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Computer Law/harassment & threats via email

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Expert: - 9/12/2008


Question
i wonder if you can please help me. i need to know my rights. i am being harassed via enail since earlier today. Is it illegal to threaten to distribute someone's personal information off of their resume or to threaten to impersonate them?  What happened is that i responded to a fake employment ad from craigslist.com. Now this creep has my name address & ph # because it is on my resume. the emails are coming from a business site on the internet that i googled & found all types of complaints about. I found the owner of the site's name & there are news reports him stating that he is a scam artist.  so either he or someone who works with him has been emailing me from a "business" email from this site. well because i wasn't falling for his scam & let him know i was on to him, this person got upset & emailed me back.  he(?) basically threatened to impersonate me and contact ex-cons, imploring them to come visit me at my home.  The email shows my name address and ph #, then says, and i quote, "...Now where should I post this? I know quite a few recently released prisoners looking for companionship. I think I will start there. You made your own bed.".  Then another email he sent shows more specifically what he threatens to say "Hello, My name is (he lists my full name) and I am looking to be part of the recently paroled prisoner companionship foundation. Please submit my contact information to your database. The prisoners can contact me directly or come to my home at any time. If you need to confirm, please email me at resumes@careerexperts.org. Feel free to send the prisoners over anytime. I am very available. Thank you." and he signs my name. I tried to diffuse the situation but the last email he sent states "Too late. I feel bad for you. Starting Saturday, it's on!"

so my question is, is he doing anything illegal, if so what can i do about it? i reported him on craigslist as harassing me, but beyond that what can i do? i google my name & don't see anything yet but i'm afraid he'll act on his threat & distribute my information on the web.

Answer
Hi Megan,

It all depends on what state you live in. If your in Fla, the answer is yes and you need to contact your local polcie to file a Cyberstalking complaint.

If you live in another state, you still need to contact your local police, there are laws in almost every state that cover this type of harrassment.

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Chris Wagoner

Expertise

I can answer questions concerning Computer Crime Investigations and Internet investigations including Computer Crime Laws both at the State level and Federal level. I can answer questions on almost any crime in which a computer is used. In addition I can answer questions concerning copywrite infringement (peer to peer, and copying). I served as a police Commander and conducted and still conduct Computer Crime Investigations at the Local, State and Federal level. I have investigated all most any kind of crime with which or which involved a computer and the internet, from murders, kidnappings, extortion, drug dealing and more. I can answer questions concerning Computer Forensics (the art of recovering information from a suspects computer), Computer Crime Investigations and Internet Investigations. I am a Federally Court Recognized Expert in Computer Crime and Computer Forensics. I have worked in both Facebook and MySPace, also in Peer to Peer investigations. In addition I can answer questions concerning child predators and how to make your children safer on-line. I teach Computer Forensics, Internet Investigations, Peer to Peer Investigations and other computer crime related subjects for several colleges and the Institute of Police Technology and Management. My hobby webpage - Military Videos - http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdID8487

Experience

I conduct computer crime investigations in conjunction with the F.B.I., Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Gainesville Police Department, and University of Florida Police Department, Levi County Sheriff’s Office, Starke Police Department and other agencies in the North Florida Court District. I provide the forensic data recovery services for those agencies as well as internet tracing and information gathering. I am a Federal Court Certified Expert in Computer Crime Investigations and Forensics. I teach Computer Forensics for the University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management. I also teach Computer Crime courses for Tallahassee Community College, Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Training Center. Associate Instructor; teach Computer Crime courses thorough out the world for IPTM. Presently Teach Cyber Crime Investigations, Computer Crime Investigations and Computer Forensic Data Recovery Course.

Education/Credentials
2 Degrees in Criminal Justice, now teach college level Data Forensics classes

Awards and Honors
Awarded the FBI Directors Award for assisting the FBI in a National Computer Crime Investigation. Awarded Dec 2002

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