HONOLULU -- The Internet has become profitable tool for many businesses in Hawaii, but one store found out that it can also become a major problem.

Julie Nguyen of the consignment store Things and Blings spends a lot of time at work on the computer. After taking pictures of watches, jewelry and purses, she posts them on Craigslist.

"I get 90 percent of my clients from Craigslist. I thought it was a perfect match, because we're a consignment store and we post items people are collecting," Nguyen said.

The perfect match soon turned into a major problem.

"An anonymous poster just posting random things like: 'Don't shop there. They are overpriced, they are a rip off,'" Nguyen said.

The poster's comments were not about a specific customer's complaint, and some were even nastier. After months, the harassment became personal.

"We put all of our money, our heart and soul into this shop and to think that someone can sabotage is pure evil," Nguyen said.

"It is a form of cyber bullying. It involves adults or business. It's cyber bullying or cyber harassment," Internet expert Chris Duque said.

In this, and in many cases, its not a crime police will pursue. Instead, lawyers would have to get involved if you can find out who is putting the comments online.

While the posting may sound like a disgruntled customer, more likely they are the work of an unhappy competitor, the Things and Blings owner said.

"Ninety-nine percent I know it's a competitor who can't match our pricing," Nguyen said.

In other instances, cyber harassment could even come from disgruntled employees.

Fortunately for Nguyen, things are much better now at Things and Blings because of the Internet, the very tool used by the cyber harasser.

"Craigslist ended up protecting me, because people could put their 2 cents in. I got so much support it started making this guy look like a fool," she said.