The Paw Print

A news publication created by Baruch's College Now high school journalism class

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Should Baruch Become a Testing Optional School?

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For high school students across America the thought of taking the SAT exam is terrifying. Many feel that the score they receive on the SAT will decide the college that they will enroll in, and subsequently will determine the course of the rest of their lives. One high school student said, “The fact that the exam dictates my entire academic future is overwhelming.”

However, colleges across the country are starting to waive SAT requirements for their schools. Recently, George Washington University, a prestigious school in Washington D.C., became the newest member of a growing list of colleges and universities that are “testing optional schools.” Karen Stroud Felton, dean of Admissions at GWU, told the Washington Post “We want outstanding students from all over the world and from all different backgrounds – regardless of their standardized scores – to recognize GW as a place where they can thrive.”

The fact that such a prestigious school has become testing optional begs the question: should Baruch follow the growing trend and waive its testing requirements?

Currently, tests scores play a crucial part in the admissions process at Baruch. Baruch’s undergrad admissions webpage proudly displays the college’s high SAT scores. Half of all undergrad students at Baruch have scores between 1140 and 1300 in a country in which the average SAT score is around 1000.

Many believe that students’ high school GPA (grade point average) should be considered equally with their SAT scores. Testing optional colleges argue that a student’s high school GPA is a better indication of how a student will do in college than test scores. One dean of admissions told the Washington Post, “We find much more value in a student’s accomplishments in four years of high school than in four hours of Saturday testing.”

Along with the college’s high test scores, Baruch also boasts a solid high school GPA. Next to its SAT scores the Baruch’s undergrad admission webpage displays an average 3.3 High School GPA (roughly a B+). One Baruch student said, “I guess my SAT scores have reflected my success at college. But I also think that my GPA has played a role.”

Despite testing’s numerous critics, many still feel that exams are the most accurate indication of a how well a student will do in college. Exams, like IQ tests, are designed to measure a students intelligence based off content that they should have learned in high school. On its website the College Board, the company that administers the SAT, says, “The SAT and SAT Subject Tests are designed to assess your academic readiness for college. These exams provide a path to opportunities, financial support, and scholarships, in a way that’s fair to all students. The SAT and SAT Subject Tests keep pace with what colleges are looking for today, measuring the skills required for success in the 21st century.”

Unlike GPA, which can change depending on a high school’s competitiveness, exams are nationally standardized, which allows colleges to accurately pit students against each other. For many, the fact that exams are nationally standardized demonstrates the importance of them for college applicants. One Baruch student said, “I think that the SAT is a basic requirement to test an applying student’s abilities. Baruch should continue to require SAT.”

Despite the number of testing optional schools, most colleges and universities still require test scores for admission. At Baruch the class of 2020 will be required to give either SAT or ACT scores on their application. However, as the doubts over the success of test scores build up, schools across the country waive their testing requirements. Despite the Baruch admission office’s current reliance on test scores, by the end of the decade Baruch could find itself among the group of testing optional schools.

Financial Aid’s Benefits and Coverage Underlined for Students

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Financial Aid-Financial Aid office at Cal Poly Pomona. Sept 20, 2009.
Financial Aid-Financial Aid office at Cal Poly Pomona. Sept 20, 2009.

 

Out-of-state college students are wholly paying for their tuition by themselves. CUNY students are overwhelmed with the pressure of maintaining satisfactory progress to ensure the help of financial aid and still having to pay a lot out of pocket.

Financial aid is based on giving students with unprivileged backgrounds an opportunity for an education , but this takes a turn when financial problems still exist with these students.

All students enrolling in college can fill out FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), but most financial aid office assistants do not tell students about the complications and requirements to be accepted for either part time or full time financial help.

According to a financial aid office assistant at Baruch College, the selective process for aid is done by the Department of Education’s federal guidelines which are solely based on the student’s parent income and how they file their taxes. The office assistant states that full time financial aid is typically given to students with a low-income background and that any student can get partial aid  which usually range from a family  income of $1,000-5,198.

A Baruch student, Morgan, says she was not eligible for financial aid as her single parent has an income of $35,000 a year. A federal aid eligibility requirement says the cost of education must be greater than the estimated family contribution. However, the struggle financially for families still exists although by the Department of Education may consider them  “privileged.” “Textbooks are expensive and with all other supplies needed for my classes, my mom can barely keep up with bills at home,” Morgan says. The financial aid eligibility guidelines are not practical for all students as some still struggle with college expenses.

For out-of-state college students, financial aid is an issue. An out-of-state student, Sophia, says that only federal aid is available to her, but most students are not eligible based on their family incomes.

Eligibility for financial aid also requires the student to make satisfactory progress towards completing a degree. Two Baruch students state that this adds immense pressure on them when taking classes. They say that during finals they are filled with distress because their grades determine if financial aid will still be available to them.

 

Fight Against Inconvenience

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Passengers in the car were thrown to the side as the subway jolted to a stop.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing momentary delay due to train traffic ahead of us. Sorry for the inconvenience,” the speakers crackled. Groans sounded around the subway as businessmen checked their watches and tapped their feet.

Commuters who rely on the Metropolitan Transit Authority are aware of how unreliable the subway system in New York City can be. Although the MTA website, http://www.mta.info/ says which trains are in good service and which have delays or planned services, there are usually sporadic issues with the subways.

On July 20, 2015, the website says that the 4, 5, 6, 7, and SIR trains have planned work. In addition, the A, C, E, N, Q, and R trains have delays. Even though it wasn’t mentioned on the site, the F train was also delayed in the 57th St station.

Many times, passengers will sit in a motionless subway car with no idea what problem the subway is facing. They are given vague announcements, such as the one previously mentioned. Perhaps ten or twenty minutes later, the subway will be in the same position and passengers will then be told to take an alternative way to get to their destinations. Some people will stay on the train, hoping that the problem will resolve itself quickly. Others, who choose to transfer, will be faced with hordes of people who are also trying to get on the alternative trains.

According to the Transit Museum Education, “Most of the subway system we know today was built swiftly during a great burst of construction from 1913 to 1931” and was added to the MTA, when it was created in 1968.

Subway systems were still relatively new when the first subway line in New York City was built in 1904. Subways were considered high-tech and select countries had them. However, the subway system in New York City is now old and disgusting compared to many other cities such as Seoul, Hong Kong, and Berlin.

The subway fare is increasing but the commuters are not receiving better results. Even the MTA admits that the subway system in New York City is slowly deteriorating. In fact, the trains seldom arrive on time, Andrew Hawkins wrote in Crain’s. According to the Daily News, “‘The system currently is severely overcrowded and potentially dangerous — you have crowds on these platforms waiting to get onto trains.’”

The city should fix the subway system. Although the subway system is getting a lot of attention and there are a lot of plans to fix it, none have been very successful. There should be changes to fix train delays, overcrowding, cleanliness, etc. The MTA has come up with a five-year plan to repair the subway system. However, the “$32 billion capital plan is short $15 billion,” Hawkins reports.

A well-repaired subway system with little to no delays would benefit everyone.

 

A “Con”test for Students

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“These tests… are designed to measure students’ skills and help colleges evaluate how ready students are for college-level work,” according to the College Board. However, how can a 170-question test possibly measure a student’s capability?

Colleges supposedly base their admissions decisions partly on these test scores.. A student can take the SAT at most four times during his or her high school career. According to PrepScholar, an online test prep for the SAT and ACT, the national average SAT score was 1497 out of 2400. If the average SAT score is 903 less than the highest score, it would seem logical that the “standards” of the test poorly represent the performance of students in the education system. If it doesn’t represent education as a whole, how can the SAT tests accurately indicate how enlightened a student is.

Not only the SAT, but other “standard” means of evaluating students fail to actually represent student learning. Being forced to take an assessment not only intimidates a student, it limits the student’s ability to represent themselves. Tests force students to focus on a specific topic, perhaps a topic that the student does not find suitable.

For example, tests such as the ACT and SAT only test students on English, math, and sometimes science. However, not all students want to pursue a career in mathematics or in English. So students who focus on English and math have an ever-so-slight advantage over those who have an interest in other topics.

Tests pressure students. When a teacher or society burdens a student with a test, the student immediately feels obligated to study. However, a test should be a measurement of how a student can devise a reasonable response, not how well a student can memorize theories and data the night before. The idea that the test will drastically affect a student’s future educational choices, such as choosing colleges, will encumber them.

In a different light, tests can be seen to not evaluate the students at all. A student from Central High School in Pennsylvania says that he thinks tests are a “waste of time and paper. They require all students to take it as a way to test, not us but, teachers. For example, in Philly, if a school’s average in a standardized test isn’t higher than required, most of the staff is fired and replaced.” So, it seems that instead of examining how well a student performs academically, standardized tests evaluate the capability of the teachers.

Tests are being given a high priority. Teachers and the Department of Education seem to no longer value education. In the Bronx High School of Science, in-class tests often make up 40-50 percent of a student’s grade, with an additional 15-20 percent of their grade being composed of a mid term/final examination grade. Test grades in Bronx Science can account for 70 percent of a student’s grade.

When I asked a student from Bronx Science how she felt about tests, she said, “They’re stressful and weighed too much to test a student’s ability. Not everyone is a good test taker.” Those who are more accustomed to taking tests have an advantage over those who aren’t as suited to tests.

The original purpose of schools was to provide education for students to create a “brighter” future. Schools meant enlighten students both academically and socially, not to determine which student can be the next Cam Jansen.

2 Days 1 Night, a Must Watch

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Struggling with his position, he turned around restlessly in the orange ragged bag. “I can’t hold it anymore…” Kim Joon Ho, a comedian filming 2 Days 1 Night,  muttered to the camera. The cameraman couldn’t hold his laughter.

Joon Ho tried to waddle to the bathroom when a farmer asked for a photo, recognizing that Joon Ho was a famous comedian.  As the farmer took out his phone, the comedian released it. “Ffffrrrrrppp” and the intense miasma of rotten cabbages and sewage water erupted into the atmosphere. The comedian smiled embarrassedly as the other cast members and staffs ran away from the stench. The old farmer clenched his teeth and endured the smell as he posed for the photo.

2 Days 1 Night is a South Korean T.V. show that presents an unscripted and funny impression of comedians. According to soulsbeat.com, a website that reports news about South Korean shows, 2 Days 1 Night is one of South Korea’s most popular reality shows, attracting as many as 15,660,000 national viewers per episode.

Every week, the PD’s or producers of the show plan a location and several missions for the cast members to do on the two days and one night road trip.  The show’s motto is “real wild road variety” where it is all about survival of the fittest, a distinct trait that sets 2 Days 1 Night from other entertainments. The members battle amongst themselves to earn the superior food and lodging by facing various challenges at some of South Korea’s most beautiful locations. Whether it is harvesting in a village in Gimje or climbing up an ice mountain to eat the local specialty, the PD’s never disappoint.

Unlike other reality shows that do not acknowledge the existence of the staffs behind the camera, 2 Days 1 Night boldly displays the interaction between the cast members and the staffs on screen. In the first episode, viewers saw one producer play a prank on the cast members by replacing their coffee with odious fish sauce. The cast members drank it without any suspicion but only to spit it out with disgust.

Viewers are able to trust the show because of the genuine and playful relationship between the members and the staffs.

In the “End of the Year Special” episode, the six cast members voyaged to Jeju, an island in Korea known for its seafood, scenic beauty and warm climate in the winter.  However, an unexpected snowstorm materialized which only made the episode more comedic. Playing with the concept of nature versus mankind, the members wore black scuba diving suits on the beach as they spun fifteen times in the freezing cold and ran to capture the flag for a lavish sushi dinner.

From the rough challenges, to the amusing and almost petty interactions between the crew members, and the sense of brotherhood that defines the show, 2 Days 1 Night is a must watch.

Seafood Comes to Shore

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Did you ever go to a restaurant where they served poor quantity seafood? Well, at Popei’s Clam Bar, you will not have to worry about that. Popei’s Clam Bar is a family friendly restaurant. Everyone is welcome and the food is affordable. At Popei’s, the seafood is fresh and fulfilling.

The moment you walk in, the sensational aroma flows through your nasal cavity and a cheerful smile greets you. The hostess quickly writes your name down and tells you how long you have to wait. I suggest you go early or make a reservation because it can be a long wait. When your table is finally ready, the hostess briskly sits you down and hands you a menu. Popei’s is a casual restaurant and you can hear the seagulls crying, since it is so close to the water.

The moment you sit, a waiter brings a small basket of bread. The bread is light, flaky, and airy. Then another waiter comes and takes your order. You can ask the waiter questions about the food and they will answer to the best of their ability. A dish that is fit for a seafood lover is “Linguine with the Works,” it comes with mussels, shrimp, scallops, calamari, scungilli, clams and crab legs served over linguine with marinara sauce. Another favorite is “The Sebastian,” it comes with a classic shrimp a la vodka, a 6oz lobster, it can served with baked potato, linguine, fries or tossed house salad.

The food is seasoned with balanced flavors of sweet, salty, and spicy that makes your mouth water. Most of the meals comes with a small portion of pasta. If you are not a seafood fan, that’s okay. Popei’s has food for “land lubbers” too. One of the most popular land dishes is the “Shell Steak,” it comes with a 14oz tender cut beef and is served with a baked potato, linguine, fries, or a tossed house salad.

Popei’s is the perfect place for your birthday because they will sing their special happy birthday song and give you a free cake with ice cream on the side.

Popei’s Clam Bar is a restaurant where seafood comes to shore. If you are ever in the mood for real seafood, go to Popei’s.

Crisis of the Greek Citizen, Not Just of Nation

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The Greek Debt Crisis needs to be seen through the eyes of people. The outside world has a tendency to focus on the Greek Debt Crisis as an issue for the nation of Greece, or of the EU.

 

During the global financial crisis of 2008, a credit crunch, the sudden and sharp reduction in how much credit is available from banks, led investors to discover that the Greek government had misreported statistics so that the Greek economic situation looked much more stable than it actually was. As investors raced to pull their stocks and other resources out of the Greek economy, the Greek economic situation worsened until it threatened to collapse.

 

The resulting 110 billion euros in bailout funds by the troika—the International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Central Bank (ECB) and European Commission—in 2010 came with the catch of austerity measures that would require budget cuts to social welfare spending and pension programs. The Greeks agreed.

 

In 2012, the threat of a Greek economic collapse rose again, and the troika handed the Greeks another 100 billion euros, along with more austerity measures. Once again, the Greeks agreed.

 

Meanwhile, Greece’s citizens were suffering. The age of retirement was pushed back. Government workers were laid off. According to a 2013 video by the New York Times, the Greek government raised taxes on heating oil by 450 percent alone, leading people to use dirty and environmentally dangerous alternatives for heat. Greece had an unnegotiable $1.7 billion IMF payment coming up on June 30, 2015, so politicians passed even more stringent cuts.The Greek population was desperate for an end to the austerity measures as they continued to impact their daily lives.

 

On January 25, 2015, the radical left wing party Syriza won the majority of votes in the Greek parliament elections. Its leader Alexis Tsipras became prime minister. Syriza had campaigned successfully on the promise of ending the crisis with the implementation of the Thessaloniki Program.

 

The Thessaloniki Program calls the Greek debt crisis a “humanitarian crisis” and advocates for a “comprehensive grid of emergency interventions, so as to raise a shield of protection for the most vulnerable social strata.” The cost of such emergency interventions? An estimated 1,882 billion euros. Not surprisingly, the proposal has been criticized by both opposition and party members.

 

Putting the cost of the Thessaloniki Program aside, Greece still owes double the country’s annual economic output. That’s more than 240 billion euros, or about $264 billion at today’s exchange rates, plus interest to its creditors: 63 billion euros to private lenders, and a 195 billion euro debt on the bailouts, including 57 billion from Germany and 43 billion from France. It would be a hard road to repay such debt.

 

According to the New York Times, the Greek government doesn’t have to make any payments on 200 billion euros of its debt until 2023, and the IMF has proposed extending the grace period until 2050. Greece has defaulted on the $1.7 billion IMF payment, and the ECB has been putting pressure on the repayment of the bonds it procured for Greece during the worst of the 2008 financial crisis.

 

On July 5, 2015, the Greek government held a referendum to decide whether Greece was to accept the bailout conditions proposed by the troika on June 25. In a move that shocked the world, which had expected a repeat of 2010 and 2012, the Greek people voted NO.

 

As a result, Greece must work on the negotiations surrounding the austerity measures that still exist, as well as the unintended consequences of the Greek government’s actions on its citizens. The first week of July, Greek citizens, both in the country and abroad, found their accounts frozen by the Greek government to prevent bank runs. Limits on withdrawals continue. According to Endeavour Greece, a non-profit group that supports entrepreneurs,

Greek businesses are finding it difficult to procure resources and offices abroad, while investors in Greek businesses are pulling out.

 

Whether the Greek government chooses to exit the European Union and hope that the resulting deflation would spike exports, or to stay and take out more loans from the troika, experts predict a difficult adjustment period for both the nation and the people.

Mexico’s Correctional System in Shambles

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A lighted ventilated tunnel with five foot, six inches in height and a bit more than two and a half feet wide ensured the escape of the infamous drug lord El Chapo. We all have the ideal of correctional facilities keeping menaces to society in captivity for our safety, but this all takes a turn when Mexico’s correctional system is overruled the officers, but the criminals inside.

His third time escaping a prison, the head of Sinaloa Cartel, considered the “most powerful drug trafficker in the world” by the United States Department of the Treasury and practically a billionaire has a never ending list of titles.

This man is more than a menace to society; he is rather a plague to the positive progression of an economy. He controlled the Sinaloa Cartel tunnel that had twelve million worth of drugs that was only shut down in the year of 2013. Including 17,292 pounds of marijuana and 325 pounds of cocaine, this man provided an abundance of drugs to millions before this in which the constant fight for the end of drug abuse was ridiculed. His charges range from manslaughter to drug trafficking. Such a man as such should not be out on the streets nor should he have not been monitored carefully that he was able to escape.

The Mexican government needs to put away their ego and find El Chapo to put him in jail permanently this time. According to CNN, the Mexican government won’t accept U.S. help as they feel completely embarrassed by this escape.

They won’t accept U.S. help but they’re not even controlling the problem as El Chapo has both threatened Donald Trump and assaulted Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Twitter. After Donald Trump comments that he would  kick El Chapo’s a– if he were president, translated in proper terms, El Chapo on Twitter  responds saying that he will make him suffer. He then harassed the President saying that he needs to stop calling him a delinquent because he gives people jobs unlike the government. Threatening and assaulting politicians on social media should not be acceptable and scares the population as they no longer feel safe.

Since El Chapo  escaped three times already, what makes the Mexican government think that this won’t happen again in their hands? The tunnel for his escapes are estimated to have had 2,000 tons of dirt removed, a year at least to complete as it is lighted, have real transportation and an air conditioner. This is completely outstanding for a criminal to do inside a correctional facility. His infamous reputation for his planned tunnels has even started the joke that Mexico should let El Chapo renovate it subways  as they are in terrible condition. This complexity of the escape raises questions about corruption in Mexico as the U.S. is appalled that no one noticed this.

Violence has increased in Mexico’s prisons and the majority is controlled by inmates, the Mexican National Human Rights Commission said. The number of riots, fights, escapes and homicides increased last year with 261 inmates escaping and 73 acts of violence that left 154 inmates dead and 103 wounded. Critics say that inmates involved in the Cartel are able to leave the prison to operate their business and return to the safety of ethir cell. In addition they report that some inmates are allow to have kitchen appliances and certain weapons in their cell.The prisons are out of control making this infamous drug lord’s escape not a surprise. In 2008 when he was returned to prison, the US  asked for him to be handed over to them to promise his captivity, but Mexico’s ego again rejects this. Now the U.S. is still subject to this danger as our borders touch.

A son, a brother, an uncle, and even a father could be subject to this never ending drug abuse promoted by this man and his organization the Cartel. He needs to be captured and put into captivity permanently in order for the positive progression for the economy, not only Mexico, but the U.S. as well. Correctional facilities need to be back into the shape it was implemented for, to ensure the safety of the people and to put an end to this long fight of drug abuse.

DeAndre Jordan was held hostage by his own team

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On July 8, 2015 DeAndre Jordan, the starting center of the Los Angeles Clippers, had to make one of the hardest decisions of his life, whether to stay with the L.A Clippers or sign with the Dallas Mavericks. After Jordan made his decision to sign with Dallas the Clippers had another idea and decided to hold Jordan hostage in his own home to keep him with the team.

 

DeAndre Jordan is one of the best big men in the NBA now. He averages 11.5 points per game, 15 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in his 82 regular season games. At the end of the season the Clippers lost to the Houston Rockets in the playoffs after being up 3-1 in the series. The franchise once again failed to earn a spot in the 3rd round.

 

During the off season DeAndre Jordan decided to explore his options as a free agent and look at other possible team that would interest him. DeAndre saw that the Dallas Mavericks as a better fit for him. Jordan decided to go to Dallas mainly because of some personal issues he had with his teammate Chris Paul, the starting point guard of the Clippers. “Jordan and Chris Paul had gotten into it more than once, which led Jordan to start seriously contemplating what it might be like to play elsewhere in 2015-16,” Kevin Arnovitz, a staff writer for ESPN, wrote in a story. “He was tired of Paul’s constant barking and petty gestures, like distributing high-fives to the three other guys on the floor following a timeout but somehow freezing out Jordan.”

DeAndre then turned down a 5 year $109 million contract with the Clippers for a 4 year $80 million with Dallas. Although, DeAndre verbally agreed to sign with Dallas, he never did. When it was time for him to fly to Dallas to sign his new contract, the Clippers saw that losing their prized center would decrease their chances to getting past the second round of the playoffs. The Clippers went to Dallas and try to find a way to convince DeAndre to stay with them. On the night of the signing the Clippers kept DeAndre hostage at his home for the night.

 

“Clippers believe DJ is returning to LA but I’m told they are staying at his house until he can sign at midnight.” Ramona Shelburne a senior writer for ESPN.com tweeted.

 

Another tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski an American sports columnist, said, “So far, Clippers able to keep everyone else out of house, including Cuban, agents. Everyone. They’re in four-corners until midnight Eastern.”

 

Blake Griffin one of DeAndre’s teammates posted on twitter “Don’t agree with the furniture layout but I’m not an interior designer,” a picture of a chair blocking the door preventing anyone from leaving or coming in.

 

Another tweet which said “Alright everybody goodnight!” with  a picture of a tent showing that they were camping out there for the night.

 

DeAndre however didn’t  look like he was  making an attempt to stop them. Reports from Yahoo shows that they were enjoying themselves and having fun. “Clippers, DeAndre Jordan meeting was short. It was clear he was returning to them. Then they started to play cards”. Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted.

 

DeAndre Jordan is now returning to the Clippers. Under the current circumstances this was probably the best way to handle the situation because now the Clippers are in a position to finally get to the 3rd round and maybe a shot at the championship. Clipper fans should be excited for the season ahead. As for the Dallas Mavericks, they need to find another overpowered center to fill their starting role because DJ is coming home.

 

The Internet is Watching You

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Many people believe the Internet is private.  If they only know how wrong they are.

Since the creation of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Myspace, the concern with privacy has been on the rise. Many users are beginning to realize that the information they put online is perhaps not as secure as they first thought.

The majority of Americans do not read the privacy policies of all websites they utilize, despiting checking the “Agree to Terms and Data Policy” box because the task of reading the Terms is tedious. Yet, people do not realize the impact these policies would later have on their online privacy when they click the ‘Agree’ button and find themselves tunnelling down the rabbit hole called social media.

Users of Facebook, for example, do not realize the site uses their names, profile pictures, and information to sell advertisements on their pages without giving users any compensation. According to Kashmir Hill of Forbes, the platform can gather more information on a user even when the user is offline by accessing data from applications and websites the user frequents.

by Theaitetos at Deviantart.net

Hill wrote, “On smartphones, any apps that… have Facebook likes in their apps will send information back to Facebook for advertising purposes. If the Open Table app…has a Facebook log-in, and you are looking at Mexican restaurants all the time, you’ll start seeing ads for chips and salsa on Facebook….In exchange for giving advertisers a dubious measurement of how effective their Facebook ads are, Facebook gets to invisibly track users around the Web.” Even after advertisers stop using Facebook, the social giant continues to track its users by using the “code” provided by advertisers.

This shows how little privacy you have on the Internet despite being able to “private” your account on multiple platforms. Every time you like a page, “instant message” a friend, or upload a new profile picture, you expose more of yourself.

Another privacy concern has emerged with the growth of Internet users in the last ten years: the issue of catfishes. In short, the term describes people online who pretend to be someone they are not, usually to get someone to fall in love with them.

by Jason Howieon on Flickr
by Jason Howieon on Flickr

 

According to DailyMail.com, 25 year old Ruth Palmer had 1,000 photos of herself  and personal information stolen by an anonymous user who used the photos to set up fake social media accounts. Anonymous used Palmer’s information for roughly three years under the name of Leah Palmer and fooled several men.

After finding out about her catfish, Palmer quickly contacted the men involved. Two men were shocked to hear that the person they were texting, exchanging emails with, and talking to on the phone for years was not real.  However, it was hard not to be fooled because the catfish set up fake accounts pretending to be Leah’s mother and friends, even using their real information, to make ‘Leah’ appear more realistic.

According to local British paper, the Brighton Argus, Palmer commented that she felt “ violated and completely invaded” by the revelation that someone was stealing her life on the Internet.

She had always believed that she was careful with her social media accounts. However, she later admitted that for a period of time on Instagram, her profile was briefly public.

When Palmer managed to get Leah’s profiles removed from Twitter and Instagram,  the anonymous user created more ‘Leah Palmer’ profiles to replace them.

Sadly, Palmer’s story is not an isolated case. All over the world people are having their identities stolen, privacy invaded and used by strangers with screens for faces. This is not only damaging to the victims of identity theft but also to people who are being tricked.

People believe they have privacy behind closed doors of their homes but the moment they turn on their electronic devices and enter their social media platforms, it is quite a different story.

You never know who is watching.

 

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