ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 focuses on the ever-growing world of cyber-deception and Munchausen by Internet (MBI). The latter term was coined by Dr. Feldman in 2000 and “went viral.” The Internet has provided an anonymous world in which individuals can create elaborate versions of themselves; in some instances, users lie online about illnesses in themselves or their children. These posers invent children, pets, family members, and friends, sharing a fabricated world through blogs, discussion forums and social media. The increased scope of the Internet not only allows individuals to research disorders in extensive detail, but also allows access to a community of Internet users willing to open their hearts to those in turmoil. Chapter 8 demonstrates the power of the Internet in FD and MBP, and the ease with which Internet-based deceptions can fool others. Australian Belle Gibson is just one example; feigning various cancers, Belle became an Internet sensation, even acquiring her own contract with Apple to design a wellness app. Despite MBI being a moderately new phenomenon, the authors provide a list of factors that may help individuals spot the clues when someone is engaging in MBI.
