Internet Fraud Casebook

Chapter 29. Dribbling On The Internet

TIMOTHY D. MARTIN

Practice had gone an hour longer than usual and Jeff was getting nervous. The Littleton High School Cougars had done well this season and were headed to the state basketball championships. Seventeen-year-old Jeff Wilson was a tall, good-looking kid and the star of the basketball team. He was outgoing and well liked by his classmates and teachers alike.

Coach Mather called his name again and Jeff snapped out of his thoughts. The coach was saying something about the players not letting up at this point in the season. Jeff didn't understand why the coach was pushing so hard when the players had done so well this year. Finally the whistle was blown and the players headed for the showers, but Jeff went straight out the door to his motorcycle. His parents would be home soon and he had work to do.

When Jeff arrived after basketball practice, he was relieved to find that his parents were not there yet. He rushed into the house and dropped his gym bag and schoolbooks on the floor. He needed to check his e-mail before his parents came home. The computer was in his parents' bedroom. When he entered their bedroom he saw his younger brother sitting at the computer chatting with his online friends. His annoyance was apparent when he told his brother to get off the computer, as he was in a hurry to use it. He locked the door as the younger boy left the room.

Logging into his Web site, he was nearly petrified when he saw the number of new e-mails ...