True Crime Online: Shocking Stories of Scamming, Stalking, Murder, and Mayhem

by J.A. Hitchcock

Revealing many of the most extreme and horrifying examples of modern cybercrime, acclaimed investigator J. A. Hitchcock seeks to educate the millions of YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook users about the various hazards posed by new media. Covering the identity theft and subsequent murder of Amy Boyer in 1999, avoiding sexual predators, defending bank accounts against fraudulent phishing scams, and the rise of online bullying, Hitchcock provides a compelling, broad-ranging collection of case studies from which consumers can learn to defend themselves and their families against online criminals. Guaranteed to shock and surprise, this book will forever change the way users experience the internet.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would prefer a larger page number. The stories were all well-known, would’ve been 5 stars if some lesser known cases were included.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it during my free time. It’s okay. Though sometimes it seems to ramble or zoom through a case. I learned about a few cases like the Jason Howes’ case.

[Elusive · Rating 4 out of 5]

'True Crime Online: Shocking Stories of Scamming, Stalking, Murder, and Mayhem' comprises sixteen short stories regarding various crimes committed through the internet. The cases highlight how unsuspecting victims become the targets of some truly vicious criminals as well as how we can all learn to protect our privacy and ensure our safety online.

The author provided intricate details (on each case) which were delivered in a straightforward, factual way hence keeping every chapter short and simple. The dark side of human nature was evident, as seen in all the cases. Murder, stalking, cannibalism, paedophilia, bullying, cyberbullying and so forth were among the subject matters that were touched on. Apart from being educational for everyone, the content emphasized that it is important to be careful about what information you share online.

Overall, this book was engaging, eye-opening and informative.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay diversion, but I was expecting a little more variety in the stories; many involve stalking and bullying--while some are only marginally Internet-related.

[Arnied · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason this isn't a great book is because I have heard a lot of the stories before. Most of these have been all over the news and these are just short snippets about them. However, it is a nice handbook of what you can find on the internet. If you are looking to eat a person or find a person to eat you...there's a site for that...or probably an app now. And it's a great way to stalk and bully people...if you like to stalk and bully. You can find out when people will be on vacation so you can rob them...you can steal people's identities...even form suicide pacts. All in all if you are looking to torment others in some horrible way - the internet comes in pretty handy. Try not to consider this a how to book...because that would be really bad.

[Harry Krebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will scare the hell out of you—because it’s true, and fascinating. J.A. Hitchcock’s TRUE CRIME ONLINE recounts sixteen tales of internet related crime. The internet is perhaps the greatest invention of the late twentieth century, providing almost unlimited access to an all-encompassing cyberspace. But scammers, rapists, stalkers, and killers have found it also provides them an efficient tool to pursue or harass their victims. Anyone that uses email or plans on posting anything on the internet should read this book. Some of the stories are fairly graphic, so I would recommend this book be read by mature readers.

[Tonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sounded excited, but into the first chapter, I found it to be discouraging. The writing was that of a middle school student. Very simplistic. This book reminded me of reading someone's "news blog" about current events. Every thing you read in this book, you've seen in your Facebook newsfeed or on the local news. It's good to have all the stories compiled into one for those who may not be familiar with what can happen through technology, but disappointing to the rest of us. I would not recommend. I give it two stars for effort.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad, interesting and worthwhile read that covers familiar cases (Slave Master murders) and many cases that were new to me. The stalking cases were nightmarish and the quoted emails and IMs are a chilling peek into the unhinged mind.

[a. · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was just not very welkl-written and also suffered from a lot of typographical errors.