Watch what you type: social media is becoming an evidence source for prosecuting crimes and investigating fraud, even in relatively benign cases.
Police and prosecutors are increasingly sifting through the postings, messages and check-ins on social networking sites for evidence on the movements and motives of suspects and defendants. Prosecutors, especially those focused on criminal gangs, can look to social media like Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare to prove connections between people, offering building blocks for a case.
In the case of the January Arizona shooting rampage focused on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, prosecutors may use the "Goodbye friends" message alleged gunman Jared Loughner posted to MySpace hours before the crime as evidence against him.
Even benign postings can help, or hurt, a case. The New York Times reported on a boy who had been charged with a robbery in Brooklyn -- until his Facebook posting, jokingly complaining about breakfast at his dad's house in Manhattan, supported his claims that he was otherwise engaged at the time of the crime. The charges were dropped.
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Source: mobiledia.com
By: Doug Rule
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