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Identifying and Reporting Cyber Harassment

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Lina Maini

(We’re wrapped up in several serious cyber harassment cases at the moment and are sharing several tips on how to handle cyber/internet harassment that crosses the line to true criminality.  All too frequently, we feel our hands are tied in trying to protect ourselves, our businesses and families from this type of harassment but in reality, the reporting protocol for these situations already exists.  Below is information on how to report cyber harassment.)

Cyber harassment refers to the malicious use of technology to willfully and deliberately harass or harm another individual or entity.  Cyber harassment is a federal crime and can be an incredibly scary experience for victims. There are  steps to report Internet harassment. If you are in imminent fear of your life or for the safety of others, call 911 to report the harassment immediately.

Instructions  

1.  Determine whether you are the victim of cyber harassment. The lines between genuine cyber harassment and general nuisance are blurry, so it can be difficult to substantiate a claim of Internet harassment. If someone is threatening you with violence and you genuinely fear for your safety and well-being, you might meet the criteria of being a victim. It is important to note that hacking, cyber spying and cyber stalking are not forms of Internet harassment. The first two are not necessarily criminal activities, depending on the nature of the offender’s behavior, and the latter is a separate crime, which should be reported and addressed differently than cyber harassment, defined by the Federal Anti-Cyber-Stalking Act.

2.  Do what you can to reduce or prevent further Internet harassment from occurring. This includes changing your email address, screen names and member names for instant messaging programs and social networking websites; privatizing profiles and websites that currently are public; and ceasing all contact with the person who is harassing you. You must demonstrate that you have taken steps to stop the person from harassing you. If you converse with the individual who is harassing you, your chances of reporting and stopping Internet harassment will significantly drop.

3.  Gather as much information as you can about the individual harassing you. This can prove to be quite difficult given the anonymous nature of the Internet, but technology allows law enforcement to track down anonymous harassers by using multiple methods. Develop a log that includes email addresses, screen names, and website and social networking profile URLs that belong to the person/people harassing you. Save and print emails and conversations, create “screen grabs” or screenshots of websites or profiles with threatening or malicious content, and keep track of the offender’s every attempt to contact you. A detailed log containing dates, times and places will help you immensely when you report cyber harassment. If possible, also try to locate and write down the offender’s Internet Protocol (IP) address.

4.  Contact your local law enforcement agency and ask to report cyber harassment. Use the police department’s nonemergency (administrative) telephone number or visit in person to make your report. Be prepared to provide information you have detailed in your log; if you make the report in person, bring along two copies of every document you have to leave with the police. If you know the offender’s location, you can contact his local police department or file a report with both precincts. Be sure to get a copy of any police report you file.

5.  Contact your local FBI field office if your local police department is unable to or uninterested in pursuing your report. You can locate your local office using the FBI’s field office locator online, or ask you local police department for the information. Always attempt to make a report with your local police department before contacting the FBI, unless you have reason to believe the harassment is terroristic (for example, the offender is threatening to plant a bomb or commit a school shooting) in nature.

6.  Contact a cyber harassment watch group for more assistance. While your matter is under investigation, you can contact an organization such as WiredSafety for further assistance and general support. Note that this type organization is not a governmental or law enforcement agency and you should not rely on these private groups as an alternative to law enforcement authorities.

Our Operatives: Street smart; info savvy.

As always, stay safe.

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The Highest Court In The Land Is Now The MSM

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Lina Maini

This week’s post is brought to you by guest writer, Suzanne Olden, a long-time professional in the legal field.  Ms. Olden writes:

It no longer fazes me that the mainstream media (“MSM”) does not care  about its awful effect on justice in this country.  Cases are won and lost in the media well before a trial occurs and the chance of finding an untainted jury are nil to zero .  The Trayvon Martin/George Manuel Zimmerman situation is a perfect example of how the MSM and America’s obsession with racism is skewing a case that hasn’t even been brought before a grand jury.

As the days wear on, more and more “facts” are coming to light.  Each contradicts the “ultimate truth” of the other.  I want to preface my statements with the following:

  1. No crime victim “deserves” what happened to them, no matter what their past;
  2. This situation never would have happened had directions from authorities been followed; and
  3. I’m not excusing the actions of either party involved.

Each side in this matter has its “facts”:  Side 1: Martin was an innocent 17 y.o. lamb of a person who simply walked  to the store and upon return, was chased and shot.  Side 2: Martin was acting sketchy, confronted and assaulted Zimmerman who shot in self-defense.  Each side finds “proof” and “witnesses” to back up their version of events, yet there were only two people there that night: Martin and Zimmerman.

These are indisputable facts:  Trayvon Martin was a troubled teen.  He had been suspended and due to such, was staying with his father.  The suspension was for possessing marijuana in school.  He was suspected of burglary.  He was hardly the innocent babe that the family, understandably, makes him out to be.  The family calls the leaked history “reprehensible”, but as the parent of two teens, I’m not naïve enough to believe that by virtue of age alone, all are innocent.  What was the family doing  to curtail his criminal behavior?  That said, he didn’t deserve a death sentence.  What these facts yield is the lack of Zimmerman’s arrest (to date) is due to the Florida State’s Attorney determination that there wasn’t enough evidence for a conviction.  It’s called reasonable doubt,  folks.  

George Zimmerman wasn’t affiliated with any of the organized neighborhood watches, but his neighborhood had been very recently victimized with a spate of burglaries, spurring neighborhood watch activity.  He had a temper.  He was carrying a gun, registered and permitted, but carrying nonetheless.  Though shorter, he also outweighed considerably outweighed Martin.  The victim’s family states there is video depicting no injuries on Zimmerman. Police reports written at the time of incident state otherwise.  Zimmerman’s family and friends state he didn’t have a racist bone in his body. Imagine if he had been white?  Or if the situation were reversed and Trayvon were white?  The former would have resulted in even greater MSM-fueled civil unrest and the latter, probably a passing comment at the end of a slow news day.

As my sister-in-law put it correctly and succinctly;  this situation should have remained a police matter.  Tha the alleged “factual” leaks have only accomplished in provoking more divisiveness in this country.  Several examples of irresponsible post-incident actions:  Film producer Spike Lee used his Twitter account to either tweet or retweet, depending on the source, what he thought was Zimmerman’s address.  He did this with the full knowledge that irrational, inflamed people could and it could be foreseen, would, go this address and seriously injure or kill  Zimmerman.  The address Lee tweeted was in fact not  Zimmerman’s at all and put the lives of an elderly couple at risk when enraged people actually did show up; a literal lynch mob rushing to attack Mr. Zimmerman.  The couple had to leave their family home and flee from the danger that Lee intentionally imposed upon them. Although Lee has apologized to the couple, he hasn’t acknowledged that his behavior was wrong.  He simply apologized for having the wrong information. Why hasn’t he been arrested?  The criminal activity he spurred was obviously foreseeable.

Demanding that someone be arrested for behavior/acts that may not rise to the level of criminality and that leaves a gaping hole which could not be filled in with probable cause before an investigation is concluded  is not only irresponsible; it’s illegal.  Demanding that federal authorities investigate the matter when there isn’t evidence to support their involvement is irresponsible.  High profile people, including our President, weighing in without an investigatory conclusion is extremely irresponsible.

Should George Zimmerman be arrested and prosecuted, how can he receive a fair trial by an untainted jury?.  The jury members in the Casey Anthony case have attested to the fact that their own lives were in danger simply because they based their decision to acquit the defendant on the evidence presented to them in court (and not presented in the MSM or by Nancy Grace).  Will this be lost on another Florida jury pool?  If so, will there be riots in the aftermath?  The same people who cheered when 60 people were killed in the Rodney King riots, shrugged their shoulders and claimed that the jury has spoken in the OJ case. The media is turning us all into hypocrites.

We need to be careful how we allow our media to affect our freedoms.  When we let them run amok, falsely, under the protection of “freedom of the press” then we curtail our own freedoms and safety.  The Constitution doesn’t give the media license to cause the furor that we now see, nor should it enable people to encourage violence and the potential murders of suspects as happened with the Twitter incident.  We the people, and not the government, need to restrain them by not buying into their nonsense.  Future crime “suspects” have my sympathy.  I would rather operate under the rule of law than mob rule.

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A New Avenue to Prior Notice To The City?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Lina Maini

A while ago, we first broke the news to  our readers that the NYPD was developing a technique for crime video and picture submission directly to the police. The delivery system is now fully operational. However, these report hotlines and avenues are not for criminal activity alone. Quality of life issues can also be reported (potholes, poor parks conditions….) At the end of the News article, however, we ask questions regarding how this information can then be used in the private sector.

DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU

Now you can send images and videos from your phone to cops regarding crimes, and to 311 regarding quality of life issues. Picture this: You e-mail a photo of a fleeing crook that you took with your cell phone to cops, who use it to bust the bad guy in a flash.

Now it can happen.

Callers to 911 can send photos and videos to NYPD’s Real Time Crime Center, where images are used to crack crimes or respond to emergencies, Mayor Bloomberg said Tuesday.

“This technology should scare every would-be criminal because the chance of getting caught in the act is now better than ever,” said Bloomberg.

All callers have to do is tell the dispatcher that they have a picture that could be useful in the emergency. The information is provided to cops, who contact the callers and give them an e-mail address to send the photo to.

Bloomberg, however, warned aspiring crime stoppers to exercise common sense when taking pictures. “As helpful as your photo or video image is, do not put yourself in harm’s way to obtain them,” he said. “Your safety is paramount.”

When callers say they have a crime photo, the 911 dispatcher enters a special code in the NYPD’s internal system that provides cops with the good Samaritan’s phone number.

“It’s another building block in our partnership with the public,” said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, noting that last month, the NYPD started accepting text-message tips.

But photos aren’t just for combatting crime.

New Yorkers can also send photos and videos – to 311 or http://www.nyc.gov – concerning quality-of-life issues like potholes, dirty parks or broken pay phones.

As with the protocol for 911, callers to 311 have to alert operators that they have a photo of the offense. Callers are directed to http://www.nyc.gov, where they can directly send up to three photos.

“All of these things add to the quality of life in this city,” said Bloomberg.

Bloomberg said he wasn’t worried about the system being flooded with photos, but urged the public not to “cry wolf”. I think the problem is reverse,” he said. “That people don’t call us enough.”

From our perspective, the quality of life reports (potholes, dangerous intersections, cracked sidewalks…) raises all sorts of issues re: notice to the City. And, will these reports, if founded, be channeled to private organizations such as Big Apple? Can copies of these reports be FOILed? Viz. the criminal reports: can we now identify high-crime areas that should have been more aggressively patrolled?  It will be interesting to see if this data can be accessed in preparation of litigation and if so, how it may be used in such capacity.

Our Operatives: Street smart; Net savvy.

As always, stay safe.

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The FBI – Behind the Dark Suits, N-Dex

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Lina Maini
United States criminal justice system flowchart.

Image via Wikipedia

There are approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States – local, state, tribal, and federal— generally working independently,  each gathering clues, conducting interviews, solving crimes, and generating reports and information. Within their jurisdictions.

So the 2011 question is: in an age supporting a very mobile and transient number of people, obviously crime will cross many jurisdictions, how can we get these 18,000+ agencies connected rapidly and in an automated environment to share their information…not only to catch criminals and terrorists but also to spot crime trends and patterns and help prevent attacks?

After all, beyond a few national criminal justice systems like the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) , most information-sharing between police agencies today is still done on a case-by-case basis or through local and regional information systems.

In a three-year project (from 2008 – 2010), the FBI has been working on just such a system that incorporates all of the information maintained by all of these American law enforcement agencies and compiled this data into a single registry – the Law Enforcement  National Data Index, N-DEx.  N-DEx includes all of the traditional “hard” data: criminal backgrounds, parolee statuses, wants/warrants and can deliver highly effective reports connecting people, places and events by various methods such as MO comparisons, crime trends and familial DNA comparisons, to name several techniques.

It is the literal equivalent of each law enforcement agency, regardless of size, having its own CSI lab, forensics psychiatrist, anti-terrorism expert and other crime solving capabilities generally affordable only by large cities and the national l.e. organizations. N-DEx brings this  broader scope, more tightly focused physical and psychological database to a one sheriff town and to the Homeland Security Administration. The final implementation of N-DEx occurred quietly at the end of 2010. It is this tireless work by our security and law enforcement expert that allows the FBI (and now many others in the field)  to track and more often than not, stop terrorists, cult members and violent criminals before they commit additional heinous crimes.

It is expected that the N-DEx will become available to state and local district attorneys, (all need to know requests are recorded) and may be accessed via FOIL, albeit, for attorneys and private investigators, probably with highly redacted/limited information and very specific rules monitoring the N-DEx’s use.

That this crime information and trend data has finally all come together in one registry is a good thing.  Too often, too many criminals have slipped through the cracks, knowing how to work the “systems” and normal time delays.  Now, we’ll have the ability to access relevant aggregated information to solve cases quickly and effectively and aggressively deter potential threats.

BNI Operatives: A step ahead.

As always, be safe.

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Your Phone Number – Gateway to Your Checkbook: Identity Theft, Part I

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Lina Maini

The fastest growing crime in the world today is identity theft. This is a familiar statistic but very few people truly grasp their vulnerability to this crime. Victims of identity theft can lose job or business opportunities, be refused loans for education, housing, or cars, and even get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.

After initial trepidation and a general principles discourse with our staff, I decided to print a basically uncensored version of an identity theft exercise BNI conducted recently in a Midtown client’s offices. It is my opinion that, at times, stark reality, rather than nuanced language, better conveys the urgency of potential injury that a crime may have on one.

The very real and live in-house demonstration illustrated the relative ease with which identity thieves can operate today. The objective was to obtain a credit card in the client-volunteered control “victim’s” name within two weeks – without the victim’s (even passive) participation or awareness. The audience present during this exercise followed its progress to its conclusion.

The general population’s perception is that an identity thief’s M.O. is to simply obtain a victim’s information, apply and receive credit cards in the victim’s name. Today’s i.d. thieves are much more subtlety proactive. They understand that if the credit card offers come to them, that, in a sense, they have been pre-qualified and the process is exponentially easier and quicker than the conventional apply and wait approach.

The first step in our live exercise was to obtain a bill or invoice in the victim’s name. We opted to go for new cell phone service.

The subject provided BNI operatives with no information. (Well, we knew his name.) While I obviously will not go into exact detail, we were able to easily obtain his driver’s license and Social Security numbers (outlined in previous Bulletins). Heads-Up Tips: 1. The DMV only truncates the final digit of a driver’s license number and a “1″ is not used. 2. By law, information providers must truncate the last 4 SSN digits – on the primary subject. A background check report will generally yield the subject’s relatives and their full SSNs. 3. Many information brokers are based out of country and are not subject (nor do they lend themselves) to US federal privacy and communications rules and regulations.

Armed with the victim’s personal information, our next step was to locate a cell phone service provider online.

The majority of identity theft criminals are very astute observers of human nature. They realize that a popular consumer offer will drive site and caller traffic and potentially overwhelm sales staff. While as state, next step would have been to locate a current offer on cell service provider sites, even that became unnecessary as, upon sign-on, we were greeted by a pop-up ad for cell service and a free phone!

We called the advertising cell service provider.

The sales agent was friendly but as anticipated, quite busy, clipping through the application process.

We provided the subject’s name, driver’s license and Social Security numbers and home address home but directed a different billing address. All information provided was verified, cross-referenced and given the green light by the agent. She only questioned our female investigator re: her gender as the Social Security number related to a male. Advised that it was for a relative with a language barrier issue, the sales agent stated she needed to speak with the “customer” just to get a “yes” from him. She advised that that was the sole requirement. The agent directed our investigator, still under guise of course, to initiate a three-way call (a standard cell phone feature today) and all that would literally be necessary was the word “yes” from the “customer”. Our investigator placed the sales agent on hold, called her partner across the room and connected the calls.

Agent: “Mr. X, do you authorize ABC Co. to provide you with a free Razr phone with a two-year commitment to our service?”

“New Customer”: “Yes”.

A cell phone number was issued within the hour; the Razr phone received and put into use the next day and the following week, credit card offers began pouring in – to the billing address. In most instances, a successful transaction was merely a matter of remitting a 60-second online acceptance form.

So the bottom line is, everyone and anyone can become an identity theft victim. Current federal regulation requires the three major consumer agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to provide only one free annual credit report per person, upon consumer request. Perhaps providing real time instant online access to one’s credit report is a concept whose time has arrived.

In the meantime, we need to maintain personal vigilance of our credit standing. BNI provides the below contact information regarding identity theft prevention, maintenance and resolution:

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374- 0241

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742);
http://www.experian.com/
; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289;
http://www.transunion.com/
; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

BNI Operatives: A step ahead.

As always, be safe.

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The FBI’s Most Wanted List: History and “Fun” Facts

Posted on March 14, 2010 by Lina Maini

March 14, 2010 marked the 60th anniversary of the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted List.   From an official FBI press release:

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III today announces the FBI’s commemoration of its famous “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” program, created 60 years ago.

In 1949, a reporter for the International News Service (the predecessor to United Press International) approached the FBI and asked about writing a story about the “toughest guys” being sought by the FBI at the time. The Bureau provided the names and descriptions of 10 fugitives to the reporter. The resulting feature became a major story and gained national attention. As a consequence of overwhelming public interest, on March 14, 1950, then-Director J. Edgar Hoover inaugurated the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program.

“Fun” FAQs About The List:

Are the Top Ten actually ranked? No.

Who selects the Most Wanted fugitives? All 56 FBI field offices submit their candidates for the list and eventually the FBI Director signs off on his selections.

How many women have been on the Most Wanted List? 8, beginning with Ruth Eisemann-Schier in 1968.

How many fugitives have been on the list?  494,  of  which, 463 have been captured. (As of October 21, 2009.)

Are there rewards offered for the capture of  a Most Wanted fugitive?  At a minimum, a reward of up to $100,000 is offered by the FBI for information which leads directly to the arrest of an individual on the  ”Top Ten” list.

Obvious Warning: If you know or have reason to believe you may know the whereabouts of any dangerous fugitives, please immediately contact the police at 911 or the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324).

The most current Top Ten Most Wanted fugitives, courtesy of the FBI:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that Ben Stiller to the right of the word “fugitives” in the poster?  Not opining on the quality of his films; just asking… 

Semi-spoiler: We may do a live polygraph next week.  Stay tuned.

BNI Operatives: Street smart: Web savvy.

As always, stay safe.

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U.S. Embassies To American Overseas Crime Victims: No To Representation; Yes To Compensation

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Lina Maini

 

us-dept-of-state

A. Tickets purchased.
B. Valid (unexpired) passport and International Driver’s Permit in hand.
C. Overseas Crime Victim checklist reviewed.

No Plan C? Millions of Americans travel overseas each year. Relatively minor inconveniences (lost luggage,  boarding delays, hotel accommodation screw-ups…) are generally viewed as part and parcel of the travel experience; becoming a victim of a crime in an unfamiliar environment is not.  As we become a more mobile and global society, we need to familiarize ourselves with all facets of overseas travel, including the unpleasant possibility of falling victim to criminality.

Have a “Plan C” checklist (preferably written, among your important documents) prepared:

1. Know the contact information for the nearest U.S. embassies or consular agencies along your travel route. (Ensure the information is current.)   Report the crime to the U.S. embassy or consulate.  (Check with the State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs,  for U.S. embassy listings worldwide. )

NOTE: U.S. embassy officials may help to replace a lost or stolen passport, facilitate communication with your family, liaison with local law enforcement agencies…, but consular officials cannot investigate crimes, provide legal advice or represent you in court, serve as official interpreters or translators, or pay legal or medical fees for you.

2. Report the incident to local police. Obtain a police report if possible.

3. Familiarize yourself with available victim assistance and compensation programs. All U.S. states have victim compensation assistance (from counseling, group therapy and sheltering aid) and compensation programs in operation, and nearly half of them offer benefits to victims of overseas crimes. Contact the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards for online information and and assistance/compensation application forms.

We’re optimists on the whole; information has prepared us to be such.

BNI Operatives: Street smart; web savvy.

As always, be safe.

 

Remember to read the email Bulletin version in your inbox.  We distribute investigative or informational tips we won’t publicly post for misguided civilians, tire kickers and assorted “off the rails” types.  To receive an email copy of the Bulletin, you must be a licensed attorney in good standing, corporate/governmental entity or law enforcement. Email your name, email address, firm/agency/co. name to guardian@beaconbulletin.com.

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Perfect Crime; Imperfect Searches.

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Lina Maini
From Der Speigel
03/19/2009

Twins Suspected in Spectacular Jewelry Heist Set Free

Saved by their indistinguishable DNA, identical twins suspected in a massive jewelry heist have been set free. Neither could be exclusively linked to the DNA evidence.

German police say at least one of the identical twin brothers Hassan and Abbas O. may have perpetrated a recent multimillion euro jewelry heist in Berlin. But because of their indistinguishable DNA, neither can be individually linked to the crime. Both were set free on Wednesday.

Twins arrested for a multi-million euro jewelry heist in Berlin have been set free on a technicality.

More frighteningly, here in America, unusual procedures  are being quietly performed within our legal and intelligence communities;  that of using a relative’s DNA to a related criminal to a crime.   Read on. 

Using a relative’s DNA to catch criminals

US News  03/06/09

By Scott Michels

When a woman was brutally raped in Denver in 2003, DNA found at the crime scene was similar to that of a felon whose genetic profile was kept in Oregon’s DNA database–so similar that the man in Oregon was probably a close relative of the suspect, says Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey. But FBI rules on interstate cases prevented Oregon’s crime lab from sharing the man’s name with out-of-state police, effectively stalling the investigation.

“This may be the father or son of the rapist I’m looking for,” says Morrissey. “At least give us the chance to look.”

He may soon get his chance. Prompted by cases like Morrissey’s, the FBI is making it easier for police to use DNA databases to investigate the relatives of the 3.3 million known criminals whose genetic profiles are being kept by the government. In limited situations, crime labs may now release the name of a person in the database who is not actually a suspect but whose DNA is similar to DNA recovered from a crime scene–leading police to then investigate that person’s family. And some prosecutors are pushing states,which set their own policies for in-state cases, to even more aggressively use so-called family searching–a potentially powerful crime-fighting tool whose effect on civil liberties alarms privacy advocates.

It’s getting scary out there!

BNI Operatives: Street smart, web savvy.

Stay safe.

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