On-Line Stalker

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This story is false, though it does demonstrate
the need for caution when communicating with
strangers. For more info see:

http://www.snopes.com/spoons/faxlore/shannon.htm

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PLEASE READ AND PASS IT ON TO YOUR KIDS

Something to think about…

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 ran the rest of the way to
her house.Once inside 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. There she could talk to strangers without being
afraid. After all, no one knew who she really was and couldn’t
hurt her. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213.
Checking her Buddy List she saw GoTo123 was on. She sent
him an instant message:

ByAngel213: Hi I’m glad you are on! I thought someone was
followingme 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 cause 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 kewl.
GoTo123: Do you pitch or what?
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 meBye
GoTo123: Catch you later.. Bye
GoTo123 decided it was time to teach Angel a lesson.

One she would never forget. He 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
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.

Besides this information he knew she lived in Canton. She had
just told him, He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 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 seventh
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. “She’ll be so surprised,” he
thought, “she doesn’t even know what she has done.”

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 back
of the shirt. He knew he had found her. Quietly he walked a
safe distance behind her. He didn’t want to frighten her and
have to explain what he was doing to anyone.

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 is a policeman
and he has just told us a most interesting story about you.”

Shannon moved cautiously to a chair across from the man. 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 your on line 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 give out too much information to people
online. 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 online. 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.”

“I won’t,” Shannon promised solemnly. “Will you tell others
about this so they will be safe too?” “It’s a promise!” That night
Shannon and her dad and Mom all knelt down together and
prayed. They thanked God for protecting Shannon from what
could have been a tragic situation.
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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. Be safe. PASS THIS ON!