The Dangers Of Bebo and MySpace! PART I
24 hours have passed since I underwent the transformation into a woman. To those who are unfamiliar with my aim, I decided to sign up to Bebo.com posing as a girl in order to coax total strangers into sharing their contact details with me. I am now in the rather smug position of being able to tell you I managed to acquire mobile numbers and HOME ADDRESSES of the majority of those who accepted my invitation for friendship. So how did I manage to find friends?So that’s where we pick up the story. After creating a false email address, finding a suitable pic of a babe and signing up to Bebo.com I set about searching for friends because after all I’m a lonely New Yorker who moved to Meath because my Dad got a job there so I’m desperate for friends. I was semi-pleased to discover that adding friends on Bebo isn’t all that easy because you actually have to know their email address to be able to add them. I should have been thrilled after finding this out but because I was desperate to find some friends, it made the job in hand slightly more difficult because now it meant I had to find a work around.
So I paused for a few moments before noticing the “School” and “College” tab which I clicked because it would only seem logical to be able to add yourself to a school and be able to see everyone else who signed up to the college. Upon clicking on “College” I was asked to select a Country and then a state (having selected the USA) and then finally I could browse through all the colleges registered on the site. My first attempt at enrolling myself as a student was foiled because I was asked to enter my student email which must be verified. I couldn’t have been bothered to verify another email address so I went back over the procedure only this time I said I was Alumni and didn’t have to verify an email address (presumably because few graduates would remember their college email).
I was in! I was now brought to a page listing everyone from the college, past and present. Now I was free to look at people’s public profiles and request to add them as a friend. For the next 10 minutes I added about 6 friends in between many sips of coffee, all male and between the ages of 17 and 21. Once I did that it was simply a matter of playing the waiting game.
A few hours later I received an email saying that “XXXX” had connected with me on Bebo. I then had to log out of my genuine account (that is my account) and log in as Tracy so I could view this persons profile. Now at this point I’d like to point out that I won’t at any stage reveal the names of those who were duped. Nevertheless “XXXX’s” profile tested positive for the following banned substances… Mobile phone number and home address. I could do nothing but smile as I realised that unbeknownst to XXXX, I was in a very powerful position. Granted they were based in New York and here I am in Ireland but there are tonnes of US-based sites that are crying out for numbers to send junk txt’s to and likewise I could have done the same with their home address!
As I was reading that profile, I received another email saying that another person had added me. This time around the person was only choosing to display their phone number. Smart choice - Dumbass! Over the next few hours everyone that I had sent a friend request out to had accepted it and it turned out that that first person was the only one who entered in their home address while everyone else was showing their phone number.
I could have gone further and at this stage it would actually be easier to find friends because I would only have to click on “Friends Friends” and be given the option to add all my mutual friends with only one click. It would have beat having to add each person individually but I feel that I have already proven my point and that is the simple fact that Bebo has the potential to wreak havok on people’s lives while that person is left wondering just why €5 is going missing from their phone credit each day and why they are all of a sudden receiving 17 catalogues daily. Of course the danger doesn’t end there and armed with a home address there is the potential for some serious physical harm being done to the victim.
Before I started this experiment, I was under the impression that Bebo was a free for all where anybody could simply search for someone and add them, instead the other way for someone to get in contact with strangers is to join a college or a school. Once you do add someone, that person is advised to only accept you if they actually know you. However because people added me, the beautiful stranger, it’s proof that people aren’t following the advise but even though the onus is on the people to make sure they are responsible in choosing who to add, I feel that Bebo should tighten up it’s security further to make it harder for people to do exactly as I did.
To conclude this report I’d like to emphasise that I did this because I believe services like Bebo.com, Myspace.com and other community sites aimed at progressively younger users are dangerous and hopefully by doing this I can help spread awareness of this very real danger.
Thanks for taking the time out to read this and please feel free to link to this article and/or leave a comment telling me what you think!
tagsbebo, myspace, danger, identity theft, paedophile, pervert, social experimenttags
DUDE YOU ARE SO SAD DOING THIS YET ALONG BLOODY TELLING THE WORLD…..
GET A LIFE WE DONT WAN2 EAR IT.
OUR RANT LOL
Hey man, have to agree with you (even though I do sometimes use these sites). A lot of people unfortunatly dont think things through fully when they’re tearing through the mess of stuff you have to fill out to join these sites, I do. I never give my home address, phone number, or work address to anyone I dont know and trust… the most people know is that I’m from Kilkenny. I do hope you at least partially succeed in what you are trying to achieve, I like these sites, they give you a chance to meet a wider diversity of ppl, but yes, security shud be tightned.
To emma and neil - cop on, and grow up… oh, and work on your grammer etc…
Hey! yea im on Bebo… and i have my phone number and address up. i kinda thought at the start that it would b fine! no harm would come.. and i still believe the chances are slim! but im off 2 delete my contact details! thanks for opening my eyes a little!
Why are people so stupid?
Putting your mobile up on the internet? ARE YOU PEOPLE RETARDED???
i agree wit patrik dat is plain retarded an stupid 2 put ur personal details up! pathetic an sad! an i tink some of us who r intelligent wuld notice after a while dat ur not who u say u r! any body who eva put der details up an thought dat no harm wuld come is jus plain stupid an impoverished for brains!
I think the main problem is young people are so trusting and its not the site as such that causes the problem because it is a nice idea for those who use it properly.It should however enforce the do not display your phone number etc more because it will make more people think before they do.
i have bebo nd i dnt put my mail on heer afta readin dat! fank u i’ve had random people addin me nd im still wid it jst gunnna b mre careful nd lik deleate all ma detalies!! but i dnt ave my mob no on der (not dat supid) i jst had my email addy (the cause of lots of random people addin me)fanx 4 openin my eyes…very wide…cheers!
nd a ickle scared now
in a good way
thank you
i dont no nebody who puts dere number on dere bebo???
ya no wha i tink i tink ur the pervert posing as a girl so ya can meet little boys….hmmm? tryin 2 make it luk inocent dere are ya so ppl wont catch on
IM ON 2 U!!!:D yea im jokin\not
Good work, I work in the banking industry and have worked in fraud, this sort of thing is on the increase esp with mobile phones, I think you have done a good job and shown people what these sites are really all about well done
Omg ya lil siko oh, im actin undercover n shit! ya lil gayboy, get a LIFE, get a JOB n not 2 mension ya iz a perv freak! wierdo.. posing like a lil gurl!?!? omg… freak much?
eh jazzy will you please try to spell your words properly i can barely make out what you’re saying. well done adam for getting through to some people why would anyone want to leave their name and number on a worldwide website???
Adam,
Great series of posts, and I agree 100%. Will you be my friend?
youre gay! just admit it man like totally you heshe. any way get a life and get over it !coz youre… but it is gay how people put there names and address up on bebo and there phone numbers ae niga g unit, coz you never know what might happen to ya!!!!!ps i dont like you and the way you think
oh well c ya bro
hiya if u wannna check out my site its tanyascoolpiczosite.piczo.com and on the guesst book leve your msn if u have one init and don’t fore get 2 singe any other staff on my site as well my m8tes are kelly white ,ashton gray, amba kenaldy,mel night,daneille,fisha,
alan parker,david,cheda,jarethe and many more
hiya how ar u goargina have u got a site that i can check out init luvin ya as a m8te see ya
hello emma lennon u got msn if u have then leave it and i will add u any one got msn then leave it and i will add ?????????????????
eya im bak (afta lyk 4eva_ nd ave decided 2 leave anotha comment:
“WHY DO IDIOTS LEAVE THER MOBILE NUMBAS ND ADDY’S ON DER??? DO U WNT SUM RANDOM FREAKY PERSON ADDING U???, I DIDN’T THINK SO…”
… well…ermm this is interesting… fun stuff lol
tbh i dnt think its a smart idea to put your details on the internet.. which of course means im an idiot because iv done it anyways… but thts because i dnt care lol
ciao xXx
For Fucks sake, Dont be such a kill joy, fair enough social site should make their users aware of the precautions they should ake about making personal information public but the benefits FAR outweigh the risks. After all you could get hit by a bus in the morning but thats not going to stop you getting out of bed is it. Lighten UP!!
OI FUK U MAN IM ON BEBO BUT THAT DONT MEEN I PUT MY ADDY ND SHIT ON DER I AINT THAT FUKEN GAY LIKE SOME PPL
U DO REALISE THAT U HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER U WONT IT THERE OR NOT..EER!!!
IF PPL WANNA PUT THAT SHIT THRE,THATS THEIR PROBLEM IT DONT MEEN U HAVE TO GO HAVE A GAY BITCH ABOUT IT
AND U PRETENDED TO BE A CHICK OBVIOUSLY IF U CHOSE A PIC OF A HOT CHICK UR GONNA GET SOME RESPONSE ITS HOW GUYZ ARE ….. BUT U I DUNNO BOUT U,, IM CONFUSED THERE
OH AND BEFORE I LEAVE IF UR SOO UPSET ABOUT THIS U DO ALSO REALISE U CAN COMPLAIN TO THE ADMINISTRATOR OF BEBO— DUMBASS!!
SO NEXT TYME U DECIDE TO MAKE ONE OF UR BITCHES WORLD WIDE TRY AND FIND A BETTA REASON THAN MAKIN UR SELF LOOK GAY, STUPID, A TRANNIE AND A FUKEN PERVE
PEACE OWTS JOCE
AUZZIE LAND RULEZ
It’s Easier Than You Think For a Criminal To Get Your
Personal Information And Use It To Not Only Obtain
Goods And Services, But Also To Commit Fraud And
Even Crime.
Rob Escobar
its a load of shit any way i cant even load it fucking up. shity computers people should get out more. im at college thats why ive got stuck on the stupid things which ruin peoples social lives.
Adam your great.
I have exactly the same views and you, I started hating Bebo as soon as people in my class were bragging about how many friends and love they have on bebo.
Keep it up Adam
the earth is round!! u guys dont get it!!!
hi everone
my best m8 is summers
Great job.
Lots of people do so on Myspace though.
Bebo is for stupid people :]
Have you realised yet?
No need for html, its just post, comment, draw, add.
hey. I think what you have done is realy good and should be a wake up call to evryone using bebo. Even though not evryone on bebo does put their details on the site, bebo is a dangerous place. I think you should do another investigation because i am fed up of the 100s of girls my age (15) who put apalling pictures of themselves on the site, even though the bebo creators have said “this aint no porn site”, well IT IS, well becoming one. Also these girls leave their email adresses on their bebo page for all kinds or men to add them and its disgusting and girls should be more clever. Omg sorry for the rant hope you agree
xx
verify bebo page
2 b honest, its not the sites that r the problem, its the ppl on it! there r some horrid ppl out there and if u put ur number on it, obviously sumthings going 2 happen 2 u.
so use ur brain and feel free 2 go on these sites… but dont put lots of personal details about urself! come on ppl!
If they want 2 put there no on bebo! then they can it is their loss but u cnt tell them they hav 2 delete it!
all u guys suk ballos hahahah u needah go poke ur mum then turn to ur dads and wank him u bitches mwahahahhahahhaha dnt tell me to fuk off cus i already am !!!!
January 22, 2008
Adam,
I found your bebo investigation very interesting. I work as a reporter, and would like to have a quick chat with you (anonymously, if you would prefer) this week if possible for an newspaper article I am working on. If you could send me email me at the above address, perhaps i could explain it to you in more detail. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
tbh, its not the sites that r the problem, its the ppl on it.
if we all use a lil common sense everything will b fine.
=D
i use bebo but i dont put my number or email on it cos thats just stupid but if people want to be silly and do it then they can but i have to say i have noticed that its maily little girls who want boys to call them or text them beacuse they cant get boys in real life so they plan to meet up with them and then they get raped or something horrible like that.. so if you put your number on your myspace or bebo its a bit stupid as i sed
much loved
x
Here is one for you, My ex wife jioned bebo while we where married. She is a special police officer and should know better. but she met some one on bebo started to talk for a few months with this guy and asked him to come and see her while I was at work. he drove 8 hours to see her when I was on night shift, with her 15 years and my 15 year old son was in the hoiuse with my 3 year old. My 15 year old son was so scared he was the one that told me not her.Well it ended with me in jail and her life in such a mess she is constantly depressed. The guy did not know she was still married and did a runner.Which he would have done anyway. Then it turned out she had done it before with another guy from youtube. dont believe she cant get the videos they sang together off now cause they are on his sight. check it out mad as a hatter the lot off them. just google suzyswift.
Must take my hat off to the police force they want to practice what they preach. (to there own officers