If you have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, and YouTube, check your privacy settings on each and maximize them across the board.
Let your friends know about the stalker and not to respond to strange messages or contact requests.
If your profile picture is public, consider using a picture that is not a close-up of you. You might want to post a picture of something that is not you so it’s not obvious that it’s your profile.
If you get a new friend or follow request, research it fully without contacting the person directly. Do you have mutual friends with the person sending the request? Cyberstalkers may follow your friends before sending you a request so the request looks more convincing. Ask your mutuals how long they’ve been connected to that person online—if the connection is recent, it could be your stalker playing games. If you think someone has ill intentions, block them. Then, let your friends know that a stalker might reach out to them to get to you.
While many social media networks provide extensive profiles to users that can be fun to fill out, avoid filling out the parts of your profile that aren’t required by the service. For example, if it’s not required to enter your birthdate or phone number, don’t provide this information. Sharing photos of the places you visit throughout the day can be fun, but if the wrong person gets a hold of those photos, they’ll know exactly how to find you. Never share your contact information publicly on social media—if you need to give somebody your phone number, do it in a private message.
Use antivirus software on your computer and keep it up to date. Scan your computer for spyware and other malware often. When you connect to public Wi-Fi at school, at the airport, in a café, or anywhere else, use a VPN. Always use unique secure passwords. Enable two-step authentication whenever available. Avoid installing apps that want to access your social media and email accounts and/or contact lists. Never leave your computer or phone unattended. Use a lock screen password or biometric to prevent others from logging in when you’re not around. If you use an account from another computer, log out before you leave.
You might need to change the password if you’ve forgotten it.
For example, if your search result comes up with Pinterest boards, unlist your pins and change your account privacy. If you live in the European Union, you have the right to ask search engines to remove personal information related to your name. [2] X Research source To request removal, fill out Google’s EU Privacy Removal form at https://www. google. com/webmasters/tools/legal-removal-request?complaint_type=rtbf.
Whether you know the stalker in person or only know them online, don’t contact them at all.
TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Tinder, Tumblr, and Instagram all have options to completely block a person or a profile. If they create new accounts, block those, too.
Facebook and Instagram have privacy settings you can control to limit who can tag you in photos, including the option to approve tags before they appear on your profile. Make any online photo albums private, too, especially if you embed pictures from those albums onto your social media profiles. For example, if you use a cloud or photo sharing platform, make all of your albums private or shareable only by you.
If they’ve sent you emails, contact abuse@domainname or postmaster@domainname. If you’re using Gmail, there’s a reporting mechanism you can use at: https://support. google. com/mail/contact/abuse.
Keep a log of each contact so you can supply that information to the police. Record all dates, times, usernames, IP addresses, and methods of contact, along with dated screenshots and copies of all messages. [5] X Research source When going to the police, state why you feel threatened and what you want to be done.
