Best Buy Sued over ex-worker's Cyberstalking

Nicole Christopoulos took her malfunctioning computer to Best Buy in hopes of getting it repaired.


And while the man behind the counter accessed her hard drive, it wasn't solely to repair a problem. Instead, Greg Schaffter jotted down personal information stored on the Arlington Heights woman's computer and within days, she began receiving harassing messages. E-mails and phone calls, explicit photos and threats against her family, with specific names and addresses, began arriving.

In March, Schaffter was sentenced to three years in prison for cyberstalking after he admitted he used his computer technician job for personal means. This week, Christopoulos filed suit against Best Buy, demanding that it take responsibility for the actions of its former employee. The college student was terrified throughout the 2004 ordeal, according to her suit.

But Arlington Heights police quickly traced the offending e-mails and phone calls to Schaffter, 34, of Bartlett. On his home computer, police found records of the e-mails he sent -- some with photos showing his genitals and some threatening to break into her home so he could steal her underwear.

Court records show Schaffter confessed, blaming his actions on alcoholism and insisting he meant Christopoulos no harm. But her lawsuit, which seeks unspecified compensation, says Best Buy should never have employed Schaffter, and especially should not have allowed him access to a customer's personal information.

That's because Schaffter has a lengthy criminal history, with arrests for deceptive practices and forgery, and several orders of protection were filed against him.

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