Faking his credentials, and fabricating a Facebook profile; Christopher James Dannevig, 20, allegedly posed as a member of an animal welfare organization with the intent to lure Belomesoff with the offer of a job, including searching for injured wildlife.
Described as an avid animal lover by family, and convinced she would lose her opportunity at her dream; Belomesoff is believed to have accompanied the suspect on a camping trip. Her body was found two days later after family contacted police when she did not return.
The Facebook community has expressed their sorrow for the slain teen with numerous pages and groups in memorial of the victim.
Police are investigating and remind users that an online profile may not be representative of the true nature of an individual and that online caution is warranted.
User or Network?
Are social networks such as Facebook doing enough to protect their users against fraud and violent crime or should the onus be on the user? Historically, Facebook"s default privacy settings allow media to be shared with anyone using the service, with the settings to be adjusted by the individual user. Case and point, the included article image was freely accessible on Facebook.
Image Credit: Facebook