Protect Yourself: How To Spot An Online Scam

January 17, 2012

Hemanshu Nigam is the founder of SSP Blue, the leading advisory firm for online safety, security, and privacy challenges facing corporations and governments. Read his bio here.

 

Criminals Are as Cyber Savvy as Ever

Shoppers are not the only ones looking for good deals on the Internet.  Hackers, scammers and fraudsters are shopping around for good deals too – deals like your personal information for free. Online scams are on the rise all over the country. According to the FBI supported 2010 Internet Crime Complaint Center Report, online fraud in the U.S. doubled to a reported $560 million in losses.

About 16 % of complaints covered in the above numbers for the FBI are attributed to email “phishing” scams (fraudulent emails sent for the purpose of information and/or identity theft). And the latest projections show that this year 40% of consumers will have their information misused.  Because hackers are becoming more savvy and using better tactics, consumers need to be more careful than ever before.

In the past, we’ve talked a lot about putting strong security measures in place by running anti-phishing and anti-virus software and keeping them updated.    

Now let’s talk about how to spot the scam in the first place. 

Here are some great tips on how to avoid being scammed, phished, wormed and otherwise duped.

Be wary of unsolicited emails that:

• Slightly altered web addresses resembling the names of legitimate companies, i.e.www.palpay.com or www.verify-paypal.com instead of www.paypal.com
• Come from someone you know but the content doesn’t sound like something they would write
• Request personal information such as your password, home address, social security number, birth date, mothers maiden name and etc.   (See example below)



2011’s Cybercrime Explosion and Your 3 Cybersecurity Resolutions For 2012

January 02, 2012

By Hemanshu (Hemu) Nigam, former federal computer-crime prosecutor.

Cybercrime touched the lives of so many Americans in 2011 that it felt as pervasive as the common cold and as painful as the flu.  According to a report by security giant Symantec, someone is a victim of a cybercrime 14 times every second. In the last year, over 430 million people have been the victims of cybercrime.  All this information does not mean that we need to throw out all our fancy digital devices and gadgets.  Instead, these staggering statistics mean that careful attention to cyber security is a necessary part of smart living.

But to understand how to be prepared, we need to look back at cybercrime in 2011. 

More “Catchy” Viruses

Viruses and malware were the most common types of cybercrime last year.  Viruses are usually transmitted through unsuspecting users who visit or download from corrupt sites and who open emails containing malicious software -- or “malware.”   In 2011, 54 percent of online adults experienced a virus or malware attack.

 Many of the most potent viruses this year were transmitted via links to corrupted sites or email attachments, often hitting as a disguised news story.

• We’re used to getting emails about packages being delivered. This year, hackers exploited that comfort and sent out emails impersonating DHL that launched a virus into the user’s computer.
• A popular “news” scam was a report about Fidel Castro’s death that launched a virus.
• A faked video of the death of Osama bin Laden was another virus circulated this year.
• Lady Gaga’s Twitter account was hacked and attackers sent out a link to a site where users could get a free iPad 2. Users were directed to a corrupted website.

 

Meet the Bleep: Woman Hoodwinked by Double-Crossing Hit Man

September 19, 2011

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

credit: Dylan Ellis/Corbis

 

Meet the Bleep(s): Marissa Mark, Essam Ahmed Eid

The Betrayal:
Perhaps the internet is not the best place to find a trustworthy hit man. Marissa Mark met Essam Ahmed Eid via hitmanforhire.net, and agreed to pay him $37,000 to shoot her ex’s girlfriend in the head. Mark financed the operation using stolen credit cards.

The Break:
But Eid, a business-minded man, was apparently more interested in bringing in more moolah than carrying out a murder. He sent the intended victim a note with the following message:

"Somebody wants your head. Somebody wants you killed and they hate you a lot."

As quick as Eid was to warn this woman of the threat on her life, he was helpful in offering up a solution, too. For a cool $19K from the intended victim, the con man proposed to kill Marissa Mark, instead. 

Eid was later apprehended in Ireland, for attempting to run a similar scam, and Mark pleaded guilty to her part in the murder-for-hire plot.

Take in the full story:

 

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Meet the Bleep: The Man Who Cried Sick Steals More Than $200,000 from Online Suitors

August 23, 2011

  Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

credit: Stockbyte

 

 

Meet the Bleep: Albert Lovering

The Betrayal:
Albert Lovering was a man in need of a little tender love and care cash. To heal his aching pains for money he decided to diagnose himself with a number of severe medical conditions, check into a hospital that never existed, and ask his girlfriend for financial aid to cover his treatments and procedures. Lovering convinced this woman to mail $100,000 to his alter ego, Doug Spencer, a man who swooped in via email claiming to be a friend volunteering to cash checks for Lovering while he was ill.

 

The Break:
As easy as it was for Lovering to send himself to a fake hospital, he couldn’t as easily create a fake bank; security photos show him cashing his girlfriend’s checks during the time he alleged he was in the hospital.

 

Lovering is now looking at a 24-count indictment that accuses him of swindling more than $200,000 from four unidentified ladies in the name of love. Despite being married, this sick man would meet and woo women online and then create an emergency situation to pressure his lovers to lend him money he never ended up repaying.

 

Lovering, dubbed the “love bandit,” pleaded not guilty at his initial hearing; a judge will examine the case at a pretrial hearing in September.

 

Survey the symptoms in the full story

 

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Meet The Bleep: Male Pastor Poses as Female to Solicit Nude Pictures of Young Boys

July 25, 2011

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

credit: Thinkstock

 

Meet the Bleep: Daniel Leslie Mooneyham

 

The Betrayal:
Youth pastor Daniel Leslie Mooneyham was seeking more than confessions from his church. Under the guise of a fake Facebook profile, Mooneyham transformed into teenage girl “Terri Smith,” baiting young boys with naked pictures of a topless female in the hopes they’d send naked pictures in return.

Mooneyham even targeted some of the boys in his own congregation.

The Break:
Determined to beat her husband at his own game, his wife Jami created a fake Facebook account of her own, posing as a teenage boy to send messages to her husband. She shuttered his operation by reporting him to the FBI, and then filed for divorce in a flash.

 Get The Full Story

 

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Cybercrime: An Escalating Global Menace

July 22, 2011

By Patrick J. Kiger

Could Cybercrime Lead to Global Depression?

While our attention has been focused upon the News of the World voicemail hacking scandal, revelation of another, potentially much more serious electronic breach went almost unnoticed. Last week, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III disclosed that in March, computer hackers penetrated the network of an unnamed defense contractor and stole 24,000 sensitive files.

Lynn blamed the theft on a foreign power. But computer security experts say such missions often are contracted out by spy agencies to shadowy gangs of cybercriminals, who crack the security of both government computers and corporate networks with alarming frequency.

News of the cyber-attack on the defense contractor comes in the wake of an admission in June by Citigroup that hackers had penetrated its Citi Account Online website is just the latest evidence of cybercriminals' growing ability to penetrate the electronic defenses of the financial institutions upon which the global economy depends.

The attack, the hackers were able to obtain the names, account numbers and contact information of about 210,000 Citi credit card customers across North America, comes in the wake of recent assaults on targets ranging from Sony to Google's Gmail system. Keyboard buccaneers even had the boldness to attack RSA, a security firm that provides electronic passcode keys to companies, and then utilize the stolen information to try to break into defense contractor Lockheed Martin's network.

Those attacks against major companies are just a part of the growing global wave of cybercrime, which targets ordinary people as well as institutions and businesses. "Phishing," in which cybercriminals use booby-trapped emails to lure unwary Internet users to fake bank and credit card websites that steal their passwords and/or social security numbers, caused an estimated $1 billion in losses in 2010 in the U.S. alone.

But the cybercrime problem could become far worse, warns, Hemanshu "Hemu" Nigam, a former federal computer-crime prosecutor who now heads SSP Blue, an online security firm whose clients include Microsoft and News Corporation, among others. Nigam sees the recent hacking incidents as part of a evolution of electronic crime over the past decade and a half, in which the random, malicious pranks of an antisocial few have morphed gradually into massive, coordinated attacks launched all over the globe, often at the behest of organized crime syndicates, terrorist groups and even governments.

Nigam says that unless more is done to thwart cybercrime, hackers eventually may succeed in crippling major targets such as major stock or commodities exchanges, and trigger a market crash that would lead to a global depression. Another catastrophic scenario could result from hackers attacking publicly-traded companies and crippling their Internet operations in order to drive down the value of their shares, in order to enrich corrupt short-sellers. "Some people may think that I'm a doomsday prophet, but these things could happen," he says.

Nigam says that cybercrime has been permitted to take root and flourish because society persists in seeing it as a victimless crime, an annoyance rather than a grave threat. "If you rob someone at gunpoint and take her money, the community is outraged," he explains. "If you steal her passwords and drain her bank account so she doesn't have enough money to live on, it doesn't evoke the same response, even though she's going to suffer just as much. We've got to start thinking of cybercrime as a crime in which people are victims, not computers."

But controlling — let alone stopping — cybercrime isn't going to be simple or easy. Nigam says it will require a concerted global effort, in which governments, businesses and ordinary people all become more vigilant and cooperate in warning one another about threats. He's still hopeful that some future advance in security technology will be a game-changer. In particular, Nigam would like to see identification technologies that utilize biometric data — such as retinal scans — to create the digital equivalent of a fingerprint, and provide a hack-proof means of verifying that Internet users are who they say they are. Another solution may involve combining such identification technology with multiple other digital checkpoints, such as passwords or behavioral analysis, in which a system watches for uncharacteristic behavior by a user.

 

Photo Credit: James Lauritz/Getty Images

Meet The Bleep: Sleazy Stash of Cash Stowed in the Gun Safe

July 18, 2011

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

(Photo Credit: PolkaDot Images)

Meet the Bleep:  Harold

The Betrayal:
Harold stowed away a stash of $100 bills to support his addiction to internet porn and prostitutes. Harold attended “business meetings” turned cheap hotel meet-ups, and sent thank you notes for ladies’ “services".

When first confronted by his wife, Kathryn, about his addiction, Harold pointed the finger at their two sons, claiming they were to blame for the naughty websites that appeared on his computer.

The Break:
Determined to expose the man for his kinky crusades, his family collected a binder full of evidence, and traced Harold’s X-rated online adventures. When Harold claimed he wasn’t interested in counseling, Kathryn kicked the perv to the curb with a divorce notice.

The Full Story Exposed

 

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Hacker Convicted of Attacking Multiple Media Outlets

September 26, 2010

A computer programmer has been convicted of launching a virus that infected approximately 100,000 computers around the world and directed them to attack media outlets that republished stories that mentioned him.

On Wednesday, a jury in Camden, New Jersey, handed down the verdict against Bruce Raisley, 49. Raisley was convicted of launching a malicious computer program designed to attack computers and Internet websites, causing damages.

According to the United States Attorney's Office in New Jersey, Raisley is a former volunteer with Perverted Justice, an organization that worked with the Dateline NBC television show "To Catch a Predator" to identify and apprehend pedophiles. After a falling out with the group and its founder, Xavier Von Erck, Raisley became an outspoken critic of Perverted Justice and Von Erck.

Von Erck retaliated by posing online as an adult woman named "Holly" and initiating an Internet relationship with Raisley. Eventually, Raisley agreed to leave his wife for "Holly" and was photographed by a Perverted Justice volunteer waiting for "Holly" at the airport.

In September 2006, Radar Magazine published an article entitled "Strange Bedfellows," and in July 2007, Rolling Stone Magazine published an article entitled, "To Catch a Predator: The New American Witch Hunt for Dangerous Pedophiles." Both articles discussed the television show "To Catch a Predator" and, more specifically, the techniques employed by Perverted Justice and the show to ensnare pedophiles. Both articles discussed the episode between Raisley and Von Erck posing as "Holly."

The two articles proved popular, and were later posted on a number of websites beyond Radar and Rolling Stone, including a website operated by the Rick Ross Institute of New Jersey. As a result, Raisley devised a plan to remove the articles from the websites.

Raisley developed a virus that would spread over the Internet and infect computers, court documents show. When Raisley deployed the virus, it infected approximately 100,000 computers across the world, creating what is known as a "botnet." During Raisley's trial, expert witnesses explained that a botnet is a collection of victim computers that are remotely controlled to accomplish tasks such as sending out e-mail spam or, as in this case, attacking websites.

Raisley used the botnet to launch distributed denial of service attacks, causing roughly100,000 computers to repeatedly attempt to access websites that posted the two articles. Raisley's alleged goal was to overwhelm the computers that hosted the websites and shut down the websites. The effect of denial of service attacks is akin to an "all circuits are busy" message—making it impossible for Internet users to access the content of the victim websites, including the two articles.

Evidence admitted at trial demonstrated that Raisley targeted and attacked a number of websites, including those of Rolling Stone, Radar, Nettica, Corrupted Justice, and the Rick Ross Institute of New Jersey. In total, those websites suffered damages in excess of $100,000 in lost revenues and mitigation.

"Regardless of Raisley's motivations, his attacks on computer systems were misdirected vengeance," United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman said. "It is unacceptable when a personal vendetta turns into criminal behavior, and we will track down cybercriminals who launch such malicious attacks."

At his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2011, Raisley faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as restitution to the victims of his offense.

Photo Credit: www.freeimages.co.uk

Minnesota Man Indicted for Hacking, Threatening Vice President

June 27, 2010

A 45-year-old Blaine, Minnesota man has been indicted in federal court in the District of Minnesota for hacking into his neighbor’s wireless Internet system and allegedly posing as the neighbor to make threats to kill the vice president of the United States and e-mail child pornography.

The indictment charges Barry Vincent Ardolf with two counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of making threats to the president and successors to the presidency, one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of distribution of child pornography.

The indictment alleges that in February 2009, Ardolf hacked into his neighbor's wireless Internet connection and created multiple Yahoo.com e-mail accounts in that person’s name. Then, on May 6, 2009, he allegedly used one of those accounts to e-mail the office of the vice president of the United States. In that e-mail, he stated:

"This is a terrorist threat! Take this seriously. I hate the way you people are spending money you don't have. ... I'm assigning myself to be judge jury and executioner. Since you folks have spent what you don't have it's time to pay the ultimate price. Time for new officials after you all are put to death by us."

The e-mail, which also was sent to the governor and a U.S. senator from Minnesota, went on to threaten to kill the officials one at a time, with the first being dead by June 1. Ardolf allegedly signed the e-mail with the name of the neighbor from whom he stole Internet access as well as the name of that person's wife. The indictment alleges that Ardolf sent the e-mail using the wireless router belonging to the neighbor, intending for the e-mail to be traced back to that person.

In addition to sending the threatening e-mail described above, the indictment alleges that in February 2009, Ardolf posed as the identity-theft victim and used the e-mail accounts he created in the victim’s name to send sexually themed e-mails to three of the victim’s co-workers. Again, the defendant sent the e-mails through the victim's wireless Internet connection, intending for them to be traced to the victim’s Internet account. In one of the e-mails, Ardolf attached an image containing child pornography. Ardolf also allegedly created a MySpace page in the victim's name, on which he posted the same image of child pornography.

If convicted, Ardolf faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the distribution of child pornography charge, 10 years on the pornography possession charge, five years on both the unauthorized access to a computer and the threats to the vice president, and a mandatory two-year minimum prison sentence on each count of aggravated identity theft. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.

Photo Credit: www.freeimages.co.uk

Facebook Fugitive, Craig "Lazie" Lynch, Continues to Avoid Capture

January 04, 2010

One would think authorities would have a relatively easy time tracking down a fugitive who regularly taunts them using the Internet; however, police in Britain are finding that to be easier said than done.

According to Suffolk police, Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, escaped from Hollesley Bay prison in eastern England this past September, where he had been serving a seven-year sentence for aggravated burglary. Since that time, Lynch has continued to evade police, while at the same time allegedly posting status updates to the social networking Web site Facebook.com. Officials at Facebook have since deleted Lynch's profile; however, a fan page he allegedly contributes to remains on the site, with some 43,000 followers.

Lynch reportedly squashed rumors that he was not affiliated with the page by posting a photo of himself holding a turkey in one hand and displaying the middle finger on the other – both 'birds' an alleged message for police and his detractors. On Christmas Day, Lynch allegedly wrote, "Merry xmas i (sic) made it." He purportedly followed up that comment two days later with, "Quick question....HOW MANY COPS ARE IN HERE TONIGHT!?"

The newswire service AFP reports that police are "confident the Craig Lynch featured on Facebook was the on-the-run convict."

Lynch's exploits have turned him into somewhat of an Internet sensation and the media has dubbed him the "Facebook Fugitive." In addition, American country singer Kent Crawford has written a song dedicated to Lynch, which he uploaded to the video sharing Web site YouTube. The song, titled Crazy Craig Lazy Lynch, carries the following chorus:

"Crazy Craig Lazy Lynch, Busted out of prison like it was a sin, The English bounty police are hot on your trails, Can they catch you only time can tell."

In wake of the positive attention Lynch is receiving, several other groups have popped up on Facebook, with titles such as, "Where is Craig 'Lazie' Lynch?" and "We Hate Craig Lynch." Both groups are attracting members; however, the numbers are nowhere near those seen on Lynch's fanpage.

According to CNN, police have been working with officials at Facebook to track Lynch down.

"We have spoken to Facebook and we are trying to trace him from the information we have, but it's one of those things that we're also asking for help from members of the public," Suffolk police spokeswoman Anne-Marie Breach told CNN.

As of this writing, the status update on Lynch's fan page reads, "GUESS WHOS (sic) BACK."

Suffolk police are asking anyone with information on Craig Lynch's whereabouts to contact them at 01473 613 500. (From the United States, dial 011-44 before dialing the remainder of the telephone number.)

Photo Credit: Suffolk Police

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Verdict Announced in Rekha Kumari-Baker Murder Trial

September 22, 2009

Last week I brought you the story of Rekha Kumari-Baker, a 41-year-old woman from the United Kingdom who recently went on trial for the 2007 murders of her two teenage daughters. The jury finished its deliberations in the case, and a verdict was announced yesterday.

During the two-week trial, prosecutors told the Cambridge Crown Court jury how Kumari-Baker murdered 16-year-old Davina Michelle Baker and 13-year-old Jasmine Baker in cold blood on the morning of June 13, 2007. Prosecutor John Farmer said that Kumari-Baker had launched a "frenzied" attack on the girls while they slept, stabbing them multiple times.

Farmer told the jury that Kumari-Baker killed her daughters because she was unhappy over the custody arrangement she had with her ex-husband. She disliked his new partner, and she resented the close relationship he had with the girls. The murders were, according to Farmer, intended to "wreak havoc in [David Baker's] life."

Kumari-Baker's lawyers did not attempt to deny she had killed her children. Instead, they argued that she suffered from a mental abnormality, which diminished her responsibility. They hoped she would be found guilty of nothing more than manslaughter.

The jury in the case deliberated for just 35 minutes yesterday before announcing that they had unanimously found Kumari-Baker guilty on both counts of murder.

During today's sentencing hearing, Farmer read extracts from a victim impact statement that was written by the girl's father, David Baker. It read in part:

"My words may not be sufficient. Having them taken away from me in such a brutal way and by the woman who was their mother has had an incalculable effect. I am haunted by the horror of the events of that night and probably will remain so for a long time."

Click here to continue reading this story >

Rekha Kumari-Baker on Trial for Murder of Teen Daughters

September 14, 2009

One of the cases I covered for CourtTV in 2007 involved Rekha Kumari-Baker (photo here), a 39-year-old woman from the United Kingdom, who was arrested for allegedly stabbing her two teenage daughters to death as they slept. That case finally went to court earlier this month in Cambridge Crown Court. The jury is still hearing the evidence; however details that have since been released paint a very bleak picture of the events leading up to the girl's deaths.

On the morning of June 13, 2007, Kumari-Baker called a friend, Natalie Boyes-Bartlett - who also happens to be a police constable – and allegedly told her: "I've killed the kids. The children are dead."

Not long after the call, Boyes-Bartlett and a colleague, Sgt Jenny Johnstone, arrived at Kumari-Baker's three-bedroom home in Stretham. When they entered the home they discovered the bodies of 16-year-old Davina Michelle Baker and her sister, 13-year-old Jasmine, in an upstairs bedroom. Both of the girls had been stabbed repeatedly. Following the discovery of the bodies, police arrested Kumari-Baker on suspicion of murder. 

According to a 2007 online report by The Guardian, Detective Superintendent Jeff Hill described the murders as a "terrible, tragic situation," adding, "We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this inquiry."

Kumari-Baker and her husband, David Baker, had divorced in 2003. According to friends, Jasmine lived with her mother and Davina lived with her father.

In the wake of the girl's deaths, it was discovered that they had both created profiles on the social networking Web site Bebo.com. 

Using the screen name "lil-davvi" Davina wrote:

"My family means more than life its self to me, but I don't always show it … everything happens for a reason … Plenty of time to sleep when I die. Never look forward. Never look back. Have respect. Be a dreamer and believe. Jasmine is my number one."

On her own Bebo.com profile, Jasmine went by the screen name "THiis is Thee SHHIIZZLE du-de." She listed some of her likes as, "people, make-up, family, meeting people, being happy, child hood, imagination and life."

On June 10, 2007, Jasmine left the following unedited comment on Davina's Bebo.com profile:

"Missing youu. its soo gay. momz like why do i alwayz have to take you jasmine, why cant yur dad take you and all this bllaa bllaa bllaa. you know how it is. lovee you soo muchh and really want to see you.  Jaziixxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx w//b."

Davina then responded with her own comment to Jasmine's profile:

"u can cum dis weekend if mum will bring u or sumfin … see you soon.  i love you so much more that words can say."

Jasmine had left several other comments for her sister.  Many of them described her sadness regarding their separation—"I miss you soooooooooo muchhhhhh"—and in others she expressed her feelings: "I love you to so unbelivablyy much -- you know that."

She had also created a photo album on her profile, which included 26 photos of the two girls. One of the most touching is a photo of the girls holding hands, which they titled, "Will never let go."

So while it is obvious the girls had a solid relationship, what of their mother and what was the motive behind the murders? Those are two key questions that prosecutors have been addressing since the start of Kumari-Baker's trial.

Click here to continue reading this story >

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown on the Nikki Catsouras Case

May 06, 2009

Yesterday, I brought you the story of Nikki Catsouras, an 18-year-old girl from Orange County, Calif., who died in a horrific car accident in October 2006. Since that time, morbid and insensitive individuals who hide on the Internet's darker side have continued to harass Nikki's family by sending them taunting emails about their daughter's death, along with horrific crime scene photos of the accident. Those photos have since gone viral and can be found on thousands of Internet Web sites.

Read: Nikki Catsouras Crime Scene Photos Haunt Deceased Teen's Family

So what is it that drives these morbid individuals to partake in this bizarre fetish and why do they enjoy harassing Nikki's family? In an effort to better understand the motivations behind it, Investigation Discovery has reached out to Investigative Criminal Profiler Pat Brown and asked her to share her thoughts on the subject. 

"There are many people in this world who are titillated by gore and death," Brown said. "They gain some perverse feeling of power, a sense of triumph, to see others brutally killed, to see the mutilation of the body, the destruction of another human being. When that person is attractive, well-healed, and successful, the thrill is even stronger. It is a "Ha-Ha, look what happened to you!" triumph for the individual who feels he himself has not received enough attention or glory in his life. In his own mind, he would enjoy tearing apart people, taking them all down off their perches, showing them who has the power to control life and death. But, since they are too chicken to become serial killers, they live through gore sites and slasher movies."

According to Brown, individuals who choose to only look at look at fictionalized gore and mayhem are able to justify it because it is not real - they are not actually glorifying and salivating over harm to others. On the flip side, "gore freaks" have no qualms about delighting themselves with actual photos and videos of people who have been brutalized.

"They relish that a real human being has come to such an end. And, even worse, there are those, who actual push the horror, pain, and humiliation the victims have suffered into the faces of their families, a form of sadism which gives them a increased feeling of winning," Brown said. "They know they are causing great anguish to another human being and they love it. Such behavior is a form of serial predation, using mental torture as opposed to physical torture."

Nikki Catsouras Crime Scene Photos Haunt Deceased Teen's Family

May 05, 2009

A tragic event that occurred nearly three years ago continues to disturb a family in Orange County, Calif. Despite every effort, they are unable to move past the tragedy because the Internet will not allow them to reach closure. Actually, the World Wide Web itself is not to blame as much as the morbid and insensitive individuals who hide on its darker side.

The events surrounding this story began to unfold on October 31, 2006. On that day, 18-year-old Nikki Catsouras (photo here) fatefully grabbed the keys to her father's Porsche 911 Carrera and walked out the front door of her parents' home. Nikki had been forbidden to drive the sports car, and her judgment on that day will forever remain in question.

As a child, Nikki was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Tests showed the growth to be benign; however, she still had to endure radiation treatment which, doctors warned, could cause her to have difficulty with impulse control - issues which may have contributed to the cocaine-induced psychosis that she suffered in 2005. Despite her hospital stay after that incident, Nikki again experimented with cocaine in October 2006. In response, her parents scheduled an appointment with a brain disorder specialist. Unfortunately, Nikki never made the appointment.

It will never be known whether the accident was the result of teen disobedience or a lack of judgment caused by her brain disorder. Regardless of the reason, Nikki got behind the wheel of her father's car and backed it out of the family's garage. Nikki's mother, Lesli Catsouras, heard the commotion outside and ran out, only to see her daughter speeding down the road. Lesli immediately phoned her husband, Christos, who called 911. During the call, the dispatcher informed him that a black Porsche had been involved in an accident on the 241 toll road in Lake Forest. Christos' heart immediately sank to the pit of his stomach.

According to police, Nikki was traveling at approximately 100 mph when she lost control of the car. She hit a Honda driven by a lone man before tumbling over the median and slamming into a concrete toll booth. The accident was so severe that Nikki was nearly decapitated upon impact (those photos will not be shown here). Her remains were in such a horrific state that the coroner would not allow her family to view her body.

Arizona Teen Allegedly Kills Father Over Internet Ban

March 07, 2008

Police in Mesa, Arizona have released new details in the case of a teenager who confessed to killing his father last month.

On Feb. 6, 15-year-old Hughstan Schlicker called 911 and said he had murdered his father. He allegedly told the operator, "I hate my dad. [I] couldn't take it anymore."

According to a police report released Wednesday, Schlicker, 15, told police he was angry and depressed because his dad had banned him from accessing the Internet. Schlicker explained the reason for the ban was because his father had discovered suicide notes he had posted on MySpace.com. The lack of Internet access upset Schlicker, who claimed he often spent entire days online communicating with friends.

"It felt like I was stabbed with a knife and it went straight through and no matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't pull out the knife," Schlicker allegedly said during an interview with police.

Schlicker told police he had initially planned on punishing his father by shooting himself in front of him but then changed his mind and decided to shoot his father first, before turning the gun on himself.

Police say Schlicker told them two different versions of how the shooting occurred. In the first, he allegedly said he intentionally shot and killed his father. However, in the second version he said it was an accident...

To read the complete article, click here.

Alleged Teen Rapists Post Gang Rape Video on YouTube

February 25, 2008

During my more than 10-year career as a crime writer, I have covered countless crimes and atrocities. I've developed a pretty thick skin when it comes to covering humankind’s most deviant acts. However, every now and then I still come across a case that makes me take a step back and wonder what the world is coming to. Such was the case with a crime I learned about yesterday in south England involving the alleged rape of a young mother by a group of teens who filmed the incident and posted a clip of it on the popular video-sharing Web site Youtube.com.

The video was roughly three minutes long and showed the unconscious victim, a 25-year-old mother of two, being raped by a teenager. The victim’s children, ages two and four, could be heard crying in the background.

The victim allegedly told police that on the day the incident occurred she had been invited to a friend's house. While there, she was offered a glass of champagne, but shortly after drinking from the glass she felt strange and began to fall in and out of consciousness. It was then, she alleges, that three teen boys, aged 14 to 16, took turns raping her over a 14-hour period...

To read the complete article, click here.

Seedy Internet Trail Uncovered in Case of Accused Sex Predator Gerald Thomas Brennan III

February 13, 2008

Police in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, have arrested 23-year-old Gerald Thomas Brennan III, a resident of Royersford, for allegedly soliciting sex from a teenage boy he met via MySpace.com. Earlier this week, police asked for help from the public in determining whether Brennan had used the Internet to contact other teens. Since then, I have uncovered several other accounts Brennan had on the Internet.

According to Lancaster City Police, Brennan had two profiles on the popular social networking Web site, on which he identified himself as a 16-year-old boy. Using the screen names "jerry122829" and "swimmer2532," Brennan allegedly solicited sex acts from a 14-year-old boy from the Lancaster area. Police say Brennan engaged in conversations with the teen via MySpace, e-mail, and telephone. Brennan also allegedly used a computer to send a nude photo of himself to the teen and then made arrangements to meet for sex.

In January, the teen's parents contacted police and told them their son had been solicited for sex on the Internet. Lancaster City Police, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police Area Computer Crimes Task Force, and the Lancaster County District Attorney's Child Abuse Unit, were able to identify Brennan and made arrangements for him to meet the teen at a shopping plaza.

When Brennan showed up for the meeting, he was arrested on felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a communication facility, attempted statutory sexual assault, and attempted involuntary deviant sexual intercourse. He was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of corruption of a minor, open lewdness, attempted indecent assault, and solicitation of indecent assault.

As a result of the charges, Brennan was booked in the Lancaster County Prison, where he is being held on a $250,000 bail...

To read the complete article, click here.

Accused Killer Josh Spearman's Alleged MySpace Page Offers Unique Insight into an Obviously Troubled Mind

February 08, 2008

"It's believed that in order to pull off the perfect crime, everything must be exact. Planed so precise that every scenario has all ready been thought of. This just is not true. Chaotic, random, sporadic…These are the methods used in the perfect crime…" [Sic throughout]

The preceding is part of an entry posted on a MySpace.com blog allegedly belonging to 18-year-old Josh Spearman. Spearman is a freshman at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville being held at the Walton County Jail. He is charged with two counts of murder for his alleged role in the deaths of his parents, 55-year-old Darryl Spearman and 52-year-old Cherri Spearman.

To read the complete article, click here.

Florida Authorities Use Cyberspace to Seek Tips in Unsolved Murder of Mother and Seven-Year-Old Daughter

February 07, 2008

The Boca Raton Police Department has announced the creation of a profile at the social networking Website MySpace.com, which they are using to release new details about two recent unsolved slayings in Florida that may be linked to other murders in the area.

To read the complete article, click here.

Jasmine Richardson: The Youngest Person Ever Charged with Multiple Counts of Murder in Canada

December 20, 2007

In April 2006, 12-year-old Jasmine Richardson became the youngest person ever charged with multiple counts of murder in Canada for her part in the cold-blooded murder of her parents and little brother.  The crime sent shockwaves throughout the country and made headlines around the world.  Both Richardson and her boyfriend, 23-year-old Jeremy Steinke, were active on the Internet. In the aftermath of their arrests, investigators uncovered several accounts that begged closer investigation.

On April 23, 2006, a 6-year-old boy in Medicine Hat told his parents he saw a body lying on the floor of their neighbor’s house.  Concerned, the young boy’s parents notified police and a unit was quickly dispatched to 304 Cameron Road. 

When officers entered the two-story home, they discovered the bodies of Marc Richardson, 42, and his wife Debra, 48, sprawled out on the home’s first floor.  In an upstairs bedroom they discovered the lifeless body of the Richardson’s son, 8-year-old Jacob, lying on a bed.

The key question among investigators was, who?  And why? 

After questioning neighbors, detectives realized the Richardson’s daughter, 12-year-old Jasmine Richardson, was missing, and possibly the victim of a kidnapping.  However, as the investigation progressed, evidence quickly pointed to her involvement in the murders. 

On April 24, 2006, police located Richardson and Steinke, 100 miles away in the town of Leader.  Both suspects were arrested at the scene and later charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Police alleged that Richardson and Steinke’s secret relationship was the motive behind the murders.  Marc and Debra had recently forbid the two from having contact with each other, a move that had angered both young lovers.

As the investigation continued, detectives soon learned that Richardson had Internet profiles on MySpace, VampireFreaks.com and Zorpia.com. 

Richardson's MySpace profile contained little information, other than her personal "heroes," including notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and death metal musician Marilyn Manson.

A profile Richardson maintained at Zorpia.com listed her last login as Saturday, Feb. 25, 2006.  Richardson had uploaded three photos to the Web site that were somewhat deceptive, because her clothing and makeup made her look well beyond her 12 years.

Richardson also had a profile at VampireFreaks.com, an "industrial music and gothic culture" Web site, where users can post information and photos and communicate with others.  In her profile, Richardson described herself as "bisexual, Wiccan, nocturnal, awkward, loud, a deep thinker and insane."  She listed her interests as "unnatural hair colors, dark poetry, criminal psychology, blood, human anatomy and kinky s--t."

More telling were the profiles maintained by Steinke.

In a profile at Bolt.com, he described himself as a "gothic individual" who believed in "Blood, Destruction, Guts, Gore & Greed."  He wrote: "Am I God's champion or Satan's angel?  Roses are red, Roses have thorns, Hell hath no fury, like a little girl scorned!  Here's a quote that I think has alot [sic] to say, 'Never regret something that once made you happy!'"

Like Richardson, Steinke also had a profile at VampireFreaks.com.  He listed his interests as "freestyle BMX, skateboarding, snowboarding, gothic beings, my '81 Firebird, mosh pits, loud Music, peircings [sic], tattoos, scarification, pain, kinky fetishes, heavy metal, blood, razorblades, the dark, the moon, Mindfreaks Criss Angel, The Stars, eyeliner, gothic individuals, poetry, dark clothing, aggressiveness, biting, nails, Lycan's & My Girlfriend!"

Of his three online profiles, the most interesting proved to be one he kept at Windows Live Spaces.  In an April 3, 2006 posting he allegedly wrote:

"Payment!  My Lover's rents are totally unfair; they say that they really care; they don't know what is going on the [sic] just assume.  As their greed continues to consume, she is slowly going insane. She continues to thank that I came, into her life to help her out, and to stop what they keep trying to shout.  It's all total bullshit.  Their throats I want to slit.  They will regret the shit they have done.  Especially when I see to it that they are gone.  They shall pay for their insulince [sic].  Finally there shall be silence.  Their blood shall be payment!"

Unfortunately, less than four weeks later, those promises became a reality.

Because of Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act, Richardson’s name went widely unreported in Canada and police were hesitant to release information on the case.  However, by the start of her trial, in the summer of 2007, many U.S. outlets had already published many pertinent facts about the case.

On June 4, 2007, Jasmine Richardson, now 14, stood before Court of Queen's Bench Judge Scott Brooker and pled not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder.

During the proceedings, prosecutor Stephanie Cleary told the courtroom that the murders were premeditated and that Richardson was an active participant. 

Two of the prosecution's key witnesses, neither of whom has been identified, told the court that prior to the murders Richardson had made her intent to kill her parents clear; however neither thought she was serious.

"I didn't think she meant it," one of the witnesses testified. "I thought she was saying it out of anger."

Cleary also entered into evidence a stack of jailhouse letters exchanged between Richardson and Steinke after their arrest.  In one of those letters, marked Exhibit 68, Richardson wrote:

"Never has a person affected me so much. Always will there be something missing without you with me.  My lawyer tells me we're ledgends, ha, closer to imortality it would seem." [sic throughout].

In his reply, Crown Exhibit 69, Steinke asked Richardson for her hand in marriage.  That letter read in part:

"I love you more than life its self, I've added you to my visitors lists so once your released please visit often.  Never forget how much I care or that I love you.  We can keep writing each other till we can be together again.  Without you this life isn’t worth living… U said you want to get engaged?  Then here's a Q...Will U marry me?  If so then it is a verbal agreement!" [sic throughout].

Richardson's reply, marked Exhibit 70, read in part:

"Ahahaha! I never thought I'd find myself hystericaly laughing in a holding cell in these kinds of circumstances...or ever really.  But still! ahaha you make me so happy!  Yes!  Yes!  I will, I would love to… Interesting information I came across.  Anything you can say to anyone, including a phycistrist, unless issued by a lawyer can be used against you!  For f--ks sake.  Rawr.  The world really is against us." [sic throughout].

In their letters, neither Richardson nor Steinke mentioned any guilt or remorse over the crimes, instead focusing on their relationship and their own predicament, which they seemed to view as only a temporary setback.  The letters also stood in contrast to statements Richardson made to the court when she took the stand on July 3, 2007.

When asked if she had discussed killing her parents prior to the murders, Richardson admitted having conversations about killing her parents, but claimed she was not serious.

"In my group of friends, it was just the way we talked," Richardson testified.  "It was just stupid talk.  Every time I said that, I never meant it.  I was angry.  I didn't mean it.  Everybody else knew I didn't mean it."

Confronted by the letters and asked why she had written that they were "legends" and "immortal," Richardson replied:

"I was told the media were going crazy over this," she said.  "That's our five minutes of fame.  Immortality means people will remember you."

The prosecution focused the remainder of its case on the day the murders took place. Thinking back, Richardson said she was not with Steinke when he attacked her mother and father and that she was upstairs with her brother, trying to cover his ears so he would not hear their cries for help.   

"It was horrible, I didn't want him to hear it," she testified.

Richardson said that when he was finished, Steinke came upstairs and told her to kill her little brother.

"He yells at me, 'Stab him, just stab him! Slit his throat!'  I said, 'I can't, I can't,’ and he said, 'You have to. I did this for you.'"

Richardson testified that her brother began to cry and pleaded for his life.  "I'm scared. I'm too young to die," Richardson recounted as her brother's last words, before stabbing him in the chest.

"Not very hard," Richardson said. "It was somewhere in his upper body.  It went to the side."

Richardson said that Steinke then took the knife from her and cut the boy's throat.

"He was gurgling," she testified.

When Richardson stepped down from the stand, the prosecution wrapped up its case and closing arguments began. The prosecution cited the case as premeditated murder, while Richardson’s lawyer, Tim Foster, contended that Steinke was the real perpetrator and his client was a victim of circumstance.

After a three-hour deliberation, on July 10, 2007, a jury found Richardson guilty of three counts of first-degree murder.  Afterward, Judge Brooker ordered a psychological assessment of Richardson.  According to that report, submitted to the court in October 2007, Richardson suffered from "conduct disorder" and "oppositional defiance disorder."

On Nov. 8, 2007, Judge Brooker sentenced Jasmine Richardson to the maximum 10-year sentence allowed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

"The circumstances surrounding these murders are horrific," Brooker said.  "It is difficult to imagine a more horrific crime than this.

"You can never undo what you did to your mom, dad and brother," Brooker said.  "However, what you can do is honor their memory by dedicating your life to becoming the woman your parents and brother would be proud of."

Richardson will serve four years of her sentence in a psychiatric hospital, at which time she will be released back into the public for 4½ years of court-ordered supervision.

As of this writing Jeremy Steinke has yet to go to trial.  A change of venue hearing in his case is scheduled for Feb. 2008.

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