Joe Novak’s Facebook pinged last year with a friendly message from a stranger. Little did he know it was the start of an ordeal that would eventually tear his life apart.

It was October 2024, three months after Novak shared a public post about the lack of safe fast-food options for his son, who has celiac disease. It drew a handful of likes and comments from his friends.

And now, a response to his post had popped up in his inbox.

“I don’t know you, you are my recommended friend on FB … so I added you , hope this doesn’t disturb you,” it read.

“… I find your post about your son very heartwarming. Maybe we can connect?”

The messages seemed harmless. The sender’s profile showed a slender blonde woman named Ailis Danner. She described herself as a fashion designer who worked on Madiso

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