ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on some of the more activist Bernard Madoff victims. Madoff created a reality that enabled him to steal money from his clients. The foundation of their new reality revolved around the participation in social networks on the Internet. There were a number of these social networks, and hundreds of victims turned to them for comfort, information, psychological support, and understanding. The Internet groups facilitated taking on the role of the victim. The Internet groups, of course, helped to sustain some victims' realistic hopes. Simply looking at the contents of one active blogging victim—a "virtual family member" of one of Madoff's early investors—will provide enough examples of the relentless assault on government that could be found on the Internet and provide a clear picture of some of the pervasive themes evident to anyone around the world with access to a computer.
