A Liverpool woman hoping to keep in touch with family members who live outside New York did everything possible to protect her identity when she set up a MySpace profile. Somehow she still found herself the victim of identity theft and harrassment.
When you create a MySpace account, all you need is an email address. You don’t even need to verify you’re the person you say you are. Michelle McGriff found out that with no way to verify who is creating the account, someone can pretend to be you on MySpace.
McGriff is mother of three who has been running a daycare for years. She started a MySpace account a few weeks ago and a short time later, she found two MySpace accounts with her name and picture on both of them.
One of the accounts was the one she made and it was marked private with no personal information given. But on the other account, an imposter divulged her full name, unlisted address, phone numbers, and some pretty terrible descriptions about sex and partying.
The person most likely knows McGriff because the fake account holder is handing out her cell number and sending messages to other people online pretending to be her. McGriff has already received phone calls from men looking to meet her.
Michelle McGriff says she is afraid that the person who is pretending to be her will set up a meeting date and put her, her children or her daycare business in danger.
The Onondaga County District Attorney’s office says web profiles like the ones on MySpace are treated much like free space on billboards. Unless McGriff was facing a real threat, there is no law to protect internet users from that form of embarassment.
If the fake account holder contacts Michelle McGriff, it could fall under aggravated harassment and that’s when criminal action can take place. If no direct contact is made, then the only thing a person in McGriff’s position can do is sue for libel.
McGriff does plan to file a lawsuits and to demand that MySpace takes down the fake account. Before that happens, she may have to change all of her phone numbers for protection.
January 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Very good webpage you have here, and best greetings to all your visitors
January 2nd, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Like the site very much, thanx 4 your efforts webmasters
January 2nd, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Great work with this one, nicelly done!
January 5th, 2007 at 5:18 am
COOL !!!
January 5th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Thank you for opening a wonderfully new sight..I wish you the best of luck with your new venture.
January 8th, 2007 at 1:27 am
Hi there, I must say that you have done a wonderful job on your site and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here, I thank you for sharing it with me…
January 8th, 2007 at 1:28 am
This is such a wonderful and informative way to reach others. I Will be more than glad to share this site
January 8th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Nice work chief
January 9th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Hi I thank you for a wonderful site. You have done very good job.
January 12th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I see we share a common interest! Excellent job on the website!
January 15th, 2007 at 3:30 am
Nice site try it here.
January 15th, 2007 at 3:31 am
Double WOW 2 your design!
January 15th, 2007 at 3:32 am
Salut !
January 16th, 2007 at 11:10 am
I am happy to see this site so much. It is always nice to hear such good news as your site.
January 17th, 2007 at 8:06 am
What a nice site, been surfing on it for the whole night and day and i neva got bored for a single minute. Keep up your good work and all of the best in everything you do!
January 17th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
YOU HAVE GOT SOME KIND OF CLASS IN THIS SITE. Good to see you up and around!
January 18th, 2007 at 2:43 am
Good-looking site. Congratulations.
January 21st, 2007 at 11:19 pm
This is great, look forward to looking into every area. Thanks for being there.
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:00 am
Howdy! Great site. Great content. Great! I can recommend this site to others!
January 23rd, 2007 at 11:01 am
Thank you, friends, for your sharing your ideas
January 24th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
This site is truly a great resource thanks for all your hard work
January 25th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
You’re website looks very good, it was a pleasure to be on you’re. Keep on the good work
January 26th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Hi – enjoyed your home page!
January 27th, 2007 at 8:53 am
Nice work chief
January 30th, 2007 at 4:55 am
Greetings Very good web site. I loved it. Found invaluable information. Just what I was looking for
February 1st, 2007 at 12:00 pm
hydrocodone online hydrocodone online
February 5th, 2007 at 1:10 am
What is meant health protection? It is necessary to increase deductions from the budget in free-of-charge medical clinics. WBR LeoP
February 6th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Hi! Very nice site! Thanks you very much! wcqmhbhnylc
February 7th, 2007 at 4:09 am
Thank you for your wonderful web site and this guest page
February 10th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Hi! Very nice site! Thanks you very much! ibebbbfttadtr
February 11th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Click here!
February 12th, 2007 at 11:20 am
xvyjcle dujabnt gwkdhnzj vmwutpk ypxv pegxnm xqzoym
February 12th, 2007 at 11:21 am
noru ompu zsjwphgo itolqac qfrxjn hyuqb hdeuygq http://www.ydegli.gfanjso.com
February 12th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
- – - = = = H i ! _ G a y s _ T h a n k _ y o u _ f o r _ s u c h _ a n _ i n f o r m a t i v e _ w e b s i t e . . V e r i _ i n t e r e s t i n _ a n _ e a y _ t o _ c o m p r e h e n d – T h a n x ! – - = = A l l , N i c e _ s i t e , _ I _h a v e _ b e e n _ s e e i n g _ s o m e _ r e a l l y i n t e r e s t i n g _ c o m m e n t s . . . _ g o i n g _ t o _ t e l l _ m e _ f r i e n d _ l o u i s e _ a b o u t _ t h i s _ s i t e ! ! = = = – - -
February 13th, 2007 at 3:19 am
I like your website I will share this with friends
February 14th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Thank you, I just wanted to give a greeting and tell you I like your website very much.
February 14th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I see we share a common interest! Excellent job on the website!
February 15th, 2007 at 10:03 am
bgvlabnjq
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Hi! Nice site!
February 24th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
First time here on your site. I am delighted to find your wonderful website online. Please visit my homepage too:
[@../doorway/blogspot/tr3.txt||10||p-11||3||
April 7th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Amazing artwork! This is spectacularly done! Would you please also visit my site?
June 4th, 2007 at 7:45 am
Nice resource, very interesting reading. retirements gifts
July 7th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
http://oz.uwyo.edu/pmcforum/ViewThread.php?message_id=14143 > Phentermine
July 11th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Test myfunction comment
July 31st, 2007 at 9:55 am
test aposter message
September 15th, 2007 at 4:51 am
Hi boys!bab407477fe8241dd265276a23ffde8a
October 1st, 2007 at 1:56 pm
tessssssssssssssssst
October 5th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
tterte