Woman accused of hacking into firm's voice mailboxes
Also made threats, federal officials say
A 50-year-old Philadelphia woman is facing charges that she hacked into the computer system that controls the voice mailboxes at a Massachusetts-based personal ads company.
Barbara Denenburg is also charged with making death threats against a Massachusetts woman she met through the service, federal prosecutors said yesterday in a written statement.
The company, which prosecutors did not identify in the statement, places personal ads in newspapers throughout the country. To respond to an ad, a reader calls a phone number at the company and leaves a voice mail message for the person who placed the ad.
Denenburg, beginning in June, began gaining access to the voice mail computer system. She was eventually able to get into more than 200 voice mailboxes, changing the passwords for more than 40 boxes and changing the greetings message for at least 25, prosecutors alleged.
Denenburg is also accused of harassed a series of women who placed ads through the company, including the Massachusetts woman. Denenburg allegedly sent her a series of letters and a package containing a cardboard tombstone inscribed with "RIP" and the words, "Hated by . . . all women everywhere."
Denenburg faces charges of mailing threatening communications, access device fraud, and violations of of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, prosecutors said.
A spokeswoman for the US attorney did not return a message seeking comment last night. Denenburg's telephone number in Philadelphia is unlisted.
