Cyber Stalking
FAQ

Cyber Stalking (or cyberstalking) is the hidden threat of the Internet. Learn how to stop it, and better yet, how to avoid it altogether.

A woman recently removed her nameplate from the tenant directory at her apartment building, and asked the landlord to disconnect the buzzer, and is changing her phone number.

She’s been bombarded with lusty phone calls, email, and even visits from strange men – all because someone, somewhere online, used her personal information to promise hot sex to any man who contacted her. She also found two dating sites where her name has been used without her knowledge.

She’s a victim of one form of cyber stalking. Other victims of anonymous vendettas include players of online fantasy sports leagues who’ve angered a competitor, and either the seller or the buyer in eBay auctions. It’s known as “Internet road rage.”

What is Stalking?

The electronic version, cyberstalking (whether online or by cell phone) often results from people naïvely revealing too much personal information to a world of potential stalkers and identity thieves.

More than 100 new cases of cyberstalking are reported each week of someone intimidating another person on the Internet. Security experts recommend using a free email account in chat rooms and a private address for friends.

Anyone who lets an obsession take over part of his or her life can become a cyberstalker. Surprisingly, it's often lawyers or doctors. Most of them stop after being contacted by authorities.

Yet cyber stalking continues to grow. Making matters worse are the social media sites (Twitter, etc.) that try to connect you more closely to strangers. And matchmaking sites often have “rejection revenge.”

Cyber Stalking through Social Media

A woman was cyber-stalked for five years. It began on forums, then Facebook and Twitter. The police couldn’t track the stalker. On her own, she found out the name, reported it to police and they arrested a 29-year-old woman. But all she got was a police warning.

Obsessive stalkers target two million people – the average case lasting 18 months. And roughly 80% of stalkers target more victims after being convicted of one crime. Their severe psychological disorders can’t handle rejection; each offence tends to get worse – even violent. Each victim will be in more danger than the last.

Watch for anything that feels creepy or intimidating. Take it seriously and document everything to help police prosecute the stalker.

Despite the social media’s sloppy protection against cyberstalking, and the nature of the Internet in general, there’s still quite a lot you can do.

How to prevent Cyberstalking through Social Media

• Click "Profile" on the blue bar at the top of the Facebook screen.
• Click "Edit Profile"
• At the bottom of thr left column, click on "privacy settings"
• Choose "customize settings" and lock down most, if not all, the options.

If you plan to use Facebook on an insecure network, like a public Wi-Fi hotspot, first set the encryption option (https) to protect your personal account from being hacked. The “s” in https stands for “secure.”

Turn on the encryption option by clicking “Account” in the upper right corner of FB, click “Account Settings,” click “Account Security.” Click the first option: “Secure Browsing” (https). Then click the Save button.

Do the same (or similar) on all your social media. The controls are usually difficult to find. They care much more about their growth than your privacy security.

To more fully avoid cyber stalking or identity theft, make sure you have up-to-date anti-virus software, a firewall, and remember that criminals disguise themselves as friends and there's usually no way to confirm who is on the other end.

If you are a Victim of Cyber Stalking

RESOURCES

Crime-Safety-Security.com pages related to Cyber Stalking:
Stalker Warning Signs
Protection Order
Stop a Stalker
Women’s Safety - Stalking

Go from Cyber Stalking to Women’s Safety – Overview
Go from Cyber Stalking to Crime-Safety-Security.com HOME PAGE