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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Book is Timely, Gripping, and Compelling., August 17, 2002
The Internet has opened up many doors of opportunity for people to communicate with one another and to share lots of information. The Internet has also broken down many walls of seclusion that once shielded us from other people. Unfortunately, some of the same social ills commonplace in society today - such as stalking, harassment, scamming, and identity theft, have found fresh life and new victims online - sometimes with devastating results - including rape and murder. Jayne Hitchcock wrote Net Crimes & Misdemeanors to recount her own horror story and to offer readers important information that will help them prevent - or at least minimize - the likelihood that they themselves and others will encounter the same mistreatment at the hands of other people. Hitchcock was herself the victim of both online and off line stalking and harassment. This book spells it out - fraudulent newsgroup postings, harassing e-mails, spamming, phone calls, identity theft, and other criminal activity. She experienced a severely challenging period of time in her own life. Her personal account is most gripping. After discussing her own experiences, Hitchcock goes on to discuss these and other crimes and mischievous activities at length that threaten the welfare of people online - fraudulent postings, e-mail harassment, invasion of privacy, spamming, scamming, identity theft, auction frauds, adoption frauds, banking and shopping concerns, inappropriate information gathering techniques, threats to child safety, and so on. Readers are provided with stunning accounts of other people who faced various forms of online harassment and scamming. We read about how they responded to these threats, how their lives were changed, and how we can take action to avoid much of these same problems ourselves. The strengths of the book includes the sharing of well-planned strategies, helpful checklists that encourage and nurture responsible behavior, a variety of helpful online resources, and much creative advice on how to cope with many real-life situations. For instance, readers will learn how to tweak Internet software programs for maximum protection, how to safely communicate with other people online, how to deal with problematic people they may encounter, how to locate and notify local, state, and federal agencies in regards to computer and Internet criminal activity, and how we can learn to best help one another. Jayne Hitchcock distinguishes herself as a real cybercrime expert. Her book will motivate people to sit up and take notice of what's going on around them and to help them to respond appropriately to the threats that all people face online. Online stalking, harassment, and other crimes are not laughing matters and they should never be taken lightly. In this one book Jayne Hitchcock provides all the reasons why everyone should take such threats more seriously. The book is ideally suited for a variety of workshops, seminars, and community awareness events. Government agencies, local law enforcement agencies, college campus officials, women's service groups, and child protection organizations will greatly benefit from the detailed information provided. The book is timely, gripping, and compelling. It's essential reading and highly recommended.
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