MySpace.com users targets of malice
PORT CHARLOTTE -- When Jessica Koehler made her account on MySpace.com, she thought it was a good way to keep in touch with family and friends -- and to make a few new friends along the way.
She recently found out it was also a way for someone to hurt her.
Koehler filed a report with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Monday claiming someone had posted an unauthorized site on MySpace.com, using her personal information and photographs of her and her 2-year-old son.
MySpace.com is a free Web site that allows users to post personal information and photographs. It encourages "friends" to hook up to other people's sites. The site includes blogs, forums, e-mail, groups, games and events.
The fake site characterized Koehler as a bad mother whose family is like those seen on the Jerry Springer television show and someone who wants to sleep with older men.
"I got a text message on Friday asking if I had posted a new MySpace because there was one of me that said all kinds of bad things about me," Koehler said Tuesday.
The 20-year-old Port Charlotte woman was shocked when she went home and found the bogus Web site.
"The next hour or two, I got e-mail and phone calls about the site," she said.
The site even reveals where Koehler works and talks about the father of her son. She said she doesn't know who would do this to her, but suspects it has to be someone who knows her, since most of the information posted was personal.
Koehler's mother, Dawn, said she's concerned now for her daughter's safety. She makes sure someone escorts Dawn to and from work.
"There are just not enough laws in place for this kind of thing," Dawn said.
Sgt. Gary Ellsworth agrees with Dawn.
"The laws have not been kept up with the Internet," he said Tuesday. "Hopefully, one day it will."
Ellsworth said people have to use common sense when putting personal information on the Web and to be cautious, especially middle and high school children.
"We are seeing this more and more frequently here in Charlotte County," Ellsworth said. "It's a growing problem all over the country."
Officials at MySpace.com could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Koehler's report was not the only one of its kind filed with the CCSO on Monday.
Nicole Toth, 23, filed a similar report with the same deputy later in the day. Someone had taken her MySpace information, burned it onto CDs and has been leaving them in various places, even as far away as Sarasota Mall and a Venice gym.
"Someone called me and told me they found the CD at the Sarasota Mall, so I went to pick it up," she said. "Later, someone else called saying they found it at a gym in Venice and wanted to arrange somewhere for us to meet. I told them no."
Now Toth is also taking extra precautions at work, since her place of employment was also listed on the CD.
"I'm a waitress and I had to tell the hostess that if someone comes in looking for me, to tell them I don't work there anymore," she said.
Both Toth and Koehler said they are now nervous about placing personal information on the Internet, although Koehler said she isn't going to remove her real MySpace site.
"I'm going to block my profile though, so only friends can see it," she said.
Toth is planning to remove hers.
Ellsworth said while proving who posted the site or made the CD is a challenge, people should still report these incidents when they happen.
"While proving who sat behind the computer is hard in these cases, there are still laws against cyberstalking and harassment," he said. "We will work all
cases that come in, and if there is enough evidence, we will prosecute."
She recently found out it was also a way for someone to hurt her.
Koehler filed a report with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Monday claiming someone had posted an unauthorized site on MySpace.com, using her personal information and photographs of her and her 2-year-old son.
MySpace.com is a free Web site that allows users to post personal information and photographs. It encourages "friends" to hook up to other people's sites. The site includes blogs, forums, e-mail, groups, games and events.
The fake site characterized Koehler as a bad mother whose family is like those seen on the Jerry Springer television show and someone who wants to sleep with older men.
"I got a text message on Friday asking if I had posted a new MySpace because there was one of me that said all kinds of bad things about me," Koehler said Tuesday.
The 20-year-old Port Charlotte woman was shocked when she went home and found the bogus Web site.
"The next hour or two, I got e-mail and phone calls about the site," she said.
The site even reveals where Koehler works and talks about the father of her son. She said she doesn't know who would do this to her, but suspects it has to be someone who knows her, since most of the information posted was personal.
Koehler's mother, Dawn, said she's concerned now for her daughter's safety. She makes sure someone escorts Dawn to and from work.
"There are just not enough laws in place for this kind of thing," Dawn said.
Sgt. Gary Ellsworth agrees with Dawn.
"The laws have not been kept up with the Internet," he said Tuesday. "Hopefully, one day it will."
Ellsworth said people have to use common sense when putting personal information on the Web and to be cautious, especially middle and high school children.
"We are seeing this more and more frequently here in Charlotte County," Ellsworth said. "It's a growing problem all over the country."
Officials at MySpace.com could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Koehler's report was not the only one of its kind filed with the CCSO on Monday.
Nicole Toth, 23, filed a similar report with the same deputy later in the day. Someone had taken her MySpace information, burned it onto CDs and has been leaving them in various places, even as far away as Sarasota Mall and a Venice gym.
"Someone called me and told me they found the CD at the Sarasota Mall, so I went to pick it up," she said. "Later, someone else called saying they found it at a gym in Venice and wanted to arrange somewhere for us to meet. I told them no."
Now Toth is also taking extra precautions at work, since her place of employment was also listed on the CD.
"I'm a waitress and I had to tell the hostess that if someone comes in looking for me, to tell them I don't work there anymore," she said.
Both Toth and Koehler said they are now nervous about placing personal information on the Internet, although Koehler said she isn't going to remove her real MySpace site.
"I'm going to block my profile though, so only friends can see it," she said.
Toth is planning to remove hers.
Ellsworth said while proving who posted the site or made the CD is a challenge, people should still report these incidents when they happen.
"While proving who sat behind the computer is hard in these cases, there are still laws against cyberstalking and harassment," he said. "We will work all
cases that come in, and if there is enough evidence, we will prosecute."
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