Tips to protect yourself from cyberstalking and catfishing (I)

Many people have been victims of cyberstalking which has led to the leak of private information and credentials. Many have fallen victim of cyberstalking without being aware, so it is important to protect yourself against it. With the increase in digital technologies, our lives are open is so many ways which might enhance cyberstalking by criminals to commit crimes.

Cyberstalking is a means by which criminal stalk other people over the internet, many of these criminals use the information to harass, intimidate, or frighten a person or group. Other crimes committed include false accusations or posting derogatory statements, monitoring someone’s online activity or physical location, threats, identity theft, and data destruction or manipulation by sending a virus to a victim’s devices.

Cyberstalker also carries out cyber-harassment or cyber-bullying by checking your email without permission, Impersonating you or hacking into your online accounts, spreading rumors about you, or sharing photos or videos of you without your consent.

Cyberstalkers also make use of email, instant messages, phone calls, and other communication modes to stalk you. They also come in the form of sexual harassment, inappropriate contact, or unwelcome attention to your life and to your family’s activities.

Another very common tactics cyberstalker use is committing crimes is catfishing whereby criminal poses as someone else over the internet while they create a fake identity on social site, they make use of fake names, photos, and locations. They might approach the intended victim as a love interest or a mutual friend. Catfishing may be used for financial gain, to cyberbully a victim, or to cause reputation damage and embarrassment to a victim.

How to protect yourself against catfishing:

#1. Use a reverse google image to search for the user’s profile picture, if they are fake you will see the original place where the picture was gotten from.

#2. An average Facebook profile has about 300 friends, many of these catfish accounts are likely to have fewer friends.

#3. Real people always have pictures with their friends or family, check the person to see these, catfish account are pictures of model or selfies.

#4. Also, check people tagged to their accounts and verify that they are friends with the person.

#5. Once you suspect that a person is fake, request for a video chat on skype, they may not be able to do that because they are fake.