22,425,689 members doing good!
about our ads
share your passions, stories, inspirations, and more
Tips for Stalking Victims
Oct 3, 2006

"These tips will help you guard your personal information and lessen the chance that it will get into the hands of a stalker or harasser. However, some of these tips are extreme and should only be used if you are indeed being stalked. Harassment can take many forms, so this information may not be appropriate in every situation and may not resolve serious stalking problems. (See also the Supplement to this fact sheet, "Security Recommendations for Stalking Victims," provided by the Los Angeles Police Department's Threat Management Unit.)

  1. Use a private post office box. Residential addresses of post office box holders are generally confidential. However, the U.S. Postal Service will release a residential address to any government agency, or to persons serving court papers. The Post Office only requires verification from an attorney that a case is pending. This information is easily counterfeited. Private companies, such as Mail Boxes Etc., are more strict and will require that the person making the request have an original copy of a subpoena. Use your private post office box address for all of your correspondence. Print it on your checks instead of your residential address. Instead of recording the address as "Box 123," use "Apartment 123."
  2. File a change-of-address card with the U.S. Postal Service giving the private mail box address. Send personal letters to friends, relatives and businesses giving them the new private mailbox address. Give true residential address only to the most trusted friends. Ask that they do not store this address in rolodexes or address books which could be stolen.
  3. Sign up for your state's address confidentiality program . 18 states offer a program that enables victims of domestic violence and stalking to protect their residential address. For a list, visit: www.sos.state.ok.us/acp/acp_welcome.htm (Click on Other States with ACP.)

  4. Obtain an unpublished and unlisted phone number. The phone company lists names and numbers in directory assistance (411) and publishes them in the phone book. Make sure you delete your information from both places. Don't print your phone number on your checks. Give out a work number when asked.
  5. If your state has Caller ID, order Complete Blocking (called "Per Line" Blocking in other states). This ensures that your phone number is not disclosed when you make calls from your home. (California phone companies have offered Caller ID June 1996. See PRC fact sheet 19 on Caller ID.)
  6. Avoid calling 800, 888 and 900 number services. Your phone number could be "captured" by a service called Automatic Number Identification. It will also appear on the called party's bill at the end of the month. If you do call 800 numbers, use a pay phone.
  7. Have your name removed from any "reverse directories." The entries in these directories are in numerical order by phone number or by address. These books allow anyone who has just one piece of information, such as a phone number, to find where you live. Reverse direct-ories are published by phone companies and direct marketers. (See PRC fact sheet no. 4 on "junk mail.")
  8. Let people know that information about you should be held in confidence. Tell your employer, co-workers, friends, family and neighbors of your situation. Alert them to be suspicious of people inquiring about your whereabouts or schedule.
  9. Do not use your home address when you subscribe to magazines. In general, don't use your residential address for anything that is mailed or shipped to you.
  10. Avoid using your middle initial. Middle initials are often used to differentiate people with common names. For example, someone searching public records or credit report files might find several people with the name, Jane Doe. If you have a common name and want to blend in with the crowd, don't add a middle initial.
  11. When conducting business with a government agency, only fill in the required pieces of information. Certain government agency records are public record. Anyone can access the information you disclose to the agency within that record. Public records such as county assessor, county recorder, DMV and business licenses are especially valuable finding tools. Ask the agency if it allows address information to be confidential in certain situations. If possible, use a post office box and do not provide your middle initial, phone number or your Social Security number. If you own property or a car, you may want to consider alternative forms of ownership, such as a trust. This would shield your personal address from the public record. (For more information on "government records and privacy," see PRC fact sheet number 11.)
  12. Put your post office box on your driver's license. Don't show your license to just anyone. Your license has a lot of valuable information to a stalker.
  13. Don't put your name on the list of tenants on the front of your apartment building. Use a variation of your name that only your friends and family would recognize.
  14. Be very protective of your Social Security number. It is the key to much of your personal information. Don't pre-print the SSN on anything such as your checks. Only give it out if required to do so and ask why the requester needs it. The Social Security Administration may be willing to change your SSN. Contact the SSA for details. (See PRC fact sheet number 10 on "SSNs.")
  15. Alert the three credit bureaus--Experian, Equifax and Trans Union- -to your situation. Ask them to "flag" your record to avoid fraudulent access. (See PRC fact sheet number 6 on "credit reporting" for addresses and phone numbers. See also fact sheet number 17 on "identity theft.")
  16. If you are having a problem with harassing phone calls, put a beep tone on your line so callers think you are taping your calls. Use an answering machine to screen your calls, and put a "bluff message" on your machine to warn callers of possible taping or monitoring. Be aware of the legal restrictions on taping of conversations. (See PRC fact sheet number 3 on "harassing phone calls." See also fact sheet number 9 on "wiretapping and eavesdropping.")
  17. If you use electronic mail and other online computer services, change your e-mail address if necessary. Do not enter any personal information into online directories. For a list of state cyber- stalking laws, see National Conference of State Legislatures, www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/CIP/stalk99.htm. See also the PRC's online privacy fact sheet, www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs18-cyb.htm.
  18. Keep a log of every stalking incident, plus names, dates and times of your contacts with law enforcement and others. Save phone message tapes and items sent in the mail.
  19. Consider getting professional counseling and/or seeking help from a victims support group. They can help you deal with fear, anxiety and depression associated with being stalked.
  20. Make a police report. Consider getting a restraining order if you have been physically threatened or feel that you are in danger. When filed with the court, a restraining order legally compels the harasser to stay away from you, or he/she can be arrested. Be aware that papers filed for a restraining order or police report may become public record. Put minimal amounts of information and only provide a post office box address. You should contact an attorney or legal aid office if a restraining order becomes necessary. (Note: Some security experts warn that restraining orders sometimes lead to violence. Before obtaining a restraining order, consider your options carefully.)
  21. And these final tips from someone who was stalked for over three years: For your own protection, carry pepper spray. Get a car phone and/or a beeper. Carry a Polaroid or video camera. Never verify anything, like your home address, over the phone."

(0) | () | | send green star | flag as inappropriate
Visibility: Everyone
Tags: , , ,
Posted: Oct 3, 2006 9:03pm

 
 
 
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.

Author

Barb PL
female , married, 2 children
Franktown, VA, USA
Shares by Type:
All (377) | Blog (63) | Alert (81) | Top 10 List (1) | Poll (3) | Recipe (1) | Photo (2) | Tribute (9) | Message (217)

Showing shares tagged with: tips [show all]
ads keep care2 free
SHARES FROM BARB'S NETWORK
May
24
(0 comments  |  discussions )
      shared Mark Phillips‘s video. The Most Honest Three Minutes In Televion History                       shared Some Amazing Facts Jackie Chan will donate all his money to ...
May
23
(0 comments  |  discussions )
We all know that we're expected to be on our best behavior at church, but do we really know why that is?  Shouldn't we be on our best behavior all of the time?  Is behaving as if we're something we're not when we're not being a hypocrite wh...
May
22
(0 comments  |  discussions )
     The Sun      
May
21
(0 comments  |  discussions )
             
(0 comments  |  discussions )
            shared NBC News‘s photo. Fourth-grade survivor of Oklahoma tornado on Today Show: Teacher threw herself over us and ‘saved our lives’ Read more: http://nbcnews.to/16JbMVf shared KSPR News&lsq...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
            Published on May 20, 2013 The birth of the May 20, 2013 tornado at Newcastle, OK. It Moved from there to Moore where it turned into an F4. God be with its victims.       http://www.youtube.com/w. ..
May
20
by Rick S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
May
19
by Lisa G.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
The rich variety of music in the first Elizabethan age is something we can all enjoy today. Renaissance and Elizabethan music came in two categories - sacred and secular. Translate that as religious and fun! There were no conflicts between mods, rocke...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
National Scout Jamboree 2013 False Flag Insider Warning. Nevada Governor 2014 David Lory VanDerBeek   http://nevadagovernor2014 .com/national-scout-jambo ree-2013-false-flag-insid er-warning-nevada-governo r-2014-david-lory-vanderb eek/   Governo...
May
18
(0 comments  |  0 discussions )
            https://www.youtube.com/w atch?feature=player_embed ded&v=S5JAVk3Qwi8#!       Carlos TheZilla shared a link. Imee Ooi – The Chant of metta ( Lyrics: Pali & Eng) The chant of metta by...

Copyright © 2013 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved