Subject: Fw: Beware>True Story : Mixit (Chatting facility on cellphones)
READ!!!
To all those with children, nieces, cousins, grandchildren. A warning
re:
Mixit.
This is a long email to read but I found it very interesting as
Kayla goes on mixit quite often. For those parents who don't know
mixit, ask your kids about it.
This is quite scary.
For all others that go on mixit!!!
Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward
home. The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster.
"You're being silly, she told herself, "no one is following you." To
be
safe, she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with her
pace. She
was afraid to look back and she was glad she was almost home. Shannon
said
a quick prayer, "God please get me home safe." She saw the porch light
burning and she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved to be
in
the safety of her home. She glanced out the window to see if anyone
was
there.
The sidewalk was empty.
After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack
and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213.
She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on.
She sent him an instant message:
By Angel213:
Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home
today. It was really weird!
GoTo123:
LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you? Don't
you
live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213:
Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't
see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123:
Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
ByAngel213:
Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123:
Did you have a softball game after school today?
ByAngel213:
Yes and we won!!
GoTo123:
That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213:
We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look
like
bees. LOL
GoTo123:
What is your team called?
ByAngel213:
We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They
are really cool.
GoTo123:
Did you pitch?
ByAngel213:
No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done
before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
GoTo123:
Catch you later.
Bye
Meanwhile....GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search
for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it
out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel
so
far.
Her name: Shannon
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13< BR>
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.
Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had
just
told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. Every
afternoon
until her
parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday
afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats.
Her
favorite number
7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eight grade at the
Canton Junior High School. She had told him all this in the
conversations
they had on- line. He had enough information to find her now.
Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home
from the ball park that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and
stop
her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always
overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an
only
child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be
so
overprotective.
By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.
Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring
at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from
her second base position to see a man watching her closely.
He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled
when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly
dismissed the fear she had felt. After the game, he sat on a bleacher
while
she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked
past
him. He
nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her
shirt.
He knew he had found her. Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind
her.
It was only a few blocks to Shannon's home, and once he saw where she
lived
he
quickly returned to the park to get his car.
Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time
came
to go to Shannon's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat
there until time to make his move.
Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices
in the living room.
"Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she
couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from
the ballpark sitting on the sofa.
"Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most
interesting story about you."
Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had
never seen him before today!
"Do you know who I am, Shannon?" the man asked.
"No," Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."
Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age!
He's 14 and he lives in Michigan!"
The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true.
You see, Shannon, there are people on-line who pretend to be kids;
I was one of them.
But while others do it to find kids and hurt them, I belong to a
group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here
to
find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line.
You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find
you. Your name the school you went to, the name of your ball team and
the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made
finding you a breeze."
Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh. It made you feel safe to think
I was so far away, didn't it?"
She nodded.
"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as
lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home
alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet
they do it all the time on-line.
The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little
here and there on-line. Before you know it, you have told them enough
for
them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope
you've
learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. Tell others about
this so
they will be safe too?"
"It's a promise!"
Please send this to as many people as you can to teach them not to give
any
information about themselves. This world we live in today is too
dangerous
to even give out your age, let alone anything else.
OK so who of you was it that followed me the other day. Interesting topic now pick one forum member and lets see how much we can find oute about him and see if we are a good examples to our kids
I bet I can find a lot of the forum members quite easily in the comfort of their homes or at least of their planes.
