Mutt Media | The Daily Bone 7.21.09 Chase Employee arrested for ATM heist

So today I read in my favorite newspaper, The New York Post – that a 24 year old employee of Chase Bank named Robin Katz was arrested for illegedly stealing from one of her wealthy Clients.

How did she do this? Well, she got her hands on a duplicate ATM card in the Client’s name and began to slowly make withdrawls, using the card dozens of times in less than a year. In all, she managed to take over $110,000.

How was she caught? The Client noticed a six-figure differential in his seven-figure balance and notified bank officials. If this Client was anything like yours truly, this scam could’ve gone on for years without Katz’s shenanigans being discovered. Luckily, he was diligent about checking his statements.

Things like this happen all the time. Identity theft with credit cards and insurance scams are all too common. What I find interesting about this story is how the Post does research for their stories….they went on Katz’s MySpace page where she claims she is a “…rocket scientist by day, party fool by night” and her interests are “Politics – F Bush, Sex – F Me”. Photos are of her in tight, low-cut clothing doing all sorts of fun and adventurous things. She says she would most like to meet her “good twin”.

Hmmmmm. People – please think about your social networking sites and the material you post. Not that there’s anything wrong with a 24 year old single girl who likes to party, but if you’re going to commit a crime or gain any sort of notariety, have a little foresight.

She’ll probably get a reality show out of this.

Mutt Media | The Daily Bone 6.22.09 Craigslist in the news…again

Mutt Media brings you a Craigslist update…..

Today, Austin Fenner of the New York Post reports on a Craigslist item that caught my eye.

A woman named Elizabeth Mosh responded to an ad she found on Craigslist posted by Tonja Fenton, a 35 year old who advertised to rent out an apartment in the basement of the two-family home in Queens where she lives. Mosh, a school teacher, gave Fenton a $1300 cash deposit for the first month’s rent and security deposit and even purchased a flat screen TV and a new bed for her new place.

When the time came for Mosh to move in, she received word from Fenton that a pipe had burst and the apartment was flooded. Oh, and another little problem – Fenton doesn’t own the building, has no right to rent the apartment and has made similar agreements with at least 6 other people, netting her almost $12,000.

Fenton has now been charged with Grand Larceny and Scheming to Defraud.

And what about Philip Markoff, who we talked about here in an earlier post (Daily Bone | 5/11/09 Does Craigslist Really Come in Peace?) about violent crimes linked with connections made on Craigslist? A grand jury has indicted him, according to Boston prosecutors.

Last night I finally got to see Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino – a great film about a bittersweet kind of justice. I love when the bad guys get what’s coming to them but still find it deplorable that certain things go on in the world. Craigslist and Gran Torino…..

Mutt Media | Daily Bone 6.1.09: Iran & the Facebook ban

Over Memorial Day Weekend I read in my favorite newspaper (as well as other news outlets) that the Iranian government has blocked its citizens from using the Facebook service. Critics of this move attributed it to the upcoming June elections.

Candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has used Facebook heavily in the past to mobilize young voters for his benefit, much like Obama did with his presidential campaign.

Here’s a video posted on You Tube that tells the story in short…forgive the ad at the end..sometimes these things cannot be helped.

No sooner did I begin drafting this blog then did Iran’s government lift the ban. From all I’ve read, this seems to be a pretty common practice; sites are routinely banned both in Iran as well as other extremely Muslim countries and in China too. When a website’s content runs in contradiction to the fundamental religious philosophies of a nation, these bans are commonplace.

Let’s feel thankful that we live in a country that allows and encourages free speech and opposing views.

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© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved

Mutt Media | Daily Bone 5.11.09 | Craigslist – Does this online community really come in peace?

Mutt Media NY asks, "Craigslist: Symbol of Peace?"

Recently, we have heard about some unsavory news stemming from the ‘connections’ people are making on the popular site Craigslist.org. The most visible has been the case of Philip Markoff, a medical student attending Boston University who has been accused of killing a masseuse when she showed up to render her advertised services. Markoff has also been charged in the assault and robbery of a woman in a different incident that occured in Rhode Island, as well as robbing another just days before the murder. (source: Metro.us click here)

In Newsday on May 9th, I read about a woman named Margary Tannenbaum from Hauppauge, NY who was arrested and charged with aggravated harrassment for her attempt to exact revenge on her 9 year old neighbor. In this case, the neighbor was in a conflict with Tannenbaum’s daughter (also 9). It’s unclear what this conflict was, but this mother somehow convinced herself that it was appropriate to place an ad on Craigslist that advertised, “Looking for a good time? w4m 21″. For the uninitiated, that’s shorthand for women for men – 21 years old. When men responded to the email address contained in the ad, they were directed to call the 9 year old victim’s house. The ad supposedly netted 22 calls. Tannenbaum has been released on bail and will be arraigned this summer.

George Weber photographer: Dan Brinzac

In March of this year, news radio reporter George Weber was killed in Brooklyn by John Katehis, a 16 year old he solicited on Craigslist, supposedly for rough sex.

In 2007, a Minnesota man was sentenced to life in prision when he was found guilty of murdering Katherine Ann Olson who responded to his ad on Craigslist for a babysitter.

I went on Craigslist this morning (as I’ve done countless times before) and, in the interest of full disclosure, I have used the service in the past. I’ve sold a car and done some hiring – all with great success. This morning I went in search of something entirely different…..I wanted to take a closer look at their “About Us”.  This led me to their FAQ page (click here) which, to my surprise – contains a purple peace sign within their tab container.

This strikes me as ironic, given the recent press and the call to action by several states and their Attorney Generals. The following quote first appeared in an article in the LA Times Business section just today….”This is the world’s oldest profession using the world’s newest technology,” South Carolina Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster said in an interview. Last week, he warned Craigslist that it would be “subject to criminal investigation and prosecution” if the erotic services section wasn’t removed by May 15.

There is a recurring theme here and the words of every parent, grandparent and caretaker are ringing in my head. “Don’t take candy from/talk to strangers”….remember that one? Given the world we live in today and the fact that we make many legitimate online connections that result in mutually-beneficial, sometimes profitable relationships, provides a counter-point to the “Don’t take candy” admonishment. Common sense must rule here….don’t put yourself into a potentially dangerous situation from which you cannot escape.

What do you think? Is it the responsibility of Craigslist to protect it’s visitors and screen it’s advertisers? I think this is a tricky question. It could be the buyer or the seller who becomes dangerous. How can anyone predict who will be the victim? Please share your thoughts.

Just so you don’t think I am picking on Craigslist…I am posting a story I just read a moment ago on a terrible story out of England. Click here to read about a couple whose online life resulted in real life tragedy.

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© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved