Stalker ?

[Alysandra Ysabel]

I have a problem with someone following me.

I have changed my account and somehow this person knows it. I have no contact with anyone or any place from the other account. This person seems to be somehow tracking me even when I sign in to a friends account from my computer. How is this possible and is it illegal? Can I stop them? I filed an abuse report and I am waiting to hear back from them. I am really concerned about the security of my account and really my entire computer use. Please give me any info you have to resolve this problem. Thanks all !

[Athena Chun]

Hello, unless someone from LL is playing with you(and I doubt that) I don't think, if you have no contact with the other account, that it is possible to know that you changed your account, this said if you are of course using the normal SL viewer, if you're using another one, it could be where the problem is coming from.

Also , I don't want to alarm but are you sure it comes from SL?

You use a friend's account , meaning some people IRL knows you're using SL account.Maybe someone's  trying to play with you among the people you know...

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Hi Athena,

Thanks for answering my question. I Understand and agree with the points you made. The thing is, I have zero contact with anyone from the old account and I don't go to any of the same places. The friends account that I signed in to is a new friend who knows nothing of my old account. Also, I signed in to it from my own computer at my home. When I signed in with her name, it took about 15 minutes before the person following me appeared at the place I was at. I did send an IM to them asking them what they wanted from me. The talked nonsense and asked "who is the best chatbot?". I am really concerned. I don't believe it is anyone in my real life because I have told everyone I no longer use SL. I am careful, yet the problem persists.

[Jenni Darkwatch]

If you changed your account as well, there's only two possible ways someone could track you.

Number one, you have an attachment or item that tracks your whereabouts.

Number two, your PC is compromised and that person has access to it.

AR first. If it persists take it to an RL attorney.

[Maiyu Abeyante]

Have you ever considered it was just a coincidence? Within fifteen minutes they happened to appear at the same place you were at, and then 'you' initiated communication with them? Perhaps they know who you are now because you decided to initiate communication with them. It hardly sounds like you have a stalker, it sounds more like this person just happened to appear where you were and then you IMed them from that last post of yours.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Hi Jenni,

Yes, that was my concern. maybe something within my computer...because I really have been safe and careful after taking the loss of so much by deleting my other account. I will have to research how to find and delete the real trouble but I think it must start with this person who is always around. Is there a way to identify them ?

Thanks for the help !

[Alysandra Ysabel]

No Maiyu...it isn't that simple. This person has Followed me from sim to sim in 3 separate accounts.

[Unklebob Hotaling]

Hope this buys you a little comfort...

There is no way to 'track' somebody on SL without your approval; eg you'd have to wear a slave collar, something along those lines.  Being tracked can't happen without you being okay with it.  Yes you see gadgets that elaborate that say they can track or eavesdrop on IMs = doesn't happen.  The only way to 'track' someone is by radar, be it a personal radar hud or a sim-scanning device... and thats pretty general, not specific to you or your av/alt.

How they know you changed your account is anyone's guess... anything from a 'friend' you confided in could've told them to your av and then alt living at the same sl house... if you know what to look for (people can change their av to an alt but if they continue their same routines, groups and mannerisms its not too hard to spot the similarities and put 2+2 together) identifying an av with an alt isn't overly difficult.

I wouldn't be, but if your worried about the security of your sl account, just take precautions.  Change your password routinely, make it a good one; don't accept object from people you don't know, don't wear 'gifts' from strangers, etc.  Don't put personal info on your profile or link it to anything outside of SL.  Use the same principles you have to maintain your computers security.

As for the fear factor... fact is they can do precious little to you on SL.  You don't bleed, worse they can do is be annoying.  You got someone following you around, people are idiots sometimes.  For all you know he likes your look, is obsessed, or just some lonely guy who sucks at interacting, could be a friend yanking your chain.  Bottomline if someone wants to go though all that effort, for no reason at all.. its kind sad really, hardly scary at all.  Just don't let emotion or false fears ruin things for you.  There are anti-stalker groups on SL, when your inworld do a search in groups for one... they likely can provide comfort and good advice.

You're not alone, and you're fine... don't buy into the fear factor.

EDIT:  "...start with this person who is always around. Is there a way to identify them ?"

Nope.  Try it, try finding out who they are.  Then realize, you'll have as much luck finding out who they are, as you will have finding out who you are... that's the beauty of your question 

[Anita Koenkamp]

I guess by sending an IM the person you exposed yourself and your new friends account to him, that way he know that friend and account also.

Maybe your griever landed at that simm because he likes it???  Some simms are visited by many people.

I would suggest to make a complete new account and leave completely all things from your SL past behind you if this griever is really annoying you.

Other option and that is a very simple one, just mute him, completely ignore him, live and enjoy your Second Life.

Grievers and stalkers are everywere and if you ignore him, his fun is soon over as he gets no more respons.

Use the orginal SL viewer, that way you can be assured you have the safest viewer and the least problems ( i hope...lol).

Don't let your SL be spoiled, it is too much fun.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Thank you Unklebob !

I agree with you and it does give me a bit of comfort to know some threats are not really possible. The only thing I can agree might have happened here is maybe any one of the personal avatar items I transfered to this new account had something hidden in it. I will check each item or maybe better to just delete them all. This guy is annoying and a bit creepy but as long as he poses no real threat, I will just try my best to ignore. Thanks.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Thank you Anita !!

[Chancellor Bayn]

Item one is highly, highly unlikely as apparently she was tracked to two different accounts other than her main account. If she had some sort of same attachment that was stalking her it would be kinda obvious because the two other accounts would have to have the EXACT same attachment as well, which is again unlikely since one was a friend's account and the other was a brand new account.

My advice is to scan your computer with your virus and spyware software. If you don't have anything get AVG (Antivirus software) and Ad-Aware (antispyware software) and scan those. Also try deleting completely SL and anything SL related stored on your computer and reinstalling an SL viewer (I'd suggest Emerald, it has some good security features on it to stop people like that).

If that doesn't stop him then just continue to AR him for stalking you, mute him, and if you have any sort of privilidges on sims where you can boot/ban people, boot/ban him and just hunker down there until he finds another person to stalk.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Chancellor...Thank You So Much. i think you understand me exactly. Good point about the attachements too..because when I signed in to my Friends Account..Her avatar was not wearing any of my attachements. I will run the scans as you suggested and delete all Sl from my system and then reinstall. Thank Thank Thank You!!!

[Chancellor Bayn]

No problem. I had a person like that stalking me once. Turns out he'd managed to find my IP and get a trojan onto my system that logged all SL traffic.

I know enough about computers that instead of bothering with SL's end of things (Slow and unreliable) I just sent a little gift back to him in the form of a virus.

People who are sorry enough to stalk people on SL are truly the saddest people of all, since it's quite positive they have NO life beyond SL and even no life on SL.

I also suggest that if you don't know anyone who is an estate manager or a sim owner, might wanna try and find someone like that to befriend, so you CAN get the stalker banned from that sim, and have a little hide-away to stay away from him at.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Thank you all for your help. I will follow with some of the great advice I was given. Chancellor, thanks a lot for your help especially. I am going to do as you suggested right away.

Unklebob, Thanks too for the help and calm logic. We all need someone to grab our feet and keep us grounded now and then.

[Jenni Darkwatch]

As it's generally good practice... make sure you have an antivirus program on your computer. There's plenty of free ones (for personal use) available. On top of that, an anti-spyware program might help if you want to go that route.

Items in-world that track you require YOU to have the "beacon". As someone mentioned, many slave collars do that, but there's other items that can do so too.

Last, you cannot identify the stalker as such. You see the avatar, but not who's behind it. Only LL can (maybe) link that to a person, or to alts. That limits your options to AR, ignore/mute the offending avi, or go the legal route.

[Chancellor Bayn]

Jenni.Darkwatch wrote:

Last, you cannot identify the stalker as such. You see the avatar, but not who's behind it. Only LL can (maybe) link that to a person, or to alts. That limits your options to AR, ignore/mute the offending avi, or go the legal route.

 

I disagree with the last part. If you have enough computer experience and a viable virus copy lying around (My cousin works for Norton as a definitions tester) you can get sort of "vigilante justice" by tracking their IP and sending the virus to their computer IF you can identify when they're downloading something.

Also, please no one ask me how to do anything because for one it could damage your own computer if done wrong and it takes a lot more than just simple "how-to" instructions.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Thanks Jenni,

I fear the worst because I did have a friendship go foul with someone who brags about hacking abilities and who also makes scripted weapons in SL that are not legal. I am sure there are ways around every rule. I will try to get rid of this problem. Seems he has done something to my computer and that might explain some other issues. Thanks for the information. I truly appreciate it.

[Unklebob Hotaling]

Don't necessarily ignore, just play your card right.

Don't react, thats what they're looking for... the more you react the more fun their game is.  Realizing they can't really do any 'physical' harm will help in that.

A few of my partners had stalkers, feeble people that they are... one used to sit on a piece of land that was for sale across from the house.  That in itself isn't anything we can complain to LL about, but if we can't get them banned from SL dropping a dime to our landlord got them banned from the sim.  Tell your landlord, if this goofball is at a club you're at tell the host or a manager... I'm a club manager and chivalry isn't dead.

Annoying and creepy isn't a 'threat' but it's nothing you should have to deal with; just play your cards right, think - just don't react.  Outsmart them, it doesn't take much to be an idiot so consider yourself as already having the advantage, right?

Best of luck, kick his sorry ass lol.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Well..I have learned a lot today and confirmed some of what I thought I knew !

I am going to get busy trying to get rid of this bugger now. I am greatly thankful for the help.

By the way, I hope the guy got exactly what he deserved in your 'little gift' to him

[Unklebob Hotaling]

How on earth does that make the victim any better than the offender.   Someones an idiot so i'm gonna be an idiot too?  I distain that form of logic  I've definately been tested, but the ends to me don't justify the means... each to their own though.

Question, what if you sent them your virus, and they had Norton Internet Security.

[Alysandra Ysabel]

Hehe, Thanks again Unklebob !

I like your style !

I will ask the sim owner to ban him for me. I wish I had not sent him the IM because that did show him he finally got to me. I don't want to encourage this jerks game. He also sits at nearby places and just watches me. I tp away and he follows. I wish I could run him over. wow...that was kinda angry huh?

I feel much better after all the help and advice. You are all great !

[Chancellor Bayn]

I don't look at it as I'm being an idiot. I look at it as I'm doing more than LL does by actually disabling the offending person's computer, therefore keeping him completely off Sl (including disabling his ability to make alts for the time being) and possibly letting him know that he finally messed with the wrong person and got burned for it.

Also, I said my cousin worked for Norton testing their definitions... I didn't say that he was using a virus covered by Norton's definitions. There are some viruses out there that no antiviral software can stop. Through various means I have access to at least one.

[Unklebob Hotaling]

"I don't want to encourage this jerks game. He also sits at nearby places and just watches me. I tp away and he follows. I wish I could run him over. wow...that was kinda angry huh"

There is a setting in 'advanced' tab that lets you see if other people are camming on you... i'll look for it and pass it on.  I don't know the exact path but it is in 'advanced' and it's "look at" you want to click on.  It will display if you are being cammed .

There's a gadget available inworld called Mystitool, think its about 450L... it can identify bumps and collisions (lets say someone shot you or bumped you with an object) and who did it, your chat would read "Collision with object (bullet) owned by Unklebob Hotaling"  It also has offensive capabilities like trapping an av that I don't recommend using without the other persons consent as thats against the ToS, but it's still empowering at least knowing you could really mess with someone if you wanted to.  I'll send you the nc when i'm inworld or you can do a search for it.

Nothing wrong with sending an IM so don't knock yourself for it.  Myself, i find it great humour interacting with them, sending an 'holy cow i must really be inside your head..." or "having fun over there by yourself in a corner, shall i get a pizza delivered..." or "poor you, no sl of your own?"    ...but thats just me, I'm a living bad example.   "Never suffer an idiot lightly", but nobody said you can't poke fun and laugh at em.

[Shabnan Abdallah]

I don't think you have an attachment on you but a " keylogger " on your PC which is used a lot in mmorgs like WoW to hack into peoples account and if you have ever exchanged emails with him, then this could be why. There are also tracking devices sold on xstreet where you can add anyones name to you this wearable gadget and he will know each time when you log in. Good luck to you.

[Unklebob Hotaling]

"I don't look at it as I'm being an idiot."

My apologies if that generalization was taken specifically, that certainly wasn't the attempt, you're noble for helping definately, and trust the fact I've been tempted myself - so I can't knock anyone for doing what i've even considered.

I just happen to view anyone who can or would send a virus (irregardless of circumstance) in a negative light... I don`t have a grey area as far as that goes. Who's to say I don't tick someone off online and they end up doing that to me, or buddy doesn't have two computers and decides to REALLY mess with me.  Fact is there's always gonna be someone out there who's smarter... you know this routine, who's to say the hacker on the other end doesn't know it also... why play to their advantage.  Its a good tactical suggestion but there's no guarantee it'll strategically win you the war.

I got tools that would kick an avs ass on sl, but i'm not silly enough to use them... imagine the irony of putting myself in the position my advesary can take action against me.  Wouldn't i feel foolish being banned and wouldn't hackerman get a HUGE laugh out of that.  Same thing with this virus senario... i no longer am the victim, I've put myself in the position where buddy can drop a dime on me.  In my very humble opinion it just isn't a wise move, you suggest in doing so you've prevented them from being online and on sl - true... if they only have 1 computer, and if the scheme works.

As I suggested though, each to their own.