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