Help me
If you are currently having problems with someone then you should read this and act now, taking these steps won’t necessarily stop someone but should make a big difference.
It is not my intention to frighten anyone, but these troublemakers are an unknown commodity - they could be harmless or extremely dangerous and you should proceed with care. If someone is being abusive or overly pushy and demanding, warning bells should be ringing!!!
No genuine photographer or producer should act this way.
End Communication
Many of these people thrive on the fact that you are talking to them and if you do continue to converse with them you are effectively encouraging them.
This is true if you are communicating via, phone, text or e-mail.
No matter how much they try to talk to you, or how threatening they become - do not reply to them.
The only exception to this rule is if you are trying to get information from them as described in the “I.M” section below.
Keep Records
Keep any copies of texts, e-mails or chat sessions.
This will help you later on if you need to take matters further. You should try to keep original e-mails with their full headers intact - this will help to trace the person causing problems. Even if someone is using an ‘anonymous’ e-mail service like hotmail, you can still find this persons i.p address buried within the headers of the e-mail.
See the “fight Back” section for more info.
Inform Others
Don’t keep this to yourself, you should let family members and friends know.
Print out duplicate copies of e-mails and give a copy for someone else to look after.
We don’t like to think of a ‘worse case’ scenario but, if others have copies it could help save your life if you are put in an extremely dangerous situation.
The Police
If ignoring them doesn’t stop them after two weeks, you should inform your local police station about the situation. They are there to help you, and while it may seem that they may not do much it will help you mentally knowing that it is logged with them. Invite them to your home and give them copies of any correspondence.
Instant messaging
Warning! Instant messenger programs are quite anonymous.
If someone is harrasing you over an I.M service you should try to get them to send you an e-mail, once they do you will know who their internet service provider is, and with this information you can report them.
In summery: