There is now a new site in the internet call www.Ripoffreport.com that supposedly represents consumer's interest. The unique part of this site is that it allows any consumer, person; employee etc can post anything they wish. The posted information is never investigated. The information is usually slanderous and violates copyright infringement. The other part of the rip-off report is that if you have pay rip-off report money so they will remove the content. The amount they request is based on our total revenues of the company. This is obviously blatant extortion.
The man responsible for rippoffreport is Ed Magedson . The worse part about the website is the Mr. Magedson is hiding somewhere and cannot be found. Mr. Magedson claims he is protecting the consumer but in reality exploits small business with the option to have their name removed from the web site by paying money under a program he calls Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.
In order to have your name removed you need to pay MONEY. A very detailed report on Mr. Magedson is available by this link. His evil scheme and his background are so blatant that a $20,000 REWARD! Rip-off Report never removes the information from the site. This website exploits the first constitutional amendment by permitting the assassination reputation companies and professionals. The intent to profit from such false allegation is not only an act of subhuman proportion but a crime against the human spirit. Rippofreports.com makes money from others peoples pain and suffering, the consumers as well as the companies being published.
I have been a target and victim of this scam. It appears that rip-off reports have generated new businesses around the country that includes attorneys and companies promising that the information can be deleted. However the freedom of speech protects any individual to write what they wish even if it is not true. The website also attracts consumers where they can ventilate their anger whether it is real or not.
I am now a victim of rippoffreport who exploited a former nurse from a psychiatric hospital. The nurse who has posted information website has been arrested by the Collier County Sheriff Dept for other infractions. The result is that this nurse who was employed in the hospital in 2002 surfaced with fabricated information in January 2007 in an attempt to collect money from hospitals and perhaps other physicians.
This nurse has gone as far to file an EOC complaint against the hospital. The information was fabricated and eventually disregarded. The content of her complaints are contradictory and very bizarre. I have been told by other professionals and colleagues that the only explanation for her behavior is that of a condition called Erotomania. Delusional disorders of this type are difficult to diagnose since you have to have the trust of the person to reveal to you its content. It does not interfere in work or family until it begins to spill over into their daily lives. When this happens it can often lead to job loss and isolation from society. I surely hope that the nurse who may be suffering from this illness to seek help immediately.
The nurse's behavior is an example of, Cyberstalking. Already another professional in Naples has become a victim of her predatory behavior. This unfortunate victim is now forced to financial support this nurse for a lifetime.
Cyberstalkers target victims using search engines, online forums, bulletin and discussion boards, chat rooms, and more recently, through online communities such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and Indymedia, a media outlet known for self-publishing. They may engage in live chat harassment or flaming or they may send electronic viruses and unsolicited e-mails. [1] Victims of cyberstalkers may not even know that they are being stalked. Cyberstalkers may research individuals to feed obsessions and curiosities that they possess. Conversely, the acts of cyberstalkers may become more intense, such as repeatedly instant messaging their targets. [2] More commonly they will post defamatory or derogatory statements about their stalking target on web pages, message boards and in guest books designed to a reaction or response from their victim, thereby initiating contact. [1] In some cases, they have been known to create fake blogs in the name of the victim containing defamatory or pornographic content.
Cyberstalking, fortunately, is now a federal crime:
There is a new federal law as follows PUBLIC LAW 109-162-JAN. 5, 2006
The 'Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act' for fiscal year 2006 contains one section entitled 'Preventing Cyberstalking.' Under the new law, the rules passed in the Communications Decency Act (CDA) to prevent harassment by telephone were extended to Internet communications as well.
According to the new law,'Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
In the state of Florida there is a statue to protect victims from internet extortion.
F.S.836.05 Threats; extortion.--Whoever, either verbally or by a written or printed communication, maliciously threatens to accuse another of any crime or offense, or by such communication maliciously threatens an injury to the person, property or reputation of another, or maliciously threatens to expose another to disgrace, or to expose any secret affecting another, or to impute any deformity or lack of chastity to another, with intent thereby to extort money or any pecuniary advantage whatsoever, or with intent to compel the person so threatened, or any other person, to do any act or refrain from doing any act against his or her will, shall be guilty of a felony of the second degree...."
The nurse who posted the information has committed felony crimes at the federal and state levels.
The above laws is helpful for those who are victims of ripoffreport.com. The blogs and internet is a medium with mixed blessings. On the one end you can be informed with many facts but at the same time with a great deal of fiction. Consumer and companies can be victims of fraud and deceit. If you are seeking any professional help in the state of Florida please refer to the Medical Quality Assurance it gives you information on all medical professionals and their background.
If you are a company or a professiona and have been victimized by Ripp of Report, there are new options that have surfaced. One option is to contact the Attorney General Office in Phoenix Arizona, Terry Goddard. Tammy Miller is the contact person and cite the reference number CIC 04-21090 MAGEDSON, ED. Her number is (602) 542-5763. The full address is
Tammy Miller
Arizona Attorney General's Office
1275 West Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
tammy.miller@azag.gov
The second option is to sue the service providers posting his material. The 1996 act that suppose to protect free speech on internet it does not fit in this situation , but it does not cover extortion or any other illegal activities. Why do service providers have TERMS OF SERVICE AGREEMENTS or ACCEPTABLE USE POLICIES with their customers? It is very clearly spelled out what they tolerate. Your lawyer should have field day with this one unless they like long drawn out legal battles.
Here is a list of people or companies that for now provide services to Ed Magedson and Ripp -Off Report
1. Maria C. Speth has accepted service for Ripp-off Report legal matters and can be contacted at
Jaburg & Wilk
3200 N. Central Ave
Phoenix, Az 85012
602-248-1000
2. Rip-off Report Internet site is
Neustar Ultra Services (650) 228-2300 support@ultradns.com 888-367-4820
a. UDNS1.ULTRADNS.NET 204.69.234.1
b. UDNS2.ULTRADNS.NET 204.74.101.1
3. Prolexic Tech provides the bandwidth for Rip-off Report. The contact number and email address for this company is 866-800-0366 and abuse@prolexic.com.
4. Puregig provides a block of bandwidth for prolexic. Matt Wilson (general manager) can be reached at (602)445-1850.
5. Contact Google, yahoo, msn, and lycos. they all have abuse departments.
