Police investigate Instagram account exposing witnesses in criminal cases

Youbetternot · November 9, 2013

An anonymous Instagram account has outed more than 30 people as crime witnesses who cooperated with police, according to a new report, posting their photos, police statements, and testimony to its nearly 7,900 followers. The account's goal: to "expose rats," according to its Instagram bio. Philadelphia police and prosecutors are investigating the account, rats215, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer that witness intimidation has become a significant problem for the local district attorney's office.

Instagram closed the account yesterday after the Inquirer asked about it. According to the newspaper, many of the statements posted to rats215 aren't public records, raising the question of who leaked them to the anonymous account holder. (The account regularly solicited followers for pictures of witnesses.)

Apparently there is a "Anonymous Instagram account" that is helping the police with crime. Everything leads to one acc called rats215. Well I guess we should watch what we post on the internet, you don't know who is snitching on you.

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/8/5082822/instagram-account-that-exposes-rats-under-investigation-by-police

HaZardousLP · November 9, 2013

Apparently there is a "Anonymous Instagram account" that is helping the police with crime. Everything leads to one acc called rats215. Well I guess we should watch what we post on the internet, you don't know who is snitching on you.

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/8/5082822/instagram-account-that-exposes-rats-under-investigation-by-police

The account isn't helping police, it's outing witnesses who's details aren't publicly available. This isn't about keeping what you post on the Internet private, it's about someone within the Philadelphia PD possibly leaking information.

Youbetternot · November 9, 2013

The account is helping police, it's outing witnesses who's details aren't publicly available. This isn't about keeping what you post on the Internet private, it's about someone within the Philadelphia PD possibly leaking information.

Man why do they have to be up our business

HaZardousLP · November 9, 2013

The account isn't helping police, it's outing witnesses who's details aren't publicly available. This isn't about keeping what you post on the Internet private, it's about someone within the Philadelphia PD possibly leaking information.