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Internet safety

Virginia ‘Reaper’ Who Made Teen Girl Carve His Name Into Her Leg Learns Prison Fate Virginia ‘Reaper’ Who Made Teen Girl Carve His Name Into Her Leg Learns Prison Fate
Virginia ‘Reaper’ Who Made Teen Girl Carve His Name Into Her Leg Learns Prison Fate A 26-year-old Virginia man who was the leader in an online group that cyber stalked and terrorized young girls online will spend years in federal prison, authorities announced. Evan Strauss, of Moneta, who goes by the monikers "Reaper" and Kobe Deonsons" was sentenced on Thursday, Aug. 1 to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to stalking and child pornography offenses last year. The charges stem from a toxic relationship he formed online with a 17-year-old girl from Wyoming, whom he harassed and controlled for months.  The minor—identified in court documents only as Minor A—was t…
Maryland Man Who Tried To Hide 600+ Child Porn Files—Then Showed Cops His Phone Learns Fate Maryland Man Who Tried To Hide 600+ Child Porn Files—Then Showed Cops His Phone Learns Fate
Maryland Man Who Tried To Hide 600+ Child Porn Files—Then Showed Cops His Phone Learns Fate Mark Rice tried to pull a fast one on investigators in Maryland, but he was ultimately busted with hundreds of child porn files, federal authorities say. Now, he will have decades in prison to think about his actions. A CyberTip from Reddit to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in April 2023 led to the Elkton resident's conviction on multiple offenses following a lengthy investigation, officials announced earlier this year. Specifically, Rice pleaded guilty to federal charges of production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. On Thursday, …
Family Feared Him Missing — He Was Arrested In Undercover Child Sex Sting At NJ Hotel, AG Says Family Feared Him Missing — He Was Arrested In Undercover Child Sex Sting At NJ Hotel, AG Says
Family Feared Him Missing — He Was Arrested In Undercover Child Sex Sting At NJ Hotel, AG Says All Bruce Drelich's family knew on Friday, May 2 was that he'd gone to New Jersey to meet an "online acquaintance" before he disappeared, according to a missing person's post on social media. And then, they learned why. The Philadelphia resident is facing multiple charges, including human trafficking, after authorities say he tried to meet a 12-year-old girl in a Bordentown, NJ hotel for sex. That girl was actually an undercover agent, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Tuesday, June 10. So, on May 2, when Drehlich arrived at the hotel, he was taken into custody by authori…
ESPN Star Blasts AI Fakes Targeting Her Fans: 'Enough Is Enough' ESPN Star Blasts AI Fakes Targeting Her Fans: 'Enough Is Enough'
ESPN Star Blasts AI Fakes Targeting Her Fans: 'Enough Is Enough' Even ESPN's Erin Dolan isn’t safe from scammers. ESPN talking head Erin Dolan issued an advisory to her nearly 340,000 Instagram followers this week, cautioning that not everything may be as it seems when it comes to corresponding with her on social media.  The Penn State grad and girlfriend of Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm set the record straight after receiving disconcerting messages from fans about apparent phishing schemes. "Alright. Enough is enough," the ESPN sports betting analyst posted in an Instagram story on Wednesday, May 28.  "I have TikTok, Instagra…
Don't Fall For It: Instagram CEO Says He Almost Became Victim Of Google Phishing Attack Don't Fall For It: Instagram CEO Says He Almost Became Victim Of Google Phishing Attack
Don't Fall For It: Instagram CEO Says He Almost Became Victim Of Google Phishing Attack The tech-savvy head of Instagram says he almost fell for an elaborate scam in which a new phishing attack was posing as Google. Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram and Head of Product for Instagram at Facebook, said in a social media post on Threads that the scammer contacted him by phone, with a quick follow-up email. "They said my Google account was compromised and they sent me an email to confirm my identity," wrote Mosseri, a 42-year-old New York City native who graduated from NYU. "On the phone they asked me to change my password using my Gmail app and to *not* say my new…
New Phishing Email Looks Just Like Google Account Alert: What To Know New Phishing Email Looks Just Like Google Account Alert: What To Know
New Phishing Email Looks Just Like Google Account Alert: What To Know You’d expect a phishing scam to be riddled with typos or strange email addresses.  But one new scheme is anything but sloppy.  In fact, it’s polished enough to fool even tech-savvy users because it uses Google’s own tools and trusted domains to do it. A new phishing email making the rounds appears to come directly from [email protected], the same address used for real Google security alerts. Updated story - Instagram CEO Says He Almost Fell For Sophisticated New Google Scam: What To Watch For The message warns the recipient that a subpoena has been issued to access…
FBI Issues Warning About 'Malicious' AI Scam: What To Know FBI Issues Warning About 'Malicious' AI Scam: What To Know
FBI Issues Warning About 'Malicious' AI Scam: What To Know Scammers are using fraudulent text messages and AI-generated voice messages, according to a new warning from the FBI. Since April 2025, malicious actors have been impersonating senior US officials to target individuals, particularly current and former federal and state government officials and their contacts.  Details The fraudsters are using text messages and AI-generated voice messages, known as smishing and vishing, to establish a false sense of rapport before attempting to access personal accounts. One common tactic involves sending a malicious link disguised as a request to tran…
Man Travels 2,000 Miles To Assault Minor, Walks Into Police Trap In DMV Man Travels 2,000 Miles To Assault Minor, Walks Into Police Trap In DMV
Man Travels 2,000 Miles To Assault Minor, Walks Into Police Trap In DMV A Utah man who thought he was meeting a minor in Virginia was instead met by undercover detectives in a sting operation targeting online predators, officials announced. Jonathan Craig O’Neil, 39, was arrested on Saturday, March 16 after he traveled to Fairfax County to sexually assault a minor, according to Fairfax County police. O’Neil had been communicating online with individuals he believed to be underage, but, in fact, were detectives from the department’s Child Exploitation Unit who were on the other end, police said.  When he arrived in Virginia, officers were waiting. His arr…
Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn
Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn A new scam is targeting people with a fake email and officials are urging the public to stay vigilant. The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued the warning about fraudulent emails impersonating the agency.  These emails, which carry the subject line “Claim Benefits!”, falsely claim that recipients must apply for their 2025 Social Security benefits through a provided link. How Scam Works The scam email appears to come from SSA and directs users to a fake website disguised to look like SSA’s official page. However, clicking on the link l…
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an urgent warning about a widespread text message scam designed to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. Known as “smishing” (SMS phishing), the scam involves fraudulent texts impersonating toll and package delivery services to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive data. According to cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, cybercriminals have registered over 10,000 fraudulent domains as part of this operation, targeting at least 11 states and one Canadian province. Key…
Convicted Sex Offender In Maryland Gets Decades In Prison For Preying On Minors Online: Feds Convicted Sex Offender In Maryland Gets Decades In Prison For Preying On Minors Online: Feds
Convicted Sex Offender In Maryland Gets Decades In Prison For Preying On Minors Online: Feds A previously convicted sex offender in Maryland who targeted underage girls using online apps is going to spend decades in prison, federal authorities announced. Beltsville resident Brian Patrick Werth, 40, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison after being convicted by a jury at a three-day trial for producing child sexual abuse material. Werth was convicted of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and engaging with a minor as a registered sex offender. According to court documents, between January 2021 and June 2021, Werth communicated with unde…
MD Man, 26, Wanted For Soliciting Explicit Photos From PA Teen: Affidavit MD Man, 26, Wanted For Soliciting Explicit Photos From PA Teen: Affidavit
MD Man, 26, Wanted For Soliciting Explicit Photos From PA Teen: Affidavit A Maryland man is waned for pressuring a 15-year-old girl to send explicit photos and describing violent sexual acts in Snapchat messages, York County Regional Police detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Thursday, Nov. 21. Brady A. Knatz, 26, of Hampstead, MD, began communicating with the York County teen, identified as S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024, using the Snapchat username "scooby_snacs," according to the affidavit of probable cause. Knatz allegedly initiated the conversation by asking S.C. if she wanted a "sugar daddy" and revealed he was 24 years old, police said. S.C. to…
Men Soliciting Sex From Minors Busted During Undercover Operation: Washington County Sheriff Men Soliciting Sex From Minors Busted During Undercover Operation: Washington County Sheriff
Men Soliciting Sex From Minors Busted During Undercover Operation: Washington County Sheriff Three human trafficking suspects have been taken off the streets following an investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. This week, the agency's Digital Investigations & Forensics Unit arrested three men during an operation focused on Internet-based chats targeting adults who sought out minors for sex, officials say. Investigators used different social media platforms via covert chats and undercover law enforcement officers to chat with and meet up with those adults who solicit sex from children. During the operation, multiple Internet-based contacts and in-pers…