake Caller ID 42

Chapter 4 Upskirting, Downblousing, and Your Right to Privacy in the Cell Phone and Digital Age 47

Upskirting and Downblousing 47

We Fight for Changes in the Law 50

Stickam: Voyeurism or Exhibitionism 51

New Challenges to Voyeurism Law 51

How Prevalent Is Voyeurism? 53

How to Prevent Becoming a Victim of Voyeurism 54

Is a Stranger Watching Your Nanny Cam? 54

The Voyeur's Backpack 55

Resources 55

Chapter 5 Identity Theft 57

Identity Theft: The Number-One Type of Fraud 57

23,000 Victims Per Day: One Every 3.5 Seconds 58

Cheap Credit Cards 58

Identity Theft Versus Identity Fraud 59

The Long Road to Recovery 60

                The NCIC Identity Theft File 60

                                Guilty Until Proven Innocent 61

Types of Identity Theft 61

Delays in Notification 62

Preventing Identity Theft 63

                                Monitor Your Accounts 63

                Get Your Free Annual Credit Report (annualcreditreport.com) 63

                                Credit Report Tips 64

                                Felicia Finds Rogue Account 65

                                Monitor Your Child's Credit Report 66

                Tips to Prevent Your Child's Identity from Being Stolen 66

More Identity-Theft Prevention Tips 67

Shred, Shred, Shred 69

Fraudulent Donations 70

If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft 70

Identity Theft Services 72

                                LifeLock Gets Sued 72

                                Attorney General Becomes ID Theft Victim 73

Resources 73

Chapter 6 Online Dating - Are You Safe? 75

Can Online Dating Be Made Safer? 77

Criminal History Checks - What Can You Really Find Out? 77

Online Dating Dilemmas 79

Victim Reluctance to Report 82

Lack of Evidence and Empathy 85

Online Dating Safety Tips 87

Chapter 7 We Catch Sexual Predators - What You Don't See on TV 89

The Dateline Debacle: To Catch a Predator 89

                                Perverted Justice and To Catch a Predator in Action 90

                                Problems with To Catch a Predator 91

                Does To Catch a Predator Hinder Law Enforcement? 91

                The Good and the Bad 92

                                Misdemeanor Versus Felony 101

                Laws Vary from State to State 102

                                Lessons Learned 102

Free Babysitting 105

The Internet - A Pedophile's New Playground 105

12 Million Hits in 72 Hours 106

Male Versus Female Offenders 107

The Cyber Playground 109

Chapter 8 Child Sexual Assault Images - The New View on Child Pornography 111

Fritz Does Federal - Enticement Across State Lines 113

Child Pornography Collectors 113

Sex Offender Websites: Facts Versus Fiction 117

The National Sex Offender Public Registry 122

U.S. Supreme Court Rules CG Kiddie Porn Is Perfectly Legal 124

                                Digital Images 126

                                Congress Reacts 126

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 126

                                Child Victim Identification Program (CVIP) 127

Operation Avalanche 129

                                Landslide Productions 129

How Far Does Private Fantasy Go? The Zidel Case 130

                                Recent Developments 131

                                Supreme Court Overturns Ruling 132

Laws and Loopholes 134

Laptops and Customs Searches 135

                                Laptop Search by Customs Is Challenged 135

                Sex Offender Caught at Border 135

A Balancing Act 136

SAFE Act 136

Social Networks and Sex Offenders 137

                                Facebook and MySpace Get Tougher on Sex Offenders? 137

                KIDS Bill 138

Child Porn Sites Shut Down? 138

ICAC: The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force 140

The Child Advocacy Center: A Victim-Centered Approach 143

Missouri: 30 Days, 7,000 Computers Trading Kiddie Porn 145

NCMEC Survey 145

Internet Safety Guidelines 146

Resources 146

Chapter 9 Social Networks/Social Nightmares 147

Online Societies 147

More and More Specialized Social Networks 148

They Call It Love, We Call It Pedophilia 149

Suicide Assistance Sites - alt.suicide.holiday (ASH) 150

Never Say, My Child Will Never 152

Common Interest Guaranteed 157

Words Can Never Hurt Me? 158

Internet Safety Guidelines 158

Chapter 10 Sexual Deviance Online (Child Sex Rings, Prostitution, Sexual Victimization, and Other Bizarre Stories) 161

The Darker Side of the Online Sex Trade 162

                The Emperor's Club 164

                The Innocence Lost Initiative 165

                                Mayor Blames Craigslist for Child Prostitution 166

                A Nationwide Epidemic - 293,000 Children at Risk 168

                                Internet Sex and Robbery: Operation FALCON 169

Child Sex Rings: The Darkest Side of the Internet 170

The AMBER Alert 172

                How You Can Help - Please Join In 174

Cellular Porn: The Uglier Side of Cell Phones 175

The Danger of Webcams 178

Chapter 11 Phishing, Pharming, Spam, and Scams 179

Phishing 179

                Call to Action - Danger, Danger 180

                                Hyperlinks - Hyper Dangerous! 181

                New Twists on Phishing 182

                                Charity Phishing Scams 182

                How Do Phishers Make Money? 183

Vishing - Cell Phone Phishing 183

                                Recent Trends - Vishing Over Phishing 184

                IC3 Name Used in Fraudulent Phishing Scam 185

Pharming - Fake Websites 185

Spam, Spam, Spam 187

                                Where Did Spam Come From? 187

                Who Profits from Spam? 188

                Why Spam Is Dangerous 188

                Spam Vigilantes 190

                Spam Spiders 190

                How to Reduce Spam 190

                New Twist - Death Threats via Spam 191

                Is Spam Illegal? 191

                The CAN-SPAM Act 191

                New Twist - Text Spam on Your Cell Phone 192

                $234 Million Spam Judgment 192

                                Report Spam to spam@uce.gov 193

                                Yahoo! Sues Unknown Spammers in Lottery Scheme 193

Resources 194

The Nigerian Letter Advance Fee or 419 Scam 194

                                Recent Arrests 195

                The Lottery Version 195

                How Can They Profit? 196

                                Sample Nigerian Letter 197

                                Where to Report a Nigerian (419) Advance Fee Letter 198

                The Cyber Crime Melting Pot 198

Data Breaches - When Your Data Is Stolen 198

Verizon Report: 87% of Breaches Were Avoidable 203

                Data Breach Laws 204

                Are Data Breach Laws Ineffective? 205

                                Privacy Rights Clearinghouse 205

Online Auction Fraud 206

                                Escrow Services 206

                Pay by Credit Card 206

                                Learn As Much As You Can About the Seller 207

                                Secure Versus Nonsecure Transactions 207

If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Is 208

Resources 208

Work-at-Home Scams 209

                How to Spot a Scam 209

                                Mystery Shopper Scams 210

                Use Common Sense 211

                                Money Mules 211

                The Power of Google - Turn the Tables 211

Social Engineering Scams 212

                400 People Click to Get a Computer Virus 213

Women Versus Men - Who Gets Scammed More? 213

The Easiest Way Not to Get Scammed 213

Chapter 12 Peer-to-Peer Network Dangers 215

P2P Networks 216

                P2P and Music Piracy 216

                                Actual Cases 216

                The RIAA Investigation 217

                                University Cooperation? 217

                                Challenges to the Lawsuit 218

How P2P Works 218

                P2P Dangers 218

                What the Experts Say 218

                                Supreme Court Justice's Data Breached 219

Chapter 13 Crimes on Camera 221

Caught in a Trap 224

Ten Hours of Video Uploaded Every Minute 225

Using a Digital Camera or Cell Phone to Determine Coordinates 229

What You Put Out There, Stays Out There 229

Chapter 14 Computers and Drugs 231

Techie Dealers 231

                Rave Parties 232

                Dust Masks and Glo-Sticks 232

                A Different Dose Each Time 233

                Rave Parties and the World Wide Web 234

                                Online Recipes 235

                How Many Colds Can One Man Have? 235

                The Exploding Kitchen 236

                Scam Cannabis - One-Stop Marijuana Shopping 236

                                Steroids 237

Drug Dealers Love Technology, Too 238

                                Tools of the Drug Dealers 238

                                Who's a Rat? 239

Chapter 15 Who Is Tracking Your Online Activities? 241

You've Been Profiled - Data Aggregators 241

                                Cookies - Not the Sugar Kind 242

                What Kind of Information Do Cookies Track? 243

                                Preventing Cookies 243

                Our Take on Cookies 243

What's a EULA? 244

                Even Hackers Have EULAs 245

You Need to Know About Bots and Botnets 245

                                Commtouch Report: 10 Million Infected Computers 246

                                Operation Bot Roast 247

                How They Did It 247

                                Trends in Botnet Operations 248

                Is Your Computer Part of a Botnet? 248

                                Symptoms of a Bot 248

                If You Think Your Computer Is Part of a Botnet 249

                The Gift That Keeps on Giving 249

Chapter 16 Your Online Safety Checkup 251

Keep Your System Updated 251

Install Virus Protection 252

Install Spyware and Malware Detection Programs 253

                                Malware City 253

                                StopBadware Report 253

Passwords 253

                                Creating Strong Passwords 254

                                Multiple Accounts, Multiple Passwords? 255

                                Password Management Tools 255

                                Hacking - The New High School Curriculum 256

Would You Leave Your Door Unlocked? Unsecured Wi-Fi 256

                                Piggybacking 257

                                Wardriving 258

                                Wi-Fi and Evil Twin Spoofing 259

                How to Secure Your Home Wi-Fi Connection 259

Protecting Your Cell Phone 261

                Cell Phone Safety Tips 262

Getting Rid of That Old Computer 262

                                Deleted Files Are Not Deleted! 262

                                Would You Hand Over Your Checkbook? 263

                                Secure Wipe Versus Reformat 263

                                Assume Whatever You Did on the Computer Is Still There 264

                                Electronic Depots 264

How to Recover Your Stolen Laptop 265

                                Stolen Laptop Locator Services 265

Lock Your Car, Please! 266

Chapter 17 How We Would Combat Cyber Crime 267

The Victim's Perspective 268

The Anonymity of the Internet 268

Crimes Are Often Multijurisdictional 268

How We Would Fight Cyber Crime 269

                                Recognize That Cyber Crime Is a Business! 269

                                Develop Greater Cooperation with Financial Institutions 270

                                Change Law Enforcement's Paradigm of Cyber Crime 270

                                Create a Single Reporting Site for Cyber Crime 271

                                Collect Better Statistics 271

                                Parents Need to Take Control 273

                                Develop Partnerships and Share Information 274

                Cops on the Cyber Beat 275

                                Virtual Policing and Cyber Patrols 275

                The New Community 276

                                Offer More Education Programs for Parents 276

                                Eliminate Territorial Boundaries 277

                Use Police Civilians as Experts 277

                                Adopt Tougher and More Consistent Cyber Crime Laws 278

                                Standardize Forms 279

                                Provide More Training on Cyber Crime to Law Enforcement 279

                                Understand the Changing Nature of Cyber Crime 280

Cyber Crime and Cyber Terrorism 280

Appendix A Toys They Don't Want You to Know About 283

Thumb Drives You Won't Believe 285

Appendix B CSI Versus Reality 287

List of Cases

GPS for the Ex-Spouse 3

Computer Key Stroke Stalking 5

A Tale of Technological Terror 6

Cops Use GPS, Too 9

An Easy Way to Tarnish a Reputation 10

The Dean Isenberg Case 11

The Amy Boyer Story 12

Teachers - The New Cyber Stalker's Target 24

Teachers Fight Back: The Erik Trosch Story 24

The Anna Draker Case 26

Felicia Gets Caught Up in a Homicide Investigation 43

Smile for the Hidden Camera 48

The Susan Wilson Story 48

Location, Location, Location 49

Ohio 2008 Voyeurism Case - 30 Days in Jail 49

The Florentino Avila Case: Our Firsthand Experience 50

The Brian Presken Case 52

Illegal Use of Legal Name Change 59

The Alicia M. Case 66

The Jeffrey Marsalis Case 76

Jeanette's Story 81

Genevieve's Story 83

Date Rape Drugs 85

The Nurse's Revenge 86

NBC Settles Suicide Lawsuit 91

Our Version of To Catch a Predator 93

The Teacher and His Student 103

The Jerry Jones Case - A Triple Threat 106

The Jacob Silva Case 111

The Pumpkin Man 114

The Predator's Family Heirloom 116

The New Hygiene 116

The Lingerie Connection 117

The Douglas Simmons Case 121

Cop Gets 14 Years for Distributing Kiddie Porn: The John Schenberger Case 123

Priest Gets 4 Years 124

Can You Keep Your Password Private? The Sebastian Boucher Case 133

The Tara Series: A Horrific, Yet Bittersweet Success Story 140

Online Suicide Pacts 150

Online Suicides 151

More Online Suicides 151

The Megan Meier Story 152

Make a Difference for Kids: The Rachel Neblett Story 154

Online Murder Plots 154

The Art of Murder: The Taylor Behl Story 155

Blogging About Cannibalism 157

supalover666 165

The Justin Berry Story 167

Brooke Bennett Goes Missing 170

An AMBER Alert with a Happier Ending 173

Another AMBER Alert Success Story 173

The Elizabeth Smart Story 174

A Shocking Story of a Victim, But No Crime 176

Swinging Sex Parties in a Quaint New England Town 177

Man Charged with Child Porn Was Spam Victim 189

The TJ Maxx Data Breach - Largest in History 199

The Hannaford Brothers Data Breach 202

Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Breach 203

Sharing Kiddie Porn 219

The Florida Teen Beating 222

The Beating of an Art Teacher 224