Internet Identity Theft, Impersonation, and Stalking by Proxy

Internet Stalking. Lifelike shot, but where's the booze?A few of our longtime readers will recall the case of the New Zealand woman who impersonated Viggo Mortensen online for a couple of years. Actually, for all I know she's still doing it. But at the time I tried to make a few points about the illegality of posting information to the Internet which is designed to make people think you are someone else. Thanks to BoingBoing I've come across a nice article about all that and more here.

The data is sketchy; victims volunteered to fill out a questionnaire, and harasser data is, in most cases, provided by the harassed. But there are some insights. For example, increasing numbers of men appear to be applying for help, and overt threats of offline harm occurred in about a quarter of the cases last year.

In about half the cases, victim and perpetrator appear to be strangers. For the rest, it can be deeply, disturbingly personal. 

"With any new technology that comes along, you have the shadow of criminality that follows," Mr. Meloy said, although he added that the Internet, with all its distance and anonymity, provided a unique vehicle for the unleashing of hidden furies.

"It's a much more veiled, shielded, disinhibited way of communicating," Mr. Meloy said, "and much more raw in the expression of aggression."

5 thoughts on “Internet Identity Theft, Impersonation, and Stalking by Proxy

  1. Hello i just wanted to give a little suggesten that i hope it can assist someone. I have been a victim for 5years and i figure if they chose to use an electrical waves than why not go the next step higher use a well known psyhic i do beleive they use a higher electircal wave and they can assist in location of the afflictor. im using one today maybe you can use this idea or we can start something ourselfs mine is to save the children my children.MY name is elizabeth zamora feel free to comment

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