Terrorist Threatens Woman On Facebook

In an investigation that appears to be the first of its kind involving Facebook, Australian Counter Terrorism agents are studying claims that a member of Hezbollah has threatened a Melbourne woman and her family.

The woman, a member of the ‘Israel network’ on Facebook, had refused a friend request from the man, who was a member of the ‘Lebanon network’.

Police documents state that he sent her a message saying: “I am Hezbollah and I am going to kill you and your family – promise you.”

The man, “Ibrahim Dirani” has been banned following the commencement of police investigations.

Source: The Australian

This is a timely reminder!

Not everyone on Facebook or Myspace are necessarily who they say they are!

Whether or not “Ibrahim Dirani” is really a Facebook terrorist, users of Facebook and social networking sites in general, need to be aware that their security, and privacy, are first and foremost their own responsibility.

The simplest way to protect yourself is to limit the amount of information that you allow to be displayed on your profile.

I have seen a number of friends’ profiles that list their home address, landline and cellphone numbers.

This is a great starting place for anyone who is operating outside the law.

Changing your settings is simple.

Go to your profile page, and click the “edit” link on the top left of your profile page.

You can choose what you want to be public, or private.

I’d recommend simply using the Facebook inbox for communication, and having a Gmail or Hotmail etc email address as a back up.

As you get to know people on Facebook, you may be able to add other means of communication.

Be aware that just because you are being honest and open in the way you operate on the site, it doesn’t necessarily follow that everyone else is.

We often judge others by our own mindset and values, without thinking.

Not everyone is who they say they are, and you have no idea of knowing just who is checking out your profile.

Please Note: Because of the global nature of networking sites, it is difficult for local law enforcement agencies to to police these sites.

If you are threatened in anyway, you should immediately notify the site admin, and include all relevant evidence.

Once you have done this, depending on the seriousness of the situation and threat posed, contact the police.

Your Privacy Is Your Responsibility!