Soldier's last words at Fort Hood were of family

FORT HOOD, Texas – On the floor and seriously wounded, Lt. Col. Juanita Warman was acutely aware that she could die following a gunman's rampage at Fort Hood.

"She said she'd been shot in the abdomen and was bleeding," Spc. Dayna Roscoe recalled Monday at a military court hearing. "She wanted someone to tell her family that she loved them and that she wasn't going to make it."

Warman, 55, a certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who'd spent 25 years in the Army or active reserves, died of her wounds. She was among 13 people who died Nov. 5 in the worst mass shooting at an American military base.

Testimony was expected to continue Tuesday at the Article 32 hearing, which will determine whether Maj. Nidal Hasan stands trial on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

Since the hearing began last week, 39 witnesses have testified. More soldiers and the two Fort Hood police officers credited with taking the gunman down are expected to testify.

Roscoe was at a medical processing center with dozens of other soldiers when gunfire erupted there. She survived wounds to her arm and leg after another soldier used belts as tourniquets.

None of the 10 soldiers who testified Monday was asked to identify Hasan, who sat in a wheelchair in the courtroom. He is paralyzed from the waist down from police gunfire that ended the onslaught.

But Roscoe described the gunman as wearing an Army combat uniform, bald and clean shaven. He carried a handgun as he rounded a corner and headed toward her, she said.

She said she covered her face, demonstrating by putting her hands around her ears and pulling her arms over the side of her head.

Asked by a prosecutor, Lt. Col. Steve Henricks, what would have happened if the bullet hadn't pierced her arm, "It would have struck me in the chest," she replied, adding that the gunman turned his attention elsewhere, then returned and shot her two more times.

Maj. Randy Royer, using a cane as he climbed the witness stand Monday, repeated events told by other witnesses, how a man identified by many as Hasan stood near the front door and shouted: "Allahu Akbar!" — "God is great!" in Arabic — before shooting at soldiers, all unarmed, in a crowded waiting area.

Many of the witnesses have testified that the gunman kept firing rapidly as he walked around the building, pausing only to reload.

Spc. Jonathan Sims, whose testimony via video link from Afghanistan was punctuated several times by the sounds jet aircraft, said on Nov. 5 he was trying to keep pressure on the neck wound of a buddy, Pfc. Mick Engenhl, when he was shot. He pulled a collapsed table over him and Engenhl, but soon felt pressure as if someone were standing on it.

Asked by Henricks if he thought he knew who stood on the table, Sims said: "I believe it to be the shooter.

"Who else would be dumb enough to stand up for that long period of time during shooting?"

At some point after the hearing, Col. James L. Pohl, the investigating officer in the case, will recommend whether Hasan should go to trial. That decision — and whether the Army will seek the death penalty — ultimately will be made by Fort Hood's commanding general.

Hasan remains jailed. There is no bail in the military justice system.

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U.S. convicts Singapore man in Tamil Tigers arms plot

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A federal jury in Baltimore has convicted a Singapore national of conspiring to provide weapons to Tamil Tiger rebels operating in Sri Lanka, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday.

Balraj Naidu, 48, was charged in a conspiracy to provide material support to the rebel group designated in 1997 by the U.S. Department of State as a foreign terrorist organization.

According to evidence presented at his trial, Naidu and four co-conspirators arranged to buy some 28 tons of U.S.-made weapons and ammunition from an undercover business in Maryland.

Tamil Tiger representatives made a $250,000 down-payment on the $900,000 weapons deal with the bogus company in the summer of 2006, the Justice Department said.

Naidu's partners were arrested in September 2006, after inspecting the weapons that had been delivered to Guam and making another payment of $450,000 to the undercover business, the Justice Department said. Naidu was arrested after a further investigation, it said.

U.S. officials said the group also had tried to buy weapons from China, Thailand, North Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia for the group formally known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to be used against Sri Lankan government forces.

Naidu faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The co-conspirators: Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, 40, of Sri Lanka; Haji Subandi, 73, and retired Indonesian Marine Corps General Erick Wotulo, 62, both Indonesians; and Haniffa Bin Osman, 59, of Singapore, all pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 57 months, 37 months, 30 months and 37 months in prison, respectively.

The LTTE had advocated the violent overthrow of the Sri Lankan government and a separate state for Tamils since the movement's inception in 1976.

The U.S. designation as a foreign terrorist organization barred the rebel group from legally raising money or buying operational equipment in the United States.

Sri Lanka's military defeated the LTTE in May 2009 after an insurgency that lasted more than 30 years.

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Obama's African Relatives Think His Father Was Murdered

(Oct. 18) -- Perhaps the president can add this one to his list of myths to bust in December when he appears on the Discovery Channel show "MythBusters": His father was not killed in a car accident in 1982, as was reported, but was murdered. 

So goes a family theory investigated by Peter Firstbrook in his history of President Barack Obama's African side of the family, "The Obamas," and dissected by Obama biographer David Remnick in a post today on the New Yorker's website. 

Barack Obama Sr. was "a thwarted politician and bureaucrat," outspoken in his criticism of the Kenyan government's acceptance of corruption among its ranks, according to Remnick. 

He was also a heavy drinker, nicknamed "Mr. Double-Double" after his usual Scotch orders. On the night of his death he was found inside his car, which had hit a tree. 

Firstbrook talked to Charles Oluoch, a cousin of the president, who related the family's suspicions. Obama Sr. had been in a number of accidents before and had survived them all. His body appeared to be fairly unharmed -- no broken bones and only a small amount of blood.

"Although it looked like an accident, our family suspected that there must have been foul play. I am not a medical doctor, but the way we saw Barack lying there, he didn't look like somebody who was involved in an accident," Oluoch said.

Sarah Obama, the president's step-grandmother, told the author a similar story. 

"We think there was foul play there, and that is how he died, and they covered it up [by saying] that he had an accident," she said. "But we just had to leave it like that because the government then was very ruthless."

Remnick talked to Caroline Elkins, a historian at Harvard, who said she doesn't buy it. Obama Sr. was a "serious, fall-down alcoholic" and his family is probably trying to restore his reputation now that they have one of their own in White House, she said.

But as Firstbrook points out 25 years later, we will probably never know the truth ...

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Five New Frightening Types of Cyber attacks

(Oct. 18) -- Worried about e-mails that appear to be from your bank but could well be part of a phishing scam? That may soon be the least of your problems. With concerns about cyberattacks on the rise, computer security experts are looking ahead to what they think might be the next wave of attacks. 

What they find is that everything from your car to your computer webcam is vulnerable to attack. Here are five new types of attacks:

1) Social Network Attacks: Malware that steals your e-mail contacts, passwords and other personal information is old news. But a new technical paper by a group of Israeli researchers says the cybersecurity community is ignoring a new, more insidious type of attack: one that preys on your entire social network, working to slowly pilfer information about your behavior and life.

Dubbed "stealing reality," these types of attacks, the researchers argue, are more insidious because the "victim of a 'behavioral pattern' theft cannot easily change her behavior and life patterns."

"Most likely those attacks are currently happening," lead author Yaniv Altshuler, a research scientist at Ben Gurion University, told AOL News.

Altshuler says the market for this sort of information already exists. "And If there is a buyer, there is a seller," he added.

2) Attacks on Cars: Today's automobiles often come equipped with the equivalent of advanced computer systems, which means that like your home computer, they could be vulnerable to attack. In a new paper, researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego, say they have demonstrated "the ability to adversarially control a wide range of automotive functions and completely ignore driver input -- including disabling the brakes, selectively braking individual wheels on demand, stopping the engine, and so on."

Everything from your car's wireless tire-pressure sensors to its stolen-vehicle tracking and recovery system provides opportunities for hackers to gain control of your vehicle without you even knowing.

3) Medical Devices: Today, wireless pacemakers can send your doctor or hospital real-time data on your heart, showing just how far medical devices have come with the help of modern electronics. But with that new technology comes a new threat: the possibility of someone hacking into your medical device or injecting malicious code that disrupts the lifesaving device. Prosthetic limbs, wireless pacemakers and other implantable medical devices might all be at risk.

"This is very real -- the bad guys would buy the pieces and just work on them a little bit," Greg Hoglund, who heads HBGary, a computer security company, told an audience earlier this year at a Northern California Hospital Cyberterrorism Seminar. "It's amazing someone hasn't pulled this off yet."

4) Hacking Your Webcam: Watch out for the light on your computer that shows the webcam is on, even after you think you've turned it off. It could be a Trojan computer program operating the camera, taking pictures or even video, and sending it over the Internet without your knowledge. For those who leave their laptops on and open, that's the equivalent of having Big Brother in your bedroom or office without you knowing.

There are already cases of this happening, for example, in Germany. "A man has been arrested for spying on more than 150 girls in their bedrooms by hacking into their computers and using their webcams to watch them, provoking warnings that others will be doing the same thing," DPA, the German press agency, reported earlier this year.

5) Smart Phone Attacks: Most consumers worried about cyberattacks associate the threat with their home PCs or laptops. So they often think nothing of downloading applications to their smart phones, which often contain just as much personal information as their home computers.

"Nobody's making money at the moment with mobile security," said Mikko Hypponen, the chief research officer of Finland's F-Secure, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "But all the players assume that sooner or later we will see a major outbreak or some other major event that will change the situation forever."

Filed under: Nation, Crime, Tech

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If Your Identity Has Been Stolen Four Steps to Take Now

There are some funny television commercials today about the affects of identity theft, but for those who have been victims, there is nothing at all funny about the experience.

People have not only lost their credit ratings, money, and reputations due to identity theft, but have been refused loans, educational opportunities, job offers, and have even been arrested for crimes they did not commit.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, if you think your identity has been stolen, here are some steps that you need to take immediately:

Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.

Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.

File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you.

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Preventing Child Abuse

As an individual and as a member of your community, you have the power to prevent child abuse and neglect. Here are some ways to contribute your ounce—or more—of effort to prevention.

Understand the problem. Child abuse and neglect affect children of all ages, races, and incomes. According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, in 2001, an estimated 903,000 children nationwide were victims of maltreatment. Most experts believe that actual incidents of abuse and neglect are more numerous than statistics indicate.

Understand the terms. Child abuse and neglect take more than one form. Federal and State laws address four main types of child maltreatment: physical abuse, physical or emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Often more than one type of abuse or neglect occurs within families. Some types of maltreatment, such as emotional abuse, are much harder to substantiate than others, such as physical abuse.

Understand the causes. Most parents don't hurt or neglect their children intentionally. Many were themselves abused or neglected. Very young or inexperienced parents might not know how to take care of their babies or what they can reasonably expect from children at different stages of development. Circumstances that place families under extraordinary stress - for instance, poverty, divorce, sickness, disability - sometimes take their toll in child maltreatment. Parents who abuse alcohol or other drugs are more likely to abuse or neglect their children.

Support programs that support families. Parent education, community centers, respite care services, and substance abuse treatment programs help to protect children by addressing circumstances that place families at risk for child abuse and neglect. Donate your time or money, if you can.

Report suspected abuse and neglect. Some States require everyone to report suspected abuse or neglect; others specify members of certain professions, such as educators and doctors. But whether or not you are mandated by law to report child abuse and neglect, doing so may save a child - and a family. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the police or your local child welfare agency.

Spread the word. Help educate others in your community about child abuse and neglect. See the list below for sources of free materials. Ask if you can leave a stack of brochures at your local public library, recreation or community center, government center, or other public place. You also might make material available at your church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other faith institutions. Even grocery stores usually have places to distribute community materials.

Strengthen the fabric of your community. Know your neighbors' names and the names of their children, and make sure they know yours. Give stressed parents a break by offering to watch their children. Volunteer. If you like interacting with children, great, but you do not have to volunteer directly with kids to contribute to prevention. All activities that strengthen communities, such as service to civic clubs and participation on boards and committees, ultimately contribute to the well-being of children.

source: about.com

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The Four Types of Domestic Abuse ,Abuse Can Take Many Forms

Domestic abuse is a growing problem that affects millions of people in all kinds of relationships including traditional marriages, same-sex partnerships or even relationships where there is no sexual intimacy involved.

Physical violence, of course, is the most blatant form of domestic abuse, sometimes called intimate partner violence. But physical abuse is not the only form of domestic abuse.

Four Main Types of Abuse

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, intimate partner violence means physical, sexual or psychological harm inflicted by a current or former spouse or partner.

According to the CDC, these are the four main types of intimate partner violence:

Physical Violence - This mean intentionally using physical force to harm, injury, disable or kill. It can involve using a weapon or restrains or merely using body, size or strength to harm another person. Physical violence can include:

Burning

Biting

Choking

Grabbing

Punching

Pushing

Throwing

Scratching

Shoving

Shaking

Slapping

Sexual Violence - Sexual abuse not only includes forcing someone to have sex, but it can also include having sex with someone who is unable to refuse due to disability, illness, intimidation or the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

There are three main categories of sexual abuse:

Using physical force to compel someone to have sex against their will, whether the act is completed or not.

Attempting or having sex with someone who is unable to understand the nature of the act or unable to decline participation or is unable to communicate their unwillingness.

Abusive sexual contact of any kind.

Threats of Violence - The use of words, gestures, motions, looks or weapons to communicate a threat to harm, injure, disable, rape or kill them. The act does not have to be carried out for it to be abusive behavior.

Psychological and Emotional Abuse - Using acts, threats of acts or coercive tactics to cause someone emotional trauma. If there has been previous physical or sexual abuse in the relationship, any further threat of abuse is considered psychological or emotion violence.

Psychological abuse can include:

Humiliation

Controlling what the victim can and cannot do.

Withholding information.

Diminishing or embarrassing the victim.

Isolating the victim from friends and family.

Denying the victim access to money or other resources.

Get Help Immediately

Research shows that domestic violence usually gets progressively worse. Rarely does it stop because the abuser promises that it will never happen again. If you are in an abusive relationship, there are many resources available to help you. Please seek help today.

source: about.com

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What is Stockholm Syndrome? A Stragedy of Survival

1974 Swiss Bank Robbery Hostages

When men and women are placed in a situation where they no longer have any control over their fate, feel intense fear of physical harm and believe all control is in the hands of their tormentor, a stragedy for survival can result which can develop into a psychological response that can include sympathy and support for their captor's plight.

Why the Name?

The name Stockholm Syndrome was derived from a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, where four hostages were held for six days. Throughout their imprisonment and while in harm's way, each hostage seemed to defend the actions of the robbers and even appeared to rebuke efforts by the government to rescue them.

Months after their ordeal had ended, the hostages continued to exhibit loyalty to their captors to the point of refusing to testify against them, as well as helping the criminals raise funds for legal representation.

A Common Survival Mechanism

The response of the hostages intrigued behaviorist. Research was conducted to see if the Kreditbanken incident was unique or if other hostages in similar circumstances experienced the same sympathetic, supportive bonding with their captors. The researchers determined that such behavior was very common.

Other Famous Cases

More recently, some believe Elizabeth Smart fell victim to Stockholm Syndrome after her nine months of captivity and abuse by her captives, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee.

Another more famous case in the U.S, is that of heiress Patty Hearst, who at age 19 was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). Two months after her kidnapping, she was seen in photographs participating in a SLA bank robbery in San Francisco. Later a tape recording was released with Hearst (SLA pseudonym Tania) voicing her support and commitment to the SLA cause.

After the SLA group, including Hearst, were arrested, she denounced the radical group. During her trial her defense lawyer attributed her behavior while with the SLA to a subconscious effort to survive, comparing her reaction to captivity to other victims of Stockholm Syndrome. According to testimony, Hearst was bound, blindfolded and kept in a small dark closet where she was physically and sexually abused for weeks prior to the bank robbery.

What Causes Stockholm Syndrome?

Individuals can apparently succumb to Stocholm Syndrome under the following circumstances:

Believing one's captor can and will kill them.

Isolation from anyone but the captors.

Belief that escape is impossible.

Inflating the captor's acts of kindness into genuine care for each other's welfare.

Victims of Stockholm Syndrome generally suffer from severe isolation and emotional and physical abuse demonstrated in characteristics of battered spouses, incest victims, abused children, prisoners of war, cult victims and kidnapped or hostage victims. Each of these circumstances can result in victims responding in a compliant and supportive way as a tactic for survival.

  

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Don't press #90 or #09 on mobile

Just a warning from the public

BEWARE all mobile phone users 

  

Don't press #90 or #09 

  

If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person, saying that, that they're checking your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number.

End this call immediately without pressing any numbers.

There is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your 'SIM' card and make calls at your expense. 

  

This information has been confirmed by both Motorola and Nokia. 

Over 3 Million mobile phones are being infected by this virus in all around the world now. 

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Protect Yourself Against Sexual Assault

It's All About Control, Degradation, and Violence

Sexual assault is any unwanted, nonconsensual, forced sexual contact or activity which purpose is to control and/or humiliate another person. It can include acts of touching, kissing exhibitionism, and intercourse — anal, vaginal or oral.

There are ways you can help prevent a sexual assault. According to the New York Police Detective Bureau, this includes being alert to your surroundings. Know the location, street name, surrounding buildings, in case it becomes necessary for you to call 911. Listen to your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable or in danger in any given situation, leave immediately.

Learn to be observant of people around you. What color eyes do they have? What are they wearing? Notice their teeth, tattoos, their size, hairstyle, or any other distinguishable features. All these will help you in the event it becomes necessary to contact the police.

Making Your Home Safe

Avoid sleeping with your windows open.

Have peep holes on your doors and use them. If you do not recognize who is at your door, do not open it, even with the chain on. Most chain locks can easily be kicked in.

Do not open the door to service people unless you are expecting them. Call their employer and verify their identity and the reason they need to enter your home.

If a stranger asks to use your phone, do not let the person enter. Offer to make the call for them.

Do not buzz someone into the building or hold the lobby door open unless you know the person.

Have the number to 911 programmed into your telephone.

Be mentally prepared of the possibility of being attacked and what possible actions you would take if confronted.

Install safety approved gates or bars on windows that can be reached from fire escapes on from the ground floor.

In your home or apartment, you will also want to make sure your entrance is well lit. Install security lights in areas where people can hide. Keep your doors locked and blinds pulled. Do not advertise your full name in the phone book on the mailbox. Your initials and last name are all that is needed. Invest in a paper shredder and shred any personal identifying envelopes or papers.

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Why is Internet Safety Important?

Today's Web is vastly different from yesteryear's Web and today's malware is vastly different from yesteryear's virus. No longer a form of digital graffiti, modern day malware is all about money. Your money, that is. This change in intent has also led to a corresponding change in tactics. Modern day malware is made to hide. Social engineering scams are increasingly sophisticated. Man-in-the-middle attacks can forcibly redirect you to hostile websites.

The Web has also changed. No longer a static one-sided delivery method, today's websites host and push content from a variety of sources. And the notion of surfing to only "known good sites" no longer applies. Today's dynamic Web technologies lend themselves to mass compromise of perfectly legitimate websites, outfitted with malicious scripts that turn the "known good site" into a virtual conveyor belt of malware.

The same technologies that foster Web developments also enable attackers to work smarter and faster. An attacker can use virtual hosting providers that redirect (and mask) a site's true origin. Automated tools leverage search engines to ferret out sites vulnerable to compromise. Other automated tools allow attackers to continually churn out repackaged malware designed to thwart signature-based antivirus. And in the darkest recesses of the Internet, the attackers use blogs, forums, and chat to barter malware and exploit frameworks.

And all of this is designed for profit - tricking you into laundering money, stealing your credit card details, siphoning your bank accounts, and even outright identity theft. Don't look to your bank to protect you either - if you don't directly foot the bill for the stolen funds, you'll indirectly pay for it with higher fees and higher prices sometime down the road.

The threat of compromised websites 

Web pages are coded in various browser-friendly scripting languages, typically including combinations of HTML, Javascript, ActiveX, and CSS. When a request to a website is made, the source code for that page is loaded and interpreted by the browser. What you see in your browser is the visual manifestation of the source commands.

A Web page isn't just static content from one source. It supports multiple types of active content, including from third-parties. Google Adsense is a good example of that (as is any other third-party advertising included on a site). The same programming techniques used to load third party advertising can be used to load any third party content, including malicious content if so desired. And attackers use that to their advantage.

In other words, when you visit one website, you are in reality pulling content from several different sites and servers. In the past, the biggest web risk was that third party content might be booby-trapped. For example, a rogue advertiser might insert a malicious banner ad into the advertising network, which then was pulled by all participating websites.

Today, the risk has shifted dramatically. Attackers are directly compromising websites and outfitting them with malicious external calls to hostile content.

SQL Injection Attacks 

One of the most common forms of Web site compromise are via SQL injection compromise. SQL is short for Standard Query Language, a scripting language used to manage databases. Many/most websites use some sort of database backend. This can be for everything from creating all or most of the site pages to storing information and generating search results pages. SQL injection attacks are malformed SQL queries that instruct the database to take some sort of unintended action beyond just returning requested data. In other words, a SQL injection attack tricks the database into responding to the query as if it were a command to take some specific action, versus just returning some type of information.

A database that is vulnerable to SQL injection can be compromised in a number of ways. Of most concern from an Internet safety standpoint are SQL injection attacks that embed malicious hidden iframes and malicious external references within the source code of the compromised Web pages.

When a Web surfer encounters one of these compromised pages, these hostile third-party references call up exploit code and malware from the attacker-owned sites. This action is invisible to the Web surfer - only a thorough examination of the website source code provides the tell-tale signs of the compromise; the page displayed by the browser looks perfectly normal.

Beginning in late October 2007, a series of SQL injection attacks began which continue to compromise millions of Web pages (past compromises include Ikea and WalMart). And because the malware is being delivered from reputable (but compromised) websites, the old advice to only surf to known reputable sites no longer helps. Worse, the malware foisted by the compromised sites typically consists of password stealers and backdoors. These password stealers and backdoors can be used to steal credit card information, bank account login credentials, and other sensitive financial or personal information.

When encountering one of these compromised sites, chances are you won't notice anything awry. The malware launches silently and once on the system it often uses rootkit technology to hide itself.

Staying Safe Online 

Internet safety isn't about avoiding the unknown or untrusted. Today, Internet safety also includes guarding against threats coming from even the most staid, legitimate, and otherwise honorable websites. Or in the words of the X-Files, 'trust no one'.

To avoid being victimized by a compromised website, either use the NoScript addon for Firefox, or disable active scripting in Internet Explorer and Opera. For further details, see Web Browser Security. In addition, follow these computer safety tips to lessen your susceptibility should exposure occur.

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Parent's Guide to MySpace Safety

Parenting in a MySpace World

Unfortunately, this is one of those moments that parents dread. Your kids are probably going to find a way to use MySpace, so you may be better off having them do so at home under your supervision. The good news is that there are some safe guards in place you can use to help protect your kids. First, though, you need to understand why MySpace is a danger for your children.

The Ugly Truth

Kids connect with people they shouldn’t.

MySpace is a social networking site. It’s designed to connect people. Unfortunately, MySpace is also a slice of the real world. That means that, along with all of the friendly people, there are plenty of not-so-nice kids and adults looking to cause your child harm.

Kids see things they shouldn’t.

MySpace is open to all ages and personalities. The site has got quite a bit of highly suggestive and nearing-on-the-pornographic content. It’s easy to stumble upon something you’ll wish you hadn’t.

Kids post things they shouldn’t.

For some reason, kids (and a lot of adults) think that their online profiles are private. They post their own suggestive pictures and stories, they share far too much personal information, and they make up vicious lies about each other to get revenge. Some kids will even share their full name, address and phone number freely with others.

As more and more people use the Internet to perform background searches, everyone should put more thought into what they say and do online. There are plenty of stories of people losing their jobs, getting expelled, and not getting into college based on information they posted on the Internet.

What Parents Can Do

Set boundaries.

Children under the age of 14 are not allowed to register, so that should be a non-negotiable point. Once they turn 14, it’s up to the parents to create the rules. If they are allowed to register, consider setting aside a time of day for spending on MySpace. Make sure that you are present during this time to keep an eye on your child’s activities.

Create your own MySpace profile and add your children as friends. 

First of all, it’s important for you to learn how the site works, what type of content is available, and how to navigate the system. It will help you understand what your children are doing and gain a better sense of how to keep them safe.

Talk with your kids about Internet safety and explain why you’re concerned.

Have them agree to a set of guidelines and let them know that their Internet privileges are at stake. Also, make sure that they understand that you will be watching their activities.

Follow through. 

It is important that you follow through on your own commitments to your children. If you say you’ll be monitoring their activities, make sure you do so regularly. Not only does it help you keep them safe, but it lets them know how serious you are.

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Tips to Avoiding International Mass Marketing Fraud Beware of Nigerian Scam

The FBI offers these tips to avoid international mass-marketing frauds, such as the Nigerian and other foreign goverment scams.

If you receive a letter, email or telephone solicitation from another country asking you to send personal banking information, do not reply in any manner. Provide the information to the FBI as soon as possible.

If you know someone who is corresponding in one of these schemes, encourage that person to contact the FBI.

Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian, other foreign government officials, or claiming to be the FBI, U.S. Customs or the Internal Revenue Service asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts or asking for advance fees so that you can collect any funds or alleged winnings.

Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.

Guard your account information carefully.

Individuals receiving these letters or other forms of solicitations are encouraged to report this criminal activity to their local FBI Field Office. The telephone numbers are located in local telephone books and can also be obtained on the Internet by accessing the FBI's official Homepage. Additionally, the information can be reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) via the FBI homepage.

Nigerian Fraud Emails Using FBI Letterhead

Nov 17 2004

Recently, a number of unsolicited letters from Nigeria were sent to various businesses throughout the United States using FBI letterhead and the identities of FBI officials as part of a mass marketing fraud scheme. These letters appear to come from one or more non-existing entities and are entitled "Memo on Debt Payment."

The letters advise that a group called the "Debt Settlement Panel" is the approved paying office in Nigeria. The letters encourage individuals to deal exclusively with that office. While most law-abiding citizens will recognize these letters as obvious forgeries, it is important to note that millions of dollars in losses are caused to several individuals by these schemes each year.

These fraud schemes combine the threat of impersonation fraud and identity theft with a variation of an advance fee scheme in which a letter or e-mail offers the recipient the "opportunity" to share in a percentage of millions of dollars that the author, a self proclaimed government official, is trying to transfer illegally out of Nigeria.

These fraudulent letters have been received for a number of years through the U.S. Mail and increasingly are received through the Internet. The recipient is encouraged to send information to the author, such as blank letterhead stationary, bank name and account numbers and other identifying information using a facsimile number, e-mail address, and telephone number provided in the letter.

Propensity For Larceny

Some of these letters have also been received via e-mail through the internet. The scheme relies on convincing a willing victim, who has demonstrated a "propensity for larceny" by responding to the invitation, to send money to the author of the letter in Nigeria in several installments of increasing amounts for a variety of reasons.

Payment of taxes, bribes to government officials, and legal fees are often described in great detail with the promise that all expenses will be reimbursed as soon as the funds are spirited out of Nigeria. In actuality, the millions of dollars do not exist and the victim eventually loses all funds they provided as a result of this solicitation.

Once the victim stops sending money, the perpetrators have been known to use the personal information and checks to impersonate the victim, draining bank accounts and credit card balances until the victim's assets are taken in their entirety. In the past, some victims have been lured to Nigeria or other countries, where they have been imprisoned against their will or assaulted, in addition to losing large sums of money.

Problem Is Pervasive

The Nigerian government has created the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in an effort to curb these and related schemes. One Nigerian subject, Charles Dike, was recently extradited to Los Angeles for his role in a telemarketing scam that he initiated from Vancouver, British Columbia. However, the problem is so pervasive that is difficult for Nigerian law enforcement to arrest, prosecute or extradite all that are involved in these schemes.

This problem is exacerbated by the number of Nigerian emigres who are operating these schemes from other countries such as Canada, The Netherlands, Spain, England, and other African nations.

Individuals receiving these letters or other forms of solicitations are encouraged to report this criminal activity to their local FBI Field Office.

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Your Wallet: Too Much Information?

What's In Your Wallet?



One simple way to protect yourself against identity theft is to limit the amount of confidential information you carry in your wallet.


Experts Recommend What Not to Carry


Bank account numbers


Personal identification numbers (PINs)


Passports


Birth certificates


Social Security cards


Although many states continue to use Social Security numbers on drivers' licenses, this practice is changing.


Steps to Protect Your Wallet


While it may seem obvious, it can't hurt to mention a few basic words about protecting your wallet:


Don't take out your wallet until you actually need it.


Don't forget your wallet before leaving a restaurant, store or any public place.


Never put your wallet down alongside a cash register, in a phone booth or even on top of your car.


A good rule of thumb is this: Never set down your wallet unless your hand is attached to it.

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