The cyber stalker is one who uses the Internet as a weapon or tool of sorts to prey upon, harass, threaten, and generate fear and trepidation in his or her victims through sophisticated stalking tactics, which for the most part, are largely misunderstood and in some cases, legal.
The action is to annoy, alarm, and emotionally abuse another person. Perpetrators utilize social media accounts, publicly accessible information and sometimes illegally accessed information to learn more about their targets. The perpetrators may also spread rumors and misinformation to discredit or intimidate them.
It is also worth pointing out that many of the techniques used by cyberstalkers were not possible until quite recently. Identity theft, for example, involves impersonating another person in order to carry out various acts, such as making fraudulent purchases.
The term cyber stalking generally refers to the use of the Internet, email, or other electronic communication device to create a criminal level of intimidation, harassment, and fear in one or more victims.
Cyberstalkers may obtain personal information about their victims (e.g.,home address, phone number) from the Internet and utilize this information to meet their victims in person. They can use any of a number of methods available online to assist them in their endeavors, including downloading keystroke logger software to capture the information necessary to obtain private information from their intended victim and using social media to monitor and/or harass their victims.
The motivations behind cyberstalking can be very different to those behind offline stalking. Corporate cyberstalking involves an individual, a group or an organization pursuing another individual, group or organization. Sometimes, the motive behind corporate cyber-stalking can be political, for profit or for competitive advantage.
What is cyberstalking?
