Gaint Phishing scam and online bullying and harassment.

Teafor two12345

Well the title says online bullying and harassment. But to be honest it has gone a lot further than that. I thought it was a joke at first.

This person makes numerous fake profiles. And connects them and has sometimes even posed as old friends of mine to me online.

They pose generally as a male when online. They pretend to be an old friend sometimes or a friend of a friend. They have pretended to be someone I went to the same drama course with and used to be friends with my ex. I know for a fact these are fake profiles.

Sometimes unknown profiles that are easily searched and found out some are more elaborate. They have made phonecalls and posted info about me twisted online. People keep telling me to ignore it they don't know how prolific and crafty this person is. They might pose as someone you would be intimidated to stand up to.

I am pretty sure I have no idea who this person is. I thought it was a joke at first. But it's gone way beyond that. Everytime I go offline (Which I have tried ) it goes into being on the phone or twice stuff in the post.

The real problem is not having a clue who it is. I have been to the guards. No real progress though.

I think it's basically online handles twitter scams and fb pages unconnected to the agencies or people they are trying to represent. Basically online lookalike sites etc. I usually find out the site is fake in the end.I have no idea why this person is doing this. Nor why this person is targeting me. I am not important or anything. I am female though. They have bullied me on forums anonymously same mo every time. They have posted pictures of male friends of mine on dating sites and messaged me from those profiles. They even used pictures of an ex of mine with a different name. I report them all and they get taken down only to pop up again.

It's like one giant phishing scam fake sites fake profiles etc. Only with no point. It's obviously just to annoy women. I have heard of spear phishing targeting managers of companies or people wanting your bank details etc. I just don't get the point of this? Every time I ignore them it gets more dangerous. phishing scam for what? I don't have anything? But the bullying gets to me.

Has anyone had to deal with this type of bullying and harassment?

They subtly threaten to reveal emotional difficulties i have been through to people. Or make up baffling lies. Thankfully no one will believe it but still.

They posed as an old friend to me and made him look like a crazy person and I found out it wasn't him after much drama. They do weird stuff to annoy me online. Same mo everytime they started saying the same odd phrases and harass me.

I don't know what the point of the scam is but anyway. So bullying and harassment. What do I do? I have nothing to give a con artist except my sanity.

They bully me and others online. Report them they just come back. Every time i think about this person I feel ill.

Teafor two12345

They basically say weird stuff to you under the identity of someone else online most of it doesn't even make sense. This person is not ever connected to the person they pose as it can even be someone you know.They create whole histories for them not based in any type of reality.

bp

I would go to the police again, this is harassment.

Take logs and screen shots of everything. The fact they know your adrwss and phone number is worrying

SVI40

If you are not making progress the the Gardaí, then send a letter to the Superintendent detailing all that is happening, and when it was reported, and the response so far from the Gardaí.

Rubberchikken

that sounds like a terrible thing to be experiencing.
could you change your phone no? i realise that it's not the easiest thing to do and in reality, no one should have to alter thier life because of one bad apple, but this is upsetting you and needs to stop.
try and gather as much information as you can, screenshots etc and go back to the gardai. insist on being listened to. good luck

eviltwin

This person must know you quite well if they can remember names of people you went to drama with and know of your emotional difficulties, or they are hacking your information and getting it that way. On a practical level change all your passwords. Who got the phone call from them? Can they give you any information about the caller? Go back to the gardai but from personal experience I know they are slow to make progress.

GoodBridge

You should definitely catalogue and take evidence (dates, times, sites, usernames screenshots, transcriptions or recordings of phone calls, save post received, etc) of all of this harassment.

I've another suggestion and I hope you don't take the wrong way but once you have gathered some of this type of data I think you should talk to someone about your emotional and mental health to rule out the possibility that you're perceiving "normal" online spam, ads, phishing, friend requests, etc as personal attacks. Have you been under particular stress lately or feel lonely, isolated, down or been drinking much or blacking out or anything like that lately or would you consider yourself happy if not for this harassment?

Teafor two12345

Rubberchikken wrote: »

that sounds like a terrible thing to be experiencing.
could you change your phone no?

Thanks.
I've got a different phone now. I did go to the guards. Once when it started and then again a couple of months ago. But I only went into my local garda station and the guy behind the desk gave some advice and took it down etc but that was it.

Teafor two12345

eviltwin wrote: »

On a practical level change all your passwords.

I did. Thanks :-)

LegacyUser

I found your OP hard to follow but what you seem to be saying is that someone is persistently contacting you both online and offline pretending to be a variety of different people with no obvious purpose except to mess with your head?

What is the nature of the contact by post? Is it anything the Guards can use to trace the person? Same with phone contact - this can surely be traced?

What about hiring a private detective or company who can trace someone online through ip address etc? If you are being contacted through numerous profiles and/or websites then surely someone with the right know-how can trace who it is?

My first thought is that it is someone who knows you, otherwise how would they know so much about you? Particularly to know your address, phone number, ex boyfriends, emotional difficulties etc... It sounds like someone twisted who is deriving pleasure from this level of harassment. I think its someone you know in real life. I also wouldnt be surprised if they are harassing a number of people.

My second thought is that it is someone who over time has collected information about you through various online sources over time. But this seems less plausible to me.

homerjay2005

should you not delete every form of social media out of your life to minimise the problem? so disable your facebook, your twitter, message forums, stop using your old emails, get off dating sites and get new private ones etc etc and go from there. they will eventually give up when they realise you dont give a s*ite anymore. if you cant see it or read it, how can they get to you?

this person obvioulsy knows you also, i doubt its some random internet troll who just picked you randomly.

Teafor two12345

GoodBridge wrote: »

You should definitely catalogue and take evidence (dates, times, sites, usernames screenshots, transcriptions or recordings of phone calls, save post received, etc) of all of this harassment.

I've another suggestion and I hope you don't take the wrong way but once you have gathered some of this type of data I think you should talk to someone about your emotional and mental health to rule out the possibility that you're perceiving "normal" online spam, ads, phishing, friend requests, etc as personal attacks. Have you been under particular stress lately or feel lonely, isolated, down or been drinking much or blacking out or anything like that lately or would you consider yourself happy if not for this harassment?

Thanks for your concern but that's not the case here. Who would pretend to be old friends etc and use their pics?

Teafor two12345

homerjay2005 wrote: »

should you not delete every form of social media out of your life to minimise the problem? so disable your facebook, your twitter, message forums, stop using your old emails, get off dating sites and get new private ones etc etc and go from there. they will eventually give up when they realise you dont give a s*ite anymore. if you cant see it or read it, how can they get to you?

this person obvioulsy knows you also, i doubt its some random internet troll who just picked you randomly.

I actually think I had an idea of who. Regardless I chose to not be around them for other reasons anyway so either way i won't be seeing her anyway.

Teafor two12345

I will get offline for a bit soon i may just keep my fb.

kylith

Lock down your FB so that randomers can't contact you and don't accept at new friend requests.

homerjay2005

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

I actually think I had an idea of who. Regardless I chose to not be around them for other reasons anyway so either way i won't be seeing her anyway.

so this is probably why she is doing this?

you think its the same girl harassing other people also? if you think its her, then theres very easy ways of finding out for sure.

Teafor two12345

homerjay2005 wrote: »

so this is probably why she is doing this?

you think its the same girl harassing other people also? if you think its her, then theres very easy ways of finding out for sure.

I think that might be getting carried away a bit.

homerjay2005 wrote: »

so this is probably why she is doing this?

you think its the same girl harassing other people also? if you think its her, then theres very easy ways of finding out for sure.

I really don't want to make trouble for anyone. She is a pretty intense person I find her to be a little intimidating sometimes. Some of her ideas are a little weird. I felt she had a lot of unjustified anger towards some people. I am gonna be honest I thought she was pretty nuts to be honest. I felt I was walking on eggshells. She came across as delusional quite frankly at some times.

She is living with a friend of mine. I am kind of afraid to ask to be honest. The last time I saw her she kind of lost her **** half way through the conversation and started to clench her fists etc. I just told people look I am taking a permanent break from her.

Her emotions etc it didn't feel like they were credibly or appropriately attached to situations etc.

Regardless I don't think she is someone I want to be around ever again. It was way too intense.

Teafor two12345

And yes co-incidence of misfortunes do happen in this world. I am aware. I prob scare easy! :-)

tomwaterford

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

I actually think I had an idea of who. Regardless I chose to not be around them for other reasons anyway so either way i won't be seeing her anyway.

Have you any idea why would she do this?
It's obviously someone you know/knows you...as its a substantial bit of effort to set up profiles etc on dating sites etc

Go free legal aid/soliciter for advise on what can be done to stop her/him from contacting you
If you could be sure as the identity (ip address etc??)...it may just take a word from a guard?

Teafor two12345

tomwaterford wrote: »

Have you any idea why would she do this?
It's obviously someone you know/knows you...as its a substantial bit of effort to set up profiles etc on dating sites etc

Go free legal aid/soliciter for advise on what can be done to stop her/him from contacting you
If you could be sure as the identity (ip address etc??)...it may just take a word from a guard?

I was told by the boards manager that two accounts on here that sent jeering spam messages and started weird threads that got locked had the same ip. I don't want to slander anyone. I want to make it clear ...it was jeering not EVIL stuff.

Teafor two12345

tomwaterford wrote: »

If you could be sure as the identity (ip address etc??)...it may just take a word from a guard?

Prob that would do it but I don't know for certain etc.

Teafor two12345

I think it's best to rely on factual evidence rather than my fears etc.

tomwaterford

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

Prob that would do it but I don't know for certain etc.

Try someone from an IT background to help explain/track down the IP address/other methods??


As afaik it isn't hugely difficult...but you'll have a starting point to look for who is behind it when you go to gaurds....and as said...log everything

As it couldn't be the nicest thing to deal with on your own

celligraphy

Happened before to a guy I knew , anytime he got a new number he was still getting harrased he deleted his Facebook email everything... Things got to him so he decided to get a few cheap phones with all new SIM cards gave one number to each of his potential suspects and well found out it was his girlfriend!! This went on for two years

InTheTrees

its someone you know wrote: »

What about hiring a private detective or company who can trace someone online through ip address etc? If you are being contacted through numerous profiles and/or websites then surely someone with the right know-how can trace who it is?

I agree. Hire an investigator and they'll go and find out. You can use their information to take to the guards. Usually investigators are ex-guards anyway so they know whats required and how to document everything.

All perfectly legal and it'll give the bully a scare too.

Its going to cost though.

Teafor two12345

InTheTrees wrote: »

I agree. Hire an investigator and they'll go and find out.

All perfectly legal and it'll give the bully a scare too.

Its going to cost though.

Eh Yeah...... nooooo.... I am not going to do that.

Part of the reason I never confronted the issue for so long was ...i have a life.

It sounds like a lot of hassle.

People keep saying oh keep a record etc ...i'm kinda lazy ..or get off the net....i kinda like the good stuff.

Teafor two12345

I actually think that's a bit crazy actually.

Teafor two12345

To be honest I thought going to the effort of getting a new phone was a bit much!

InTheTrees

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

Eh Yeah...... nooooo.... I am not going to do that.

Part of the reason I never confronted the issue for so long was ...i have a life.

It sounds like a lot of hassle.

People keep saying oh keep a record etc ...i'm kinda lazy ..or get off the net....i kinda like the good stuff.

Oh okay.

It comes down to just how much of an inconvenience the harassment is to you.

Its an option though.

NomadicGray

If you arent even going to change your phone then maybe it's not bothering you as much as you like to think it does

kylith

So, you're being bullied, harassed, threatened, and even thinking about it makes you feel ill, and you have a feeling that you might know who it is. But you're not actually interested in doing anything to stop it or to make them answerable for their harassment and threats?

What exactly can we do for you then?

Teafor two12345

Hey this isn't my fault ...It's kind of like saying it's ok to do.

It bugs me when it happens.

I just can't remember stuff etc. I have a short attention span.

I have new phone I did get one. I just haven't figured out how to use it and I get into the habit of using the old one again.

Teafor two12345

kylith wrote: »

So, you're being bullied, harassed, threatened, and even thinking about it makes you feel ill, and you have a feeling that you might know who it is. But you're not actually interested in doing anything to stop it or to make them answerable for their harassment and threats?

What exactly can we do for you then?

Hug me.

Teafor two12345

Sorry I am doing the best I can.

alleystar

GoodBridge wrote: »

I've another suggestion and I hope you don't take the wrong way but once you have gathered some of this type of data I think you should talk to someone about your emotional and mental health to rule out the possibility that you're perceiving "normal" online spam, ads, phishing, friend requests, etc as personal attacks. Have you been under particular stress lately or feel lonely, isolated, down or been drinking much or blacking out or anything like that lately or would you consider yourself happy if not for this harassment?

I second this. I would think a visit to your GP would be of more help to you than anything else.

Teafor two12345

alleystar wrote: »

I second this. I would think a visit to your GP would be of more help to you than anything else.

Well thank you :-) Really.

but I think that's as much as an over reaction as 'hire a private investigator' for now.

Teafor two12345

I am not being complacent I am just not being paranoid either.

If the mods could lock this thread now thanks.

intheclouds

Everytime you think about it you feel ill, its been going on years and some of it has gotten serious enough that you have gone to the Guards but you want a hug and wont consider a private investigator?

I think you should speak to your GP.

eviltwin

Does the person suspect you know? Not being funny but if they do and they see you doing nothing you might be unintentionally encouraging them. You might feel it's at a manageable level now, not worth the hassle and so on but it's better nipped in the bud now before it escalates.

dudara

Locking thread as per OP's request.

OP - if you want this to stop, you are going to have to take some actions. I hope that some of the replies here will be useful to you.

dudara