Ed62

[cgallery]

The suspense is KILLING me.

[Ed62]

Check this thread tomorrow afternoon.

Ed

[TheRic]

Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick..... Tock.... Tick.... Tock.... Tick.... Tock....

[Ed62]

The wait is over. No lawyer, no bracelets, and no free clamps.

I asked my neighbor to be at the interview. 2 guys from Illinois, and 1 local detective came to visit. I invited them in, but they said the front porch was good enough. So that's where the meeting took place. The guys were cool, and there was no problem.

Someone has been sending threatening e-mails to a police department near Chicago, and it came from my computer. The threats were not specific, but the chief of police was concerned about the safety of himself and his wife. There had been several e-mails sent since December.

Before they told me what happened, they asked if I had a computer, and I told them yes. They asked if anyone else uses the computer, other than myself or my wife. I told them my kids do, but rarely. They wanted to talk to my boys, but were not interested in talking to the girls. I gave them phone numbers for my boys.
But I'm just about as sure they had nothing to do with it, as I am that I had nothing to do with it.

So that brings up a question. If someone got into my computer from a remote computer, couldn't they send the e-mails? If someone does have access to my computer, how can I tell? No virus has shown up, but I haven't run it through all the available online scans.

Ed

[TheRic]

Ed, glad to hear YOU are not involved. I would hope they would know the difference of your computer and someone spoofing your computer. I would look into getting it resolved.

[cabinetman]

Ed

If you are on wireless, someone could just park in the street, with a laptop. If you did do it, just give yourself up. We'll all write and send you Playboy magazine.

[Russianwolf]

from what I understand, they wouldn't even have to get into your computer, just mimic the ISP number of your computer. not too hard from what I've heard.

[cgallery]

Ed, glad to hear YOU are not involved. I would hope they would know the difference of your computer and someone spoofing your computer. I would look into getting it resolved.

Yeah, if they drove all that way you'd think they know for sure that it was coming from his IP. I'm surprised they didn't want to take your machine with them.

[Russianwolf]

Ed

If you are on wireless, someone could just park in the street, with a laptop. If you did do it, just give yourself up. We'll all write and send you Playboy magazine.

He'd rather get Fine Woodworking I bet.

[JoeyGee]

They wouldn't need an IP, access to your PC or even your wireless connection. All they would need is your password, or access to your ISP--or they could just be spoofing your address, but I would *assume* the Illinois AG would be smart enough to figure that one out. It's no different than the e-mails I get from PayPal and eBay asking me to "verify" my information.

[final_t]

Let's be clear on what they are saying by "computer".
Most of the time - *IAA for example - they tie "computer" to an IP address (164.94.39.44). IP addresses are leased from your service provider for a set period of time - anywhere from 24 hours to 14 days.
If your cable modem (or computer if it's straight dial-up) is turned off for long enough - overnight usually - then you'll get a new IP address, and someone else will get the old one.
If the legal folks demand the name for a given IP address, the service provider usually coughs up either (a) the last known user at that address or (b) the current one. Neither one could be you.
Now, the only way they can be sure that it was *your* computer sending the email (and this only applies to email) is that if the email headers indicate that it's your machine by name. This is part of the "Recieved" headers. For example, one of my friend's email has this:
Received: from ChickenRidge1 ([164.94.39.44])

As for the someone got in via hacking or whatnot, doubtful - they won't be sending mail to the police, they will be selling your system resources to a zombie network.

Using your wireless is also a non-starter for the same reason above: the email sender would be the machine using the wireless, not your machine so it's not you.

If your boys are doing this from your personal system, then you could be liable for this action of course.

[JR]

In this day and age you don't have a fixed IP address. Your PC acquires an IP address each time you log on to the internet.

There are any number of schemes for causing a PC send an email. Hackers do this stuff all the time. When internet performance is periodically caused to crumble, a techique frequently used is to place a "worm" on thousands of PCs, causing them to all send email to the same address.

A malicious individual could have caused Ed's PC to send an offensive email to the police chief in Illinois. It's a question of having received the email from Ed's email account as opposed to coming from his IP address.

BTW - these schemes frequently use the email addresses learned through the gag or chain emails sent to dozens of friends and acquaintances. The worm might be attached invisibly to the email. It's a serious reason to trash that stuff as soon as you see it in your inbox. This is in addition to the fact that stuff is almost always inane to begin with.

Anyway, Ed, I'm glad the interview went well.

JR

[scmhogg]

I am so glad that's over. I've been doing criminal defense for 35 years now. And, I was holding my breath.

Computer experts here have already told you about computer impersonation. My expert, and my youngest, at 22, tells me that it is sooo easy. In fact he says that there are websites that offer free downloadable programs to do just that. I can only hope he has learned from the multi-year sentences he has seen in my practice to avoid such foolishness.

Oh, and Ed, DON'T DO IT AGAIN!!

Steve

[TheRic]

Did they giv eyou any clues on when they were sent?? You might be able to narrow it down on who was over then. Like last week on Thur 8:34PM Bill was over. Also could be grandkids.

[Ed62]

In this day and age you don't have a fixed IP address. Your PC acquires an IP address each time you log on to the internet.

I'm pretty much a dummy when it comes to things like that. I have 3 computers running off a router, which is turned on early in the morning. Is that when I get a new IP (whatever that is) address? Or do I get it when I actually use a computer to get online? What if 2 computers are online, but connect at different times?

I was told the e-mails began in December, and there have been several sent since then. They didn't say they were all from my address, but that's the way I took it. If the address changes, and they all came from my addresses, it only seems reasonable they would take my computers. Man, I really need a lesson on how this stuff works.

Ed