In our world today, we are so comfortable sharing personal information online especially through our social media accounts. With January being Stalking Awareness Month, we wanted to share five ways to know if someone is cyberstalking you.
- The person gets access to your personal information online.
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Stalkers spend a large amount of time trying to gain as much information about their victims as they can. To try and prevent a stalker from gaining access to information you may not want them to have, update your passwords and set up a two-step authentication on all your online accounts.
- The person looks at your social media accounts obsessively.
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We all periodically check in on our exes to see what they are up to, if they have moved on and who they are dating now. However, if you are checking in on someone multiple times a week, that is when it becomes obsessive.
- The person is always trying to get you to engage online, even if you repeatedly ignore them.
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Stalkers will go to extreme measures to get you to respond to them. You have zero obligation to respond, but save the messages and comments they leave you so that you have a paper trail of their behavior if it comes to legal repercussions.
- The person seems to always know where you are.
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There are many ways for friends and family to track your location in a safe manner. If you are being tracked by a stalker there is a possibility that they have put a GPS tracker on your car without your knowledge. Be aware of this technique if it truly does come to this.
- The person also bothers your loved ones.
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If you believe you are being cyberstalked, keep your friends and family in the loop, so they know not to give anyone information about you.
The internet can be a great thing, but it can also be very dangerous if you are not aware of all that can happen. Stay safe this month and always!