I do apologize to all Goodreads reputable reviewers for my outburst because all writers respect the time & effort you put into your reviews whether they are in praise or constructively critical. But it only takes one moron (but there are many like this) to undermine your good work.
At the moment, myself and many other writers who just happen to know Rick Carufel are only on a stupid list http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/when-hell-freezes-over however, Rick has many 1* so called reviews on his books that have nothing to do with the books and everything to do with bashing the author reputation, so no doubt they will get around to the rest of us sooner or later.
Now Rick has taken the brave step of fighting these bullies, check out the report below:
Carol x
One Man’s Response to Cyber Crime
The following press release appeared yesterday on the subject of organised cyber stalking and cyber bullying…
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Dateline Minnesota For Immediate Release May 18, 2013
Serial Cyber-stalking, Cyber-bullying and Harassment Rampant on the Internet
A Minnesota man is troubled by a case of wide-spread, serial cyber-stalking he has uncovered.
Rick Carufel has found a disturbing number of reports and evidence of blatant, organized cyber-stalking, cyber-bullying and harassment all originating from the same online source – a public forum owned by a well-known global corporation. It appears to have been ongoing for at least three years and involves dozens of people victimizing hundreds.
“There seems to be some indication that the corporation in question may be deliberately shielding those responsible and may even be actively supporting them. Recently I have seen an alarming number of cases concerning attacks on a certain group of individuals.”
It is obvious to anyone who carries out a cursory investigation by going to the website in question that the corporation has some very questionable policies which it has made no attempt to address, resolve or even acknowledge. The company’s public forums are the origin of what can only be described as vicious personal cyber-attacks to date. Even in the face of thousands of complaints, the corporation does nothing to correct the situation.
While researching the US cyber-stalking laws, Carufel has discovered that the Minnesota statute 609.749 clearly defines the activities of these people as criminal acts. This is the same statute used to prosecute predatory sex offenders who stalk underage victims online. There are between thirty and forty people currently responsible for hundreds of organized attacks with the intent to damage careers, reputations and income. These are not merely isolated incidents. Instead, when the predator’s focus their attention on an individual they keep up a sustained attack trying in every underhanded way possible to discredit, demean, insult, demonize and harass their victims across the internet at every opportunity.
Carufel said that according to his understanding of the situation, these people are committing crimes which the particular company that owns the website is fully aware of. “It’s absolutely amazing how many people these cyber-terrorists have frightened into not speaking out against them because of the threat of very damaging retaliation. These stalkers have found the perfect cover for their crimes, protected as they are by the company concerned.”
Carufel went on to say that these attacks if allowed to continue, will potentially cause millions in damage over time. “They are the offshoot of an industry in transition that desperately clings to outdated models and these waning industry leaders are not happy with the current state of events. I’ve had reports that there may actually be corporate sponsorships for some of these attacks, targeting a certain segment of the industry most responsible for their decline. There is much more to be uncovered, but I am out of resources to pursue this investigation much further. I’m hoping to gather enough solid evidence together to compel the State and Federal authorities to request indictments. These people are spreading terror and misery every day and must be stopped. Their cover is diabolically clever and they have thus far managed to weather every attempt to root them out. Hopefully armed with 609.749 by proving the association between the cyber stalkers and the particular corporation, we can accomplish that.”
Carufel stated that were he to publicly reveal the details, people would be shocked. He stated that he already has enough evidence from his own case to send several of the individuals concerned to prison. Combine his evidence with the many other reports of similar personal attacks and harassment condoned by the corporation and Carufel hopes to have a deeper investigation into it and its system of protection tailored to accommodate these criminals.
