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China Elevator Stories
dangerous stalkers: Spyware and the Online Sphere
One of the stalkers I have appears everywhere I am online.
21/11/2024
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
To some, online stalking doesn’t sound like a dangerous act, but it can be. If a stalker has criminal intent, there’s a lot they can find out about you online, and they can create real-life harm if they wish to. If someone is a criminal, they can even hire a killer on the dark web.
Because of the stalking I’ve experienced in the past, I have made sure my address is private. However, a stalker can still access it if they know how. Usually, someone can simply go to any registration office, pay a small fee, and obtain your current address using your name and date of birth.
I have ensured this isn’t possible by applying to keep my address confidential, which, once approved, is valid for five years. Otherwise, any stalker, creep, or otherwise mentally deranged man can simply go to the registration’s office with your private information and get access to your private home address. However, I still have to inform my ex-husband—who has previously tried to have me murdered—of my current address. The law doesn’t protect victims here and makes it extremely difficult for women to safeguard themselves from harm.
Certain other individuals don’t know my address, and one of them even consulted a lawyer to access my information. There is no foolproof way to protect your personal details from a stalker if they are determined to find them. In my opinion, women have fewer options to protect themselves from stalkers or criminals because the system isn’t designed to protect them effectively.
Furthermore, when stalkers use spyware, they can access any information they want. The prevalence of spyware use has increased, leading to a rise in cases of people being targeted by stalkers who use it. From my experience, a determined stalker can infiltrate your phone or computer no matter how often you reset or reinstall your devices. Once they’ve gotten in, they’ll know how to regain access even after a reset. Spyware can be installed remotely, so a stalker doesn’t even need physical access to your devices.
One of the stalkers I’ve written about appears anywhere I am online. He often does so anonymously. Here’s a recent example:
He appears in every group I join. This is not fun—it’s extremely creepy. My date of birth is July 4th (4-7), and December is my ex-husband’s birth month. The stalker has used these numbers in his message on WeChat to signal that he’s in the group. This particular group on WeChat was one I joined to search for open job positions in China. Shortly after I joined, strange messages like the one mentioned above began appearing, making it obvious that the stalker had joined the group as well. This happens no matter where I go or which group I join.
Recently, I sold some furniture online in preparation for a move, and the stalker made it clear he’d seen my posts. In the WeChat message, he mentioned a “matttress”—I had listed my bed for sale only recently due to the upcoming move.
I cannot do anything privately anymore. This stalker has access to all my information. I don’t want to share private things with him, yet he believes he has the right to know everything about me, not sharing anything about him in return. On a side note, he isn’t looking for a job in China. He joins these groups solely to surveil my every move.
By the way, ‘Moodie,’ I wish you positive emotions, so others don’t have to be bothered by your negative ones (祝你好心情, Alastor Moody). On a side note, the Harry Potter series used to be my favorite growing up. I read all of the books several times. I would lock myself in my bedroom on Sundays and read any book I could get my hands on—not just Harry Potter, but other books as well.
Have you ever been stalked?