I don’t have a Facebook page. I know. It’s a helpful tool to stay connected and in the know. It’s fascinating and scary to think how social networking makes our worlds so small. Everyone from your 1st grade cubby buddy to your TA from freshmen year to the guy at the check-out counter at Baskin Robbins can locate you within a matter of minutes. Every time my sister visits, she yells at me for not setting up a page so that we can exchange recent pics or so she can introduce me to the cute guy she thinks would be perfect for me. But I don’t need a Facebook page to know that people abuse the site. I’ve heard of people spying on their significant others to find out if they are keeping in touch with their exes. Teens and tweens threaten and cyber stalk their classmates. Youngsters barely legal are scantily dressed and striking poses that make me blush and shake my head. And folks post everything from what they’re cooking for dinner to bragging about the uber-expensive pair of shoes they just purchased (price tag included). But my favorite is bathroom pictures. You know the ones: where the girl is using her blackberry or iPhone to snap a photo of herself in the bathroom mirror while gazing seductively at the camera. I mean, really. How sexy can you be with a dirty shower curtain liner distracting the viewer?
But it appears that some people have taken Facebook to a whole nother level. Jsonline recently published an article reporting that folks are using Facebook to sell food stamps. Yes, you read that right. Folks are using their Facebook walls to advertise and negotiate deals selling their stamps for as little as 50 cents on the dollar. There’s a major issue with food stamp fraud here in the state of Wisconsin. But now, it appears that people are stupid enough to actually post the illegal exchange on the largest social networking site in the world. Genius, I know.
A few people interviewed in the article (WAIT: why would you agree to be interviewed and identified by the daily newspaper about your illegal activity!!??). Anyway, some of the people claim they didn’t know that selling their food stamps is illegal. No one is buying this as the recipients have to sign a document stating that they will not sell their stamps.
When I was little, my family receiving food stamps for a short time; way back then the food stamps were printed on paper and packaged in rectangular booklets. Today food stamp recipients receive a plastic card that resembles a credit card. I would imagine that the piece of plastic was created to assist with some of the theft and fraud that was taking place all those years ago. But unfortunately when a criminal mind is put to work, nothing can stop them. I guess that’s why criminals are…well, criminals. The schemes they devise are pretty amazing sometimes, but there’s always that one minor detail that they overlook that causes their brilliant plan to go to caca. Like, uh, broadcasting their shady doings on the internet.
But I’m wondering out loud: what if some of them used their creative sales and marketing skills in a constructive manner at a legit 9-5? They might be pretty successful, right? And they could even avoid serving jail time.
Hmmm…maybe someone should post that tip on Facebook.
Advertising the sale of food stamps on a Facebook page tops my list. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen posted on someone’s wall?
