By HIROKO SATO, Sun Staff
Lowell Sun
01/26/2006
CHELMSFORD -- She was an unhappy customer of an online auction site
and wasn't afraid to write a negative review about the seller she
dealt with.
Soon, her cell phone started to ring. On the other end of the line
were Web surfers of another kind -- men looking for sexual pleasure.
"The phone calls kept coming, coming and coming," the woman said.
"People were calling from all over the country -- all over the U.S.,
from Utah to Tennessee."
Police are investigating a possible identity-fraud case after they say
a local woman's name ended up on a XXX-rated Web site without her
knowledge. Loaded with pornographic photos, the site provides personal
ad services for those looking for sexual relationships. One of the
messages posted on the site carried the name and cell-phone number of
the 36-year-old woman, and police believe the man who sold a music CD
to her on eBay is behind it. Some of her personal identifying
information also showed up on a couple of other pornographic Web
sites, as well, leading to harassing phone calls, police said
yesterday.
Police have yet determine the full identity of the suspect except that
he is in New York. But depending on the outcome of the investigation,
the suspect could face "false impersonation and identity fraud"
charges under a statute designed to prevent such crime, said
Chelmsford Deputy Police Chief Jim Murphy. A conviction on the
misdemeanor charges could result in $5,000 in fines and 21/2 years in
jail.
Murphy said this is just one example of a growing number of
identity-fraud cases involving online transactions.
http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_3440086
Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)