LOOK LEFT, LOOK RIGHT, STEP FORWARD By the Gent

 Contributed by Jerry Gentile

Her name is Julia, and his name is Olaf. They started a relationship on the Internet. He seemed like a thoughtful young man, and Julia appreciated it. They had many things in common. He said he lived in Oslo, Norway, where he worked for a Nokia affiliate. It was a tech company that originated in Finland, according to Olaf. The company was in hard times due to the influx of new tech companies, and Olaf was searching for a new job.

Julia didn't realize he was part of a group of cyber criminals who specialized in hacking and extorting significant companies. Julia came from Columbus, Ohio. All she wanted was a friend she could relate to in cyberspace.

As they became more familiar, Olaf started requesting Julia to show more of herself. Julia was smart enough not to take the bait and quickly tried to distance herself from Olaf. She wasn't prepared for what Olaf had in store for her.

First, Pizza and Chinese food deliveries showed up at her house in Columbus, Ohio, where she lived with her parents and younger brother. When they came, the orders had instructions to ask for Julia; next, a truck arrived with 3 tons of gravel to dump in the family driveway. The family's electricity was cut off several times. Within a year, there were over 50 death threats to her parents and brother. Olaf was getting even. His knowledge of cyberspace went far beyond Julia's comprehension. Olaf was never found. Julia and her family experienced the only punishment. I hope all parents can see the lesson in the story. Consistently investigate what your children are doing. In NYS, they are children until they are 21.