Just had an update on a stalking case, what happens next?
Posted by Own_Average7810@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 62 comments
As I have previously posted, my great-aunt died nearly 5 years ago and someone started pretending to be her - sending cards, emails and texts to us, to my uncle's (her son's) family, and now to her ex-son in law. The police came round yesterday to take elimination fingerprints because they have found fingerprints on the inside of the cards and they also plan to run those through the Home Office database of fingerprints. I am really scared. I have been in some of the 'unopened' cards (one card for my parents arrived opened and I picked it up) and I am concerned I may have to answer to the police - I am also still concerned about going outside in certain hours incase this person is still about. They have been doing some really shady stuff to my uncle (reporting him to social services) and messing about with my old case notes, making fun of me nearly going into care and stuff like that, and they also accessed my bank account, and made a fake screenshot of them withdrawing 10 grand (ie nearly all my savings). Last week they sent a card to my mum and last year they sent a daughter in law card to her. I feel really stiff and scared sometimes especially because this is someone very close to home who knows all the birthdays, anniversaries etc. Sometimes I can barely breathe, last night I didn't even sleep properly and everyone in my family both nuclear and extended feel sorry for me because I am the stalker's main target. They have used VPNs and I think pay asy you go numbers - both of which the police are struggling to trace. What do I do?
g00gleb00gle@reddit
Your post history’s you have vanished before and have no recollection on what has gone on. Are you sure it’s not you. Are you OK ?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
The old post
Vertigo_uk123@reddit
Before anyone else suggests it. Check your carbon monoxide monitor.
That aside. Police only want fingerprints as you said to eliminate those that had access to the cards. Just mention to them your prints may be on the cards as you picked them up etc. you have nothing to worry about they just want to eliminate you so they can focus on who is actually doing it.
deprevino@reddit
It does sound insane, but some people are genuinely this psychotic and vindictive, especially when it comes to family matters.
hunsnet457@reddit
True, but a lot of the things OP has described happening require an extremely wide amount of knowledge to manage to do, even if from an outside perspective they all fall under “tech & hacking stuff”
Some things OP mentioned would pretty much require someone to steal your identity, at which point the other claims become obsolete because that person could do much worse with no issues, but hasn’t.
maplesyrup4all@reddit
It honestly sounds very dodgy to me. Either they’re being harassed by some criminal mastermind or OP isn’t telling the whole truth
hunsnet457@reddit
I think it’s likely OP is telling the truth to the best of their abilities…
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
It’s really strange and terrifying because they’re coming for literally everyone it seems, even for relatives as far as Africa and America!
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
That’s what he said - in case we’ve touched them so that he focuses on any unknown prints
BastardsCryinInnit@reddit
If it isnt you, then you don't have anything to worry about in terms of the police. From media it is easy to believe the police are going around pinning anything on anyone to get the case done but that really isnt the case.
maplesyrup4all@reddit
I haven’t seen the original post but is anyone asking whether OP is behind this? Having access to their bank account, tapping their phone and intercepting text messages, knowing all the families personal info… is there a possibility OP is behind this and getting off on the excitement of it (or it’s all fake and they’re just enjoying the Reddit attention?)
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
Not just me, someone’s also hacked into my cousins emails - and also tried to hack into my parents, into my sisters, and into my uncle’s email so many times he eventually had to change his password.
maplesyrup4all@reddit
This makes no sense. If you’d been hacked the first thing you’d do is change your password, not wait until it had happened ‘so many times’. Sorry OP but something doesn’t add up here, dodgy as heck
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
DifferentWave@reddit
What would happen if your family all en-masse changed their email provider?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
Everyone has changed all their passwords and since there have been no more hacking attempts since september
DifferentWave@reddit
That’s not what I asked. And changing passwords won’t prevent hacking attempts.
If I know your email address is Own_Average7810@gmail.com for the sake of argument, changing your password won’t stop me trying to access that account because I know the account name.
But if everyone involved decided to move en-masse to another provider, say Yahoo, and change their addresses to, in your case let’s say EasterSaturday123@yahoo.com, then the person won’t have hope in heck of finding you.
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
Ahh I see what you mean. Yes some of us (especially me) are using new emails and have changed all passwords but with the way this stalkers going, I’m still worried we may be found.
DifferentWave@reddit
OK. You hadn’t mentioned changing emails, just changing passwords.
If you’re so convinced that they will still find you then it sounds highly likely that the perp is someone in your midst.
DamnitGravity@reddit
So... you don't know who this person is but they're able to access your case notes and your bank account?
maplesyrup4all@reddit
It makes no sense: I think it’s either a total fabrication on OPs part or they are behind it hence why this mystery person has been able to access their accounts/texts and they’re worried about their finger print being somewhere it shouldn’t
DamnitGravity@reddit
In a mild defence of the fingerprint worry, I have friends who have such anxiety, they're afraid they'll get in trouble just for their internal thoughts. If the police needed their fingerprints? They'd break down and lose their shit.
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
Cards to everyone in the UK but the emails/texts etc are also mentioning/involving others abroad. None of the envelopes have postmarks (apparently they don’t do this anymore)
hunsnet457@reddit
At this point you should carry on whilst the police are investigating.
Out of curiosity, when you say ‘messed around with your old case notes’, what do you mean?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
We had a case from social services and the case records were in my google drive that they hacked into, and they started picking certain files (like ones where they contacted police/my parents not cooperating etc) and they were sending them round to all of my extended family to ‘expose’ us, quite ironic yet they already know the backstory!
cake-bake-fake@reddit
It’s hard to believe they hacked into your Google Drive and your bank account without a lot of your personal login details. How do you think they managed this?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
They managed to tap my phone line and intercept the text messages during Christmas times and then use that to gain access into my bank account - the memorable info was based off my mums birthday and also my aunts birthday (the one they are pretending to be) and so getting access was a doddle. Same with my google account, I had (temporarily) deactivated two factor authentication and the password wasn’t so hard to guess (based off my old home address) so that’s how it ended up. I have since changed all mobile phone pins, passwords and memorable information and am considering getting a new bank account.
_All_Tied_Up_@reddit
How do you believe they “tapped your phone” exactly? We don’t live in the 70s any more.
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
Well idk how exactly it was done, but my phone service randomly stopped for two days, on my birthday infact - no signal anywhere I go, I couldn’t make or take any calls, no texts were coming through and my data was also not working. The morning access was reinstated I also got a PAC code (the one for taking your number to another network) and I spoke to the mobile provider who did indeed investigate and concluded the phone line was tampered with so they took a bit off my next bill as compensation and recommended I use a pay as you go line until they are sure no one else can see my texts etc.
_All_Tied_Up_@reddit
Can you clarify what you mean when you said about your fingerprints being inside “unopened” cards.
Unopened to me means still sealed and then given to police.
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
A card for my parents came partly opened and I touched the top of what would ideally be the unopened bit before I sealed it up again (to preserve the rest of the prints) so when it’s examined through my prints will ideally be seen near the suspects and that’s what police need to eliminate
_All_Tied_Up_@reddit
Surely the police will know this has to be a family member? How else would anyone know everything about everyone? How many people genuinely know your history with social services, it can’t be that many.
Are the cards handwritten? Has handwriting been checked. Where are they posted from, they will have a postmark. I bet if you all had a think you would be able to figure out who it is.
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
I’m very much struggling to tbh, at first i thought one or perhaps several of my second cousins were behind it but now they’ve also all received stuff and more people are getting sucked into it! The cards are handwritten but no one recognises the writing, infact they sometimes put GA’s old address of her bungalow on the reverse of her envelope. None of the cards have a postmark. My uncle spoke to me today and said they still cannot think of who it is.
Jumpy-Jello-@reddit
Did GA have any regular carers or close friends/neighbours?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
She had a few mates and neighbours that she was close with but not anyone that could do anything to this extent. The person even speaks her mother tongue - a very niche language which you can’t even really learn online, I can’t even speak it properly, which is why it points to someone very close.
Jumpy-Jello-@reddit
How do you know?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
Because most of the people she used to be near aren’t very tech savvy imo and they’re also not going to know our family this well. Even the police didn’t know the language they speak (her first language) existed in the first place till he dealt with us. It has to be someone closer than any of her friends.
Jumpy-Jello-@reddit
I meant how do you know they speak the mother tongue? Is that what they are writing in?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
She (aunt) used to speak the mother tongue and so does the stalker in their emails, extremely fluently.
No_Height_2408@reddit
Was she speaking to anyone online, abroad?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
I don’t think so, other than her old friends and relatives.
StarSpotter74@reddit
At this point, is your great aunt even dead?
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
She is very much dead, my dad was at the hospital the night it happened - in April 2021. Funeral etc went on, house cleared out, she is definitely not alive.
_All_Tied_Up_@reddit
Just cos someone receives a card doesn’t mean they aren’t the one sending them. That’s what you would do to avoid suspicion.
No_Height_2408@reddit
Yeah for sure. It could even be the uncle
No_Height_2408@reddit
It is clearly a family member and someone older I reckon. No young person using snail mail surely
No_Height_2408@reddit
Who was in the house over Christmas?
hunsnet457@reddit
I think you can guess the answer, unfortunately.
DamnitGravity@reddit
What's your guess?
Jumpy-Jello-@reddit
Ok so first you have to eliminate the more obvious possibilities, do you and other family members have a working carbon monoxide detector? And are any of them on medications like sleeping pills, strong painkillers, or antipsychotics? Anyone with signs of DID? Do you know anyone who is very good with computers?
After that, unfortunately you don't have the resources that the police have, so the best you can do for yourself is get some counselling in the meantime to manage your anxiety. If they found fingerprints hopefully they can get a lead on whatever is really going on.
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
Everyone has a working carbon monoxide detector, and I don’t think any of us (even me who is doing a cs degree) is that good with computers especially to the point of making the police struggle to trace vpns.
SnooHabits8484@reddit
DID isn’t real
Jumpy-Jello-@reddit
It's in the DSM.
SnooHabits8484@reddit
It shouldn’t be, there’s no empirical evidence that it exists as described. It’s iatrogenic. Read Gharaibeh (2009).
It’s always been an incredibly rare diagnosis in the UK because the NHS is less vulnerable to commercial pressure and single experts with a book to sell than the DSM was in the 80s
idontlikemondays321@reddit
If you have a social worker, it might be worth mentioning this to them and see how they can help
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
I don’t because I’m over 18 now
No_Height_2408@reddit
what is the story with the ex son in law...
Own_Average7810@reddit (OP)
To cut it short, ex son in law of said great aunt was still in touch with her after he divorced my dads cousin and the stalker has emailed videos of their daughter around to them.
ambergriswoldo@reddit
The police will take into consideration that family members may have also handled the cards - so while they may find your fingerprints, this won’t automatically mean they’ll blame you.
Low-Can7370@reddit
I’m sorry you’re feeling so anxious - Have you had mental health issues before? I think maybe going to see your GP may be helpful.
neilm1000@reddit
Let the police take your prints and let them eliminate you. You don't meed to do anything else.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.