| Thousands of people around the world are | | | | our rent was paid every month. I wasn't |
| becoming victims to these cyber crimes like | | | | looking for handouts but just a job where I |
| Phishing, Identity theft, and Nigerian scams | | | | could work and pay my bills each month. The |
| but what happens after these people become | | | | jobs I did get would eventually be lost |
| victims. When my wife and I became victims of | | | | because of all the time I had to take off |
| a Nigerian scam with Identity theft wrapped | | | | from work to appear in court. We finally had |
| into it very few if any offered us any type | | | | to cop a plea for BS because we couldn't |
| of assistance. Victims of crimes like these | | | | afford to lose more jobs. |
| are being re victimized by local law | | | | |
| enforcement, banks, and mortgage companies. | | | | Our local church, Calvary Baptist, did help |
| The re victimization is after these people | | | | with $50 for groceries but all those agencies |
| first become victims of one of these cyber | | | | that are supposedly out there to help with |
| crimes. It isn't the cyber crime that | | | | utilities and rent, their help is pretty much |
| destroys these victims but instead it is | | | | non existent. I've heard stories of victims |
| because of the ignorance of local law | | | | who had never ever been arrested before now |
| enforcement. | | | | being incarcerated for these periods of time |
| | | | after they have become victims. You would |
| When my wife and I were arrested for criminal | | | | think that sites like Ebay, Yahoo, Google and |
| intent, at BSO 3 male officers strip searched | | | | BofA would educate their members by sending |
| my wife. You would think that for strip | | | | out an email to everybody but these places |
| searching a female they would have female | | | | say that it is a liability issue and they |
| officers do this. Then for the next 3 years | | | | just look the other way. Even if you become a |
| BSO prosecuted us for criminal intent. No | | | | victim on a site like Ebay they still will |
| speedy trial or anything. Their star witness | | | | offer no help whatsoever. |
| against us was a 3 time felon who agreed to | | | | |
| give testimony against us in exchange for her | | | | My son, Jake, who makes good money from sites |
| not having to go to prison on an armed | | | | like MySpace has decided to try and help some |
| robbery charge that was pending against her. | | | | of the victims of these cyber crimes. He is |
| | | | an affiliate for this software suite called |
| Do you know how hard it is to get a job | | | | BuddyPromoter and he has shipped it free to a |
| someplace when they do a background check and | | | | few victims and has even given them tutorials |
| see that you are currently being prosecuted | | | | on how they can replace some of their lost |
| for Grand Theft? I, myself, was incarcerated | | | | income by utilizing sites like MySpace. |
| for almost a month because of this stuff. I | | | | |
| would have been there throughout Christmas | | | | My wife, Karyn, is now a volunteer for this |
| but the judge decided to hear a few cases on | | | | one site Fraudaid which helps victims of this |
| December 24th, postponing her Christmas | | | | cyber crime that is hitting so many people on |
| leave. Of course, I did have to spend the | | | | the Internet these days. I, myself, have even |
| next 2 months on house arrest. | | | | tried to help some of these people but I have |
| | | | found that a lot of people will not even |
| Just to pay my bills I accepted work in | | | | acknowledge the help you have given them and |
| construction one summer which is very unusual | | | | this rubs me the wrong way. |
| for me because of my handicaps. I had to | | | | |
| agree to low wages because of all the illegal | | | | In the end, who is there to help the victims |
| immigrants that usually work these jobs for | | | | of the ever growing cyber crime that is |
| cheap. The only person that ever really | | | | victimizing people from all walks of life? |
| offered us any help was my Mom who made sure | | | | |