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Threatened online... help!

someguy

someguy

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 4, 2005
2,351
21
Still here.
So to make a long story short, I (somehow) managed to make this guy mad on AIM today to the point where he made a few threats along the lines of me having to face him in person soon, etc.

I didn't do anything that I know of to piss him off, he seems like a loose cannon (which is what worries me).

I am just wondering if there is really anything to worry about.

He has the following information about me; my screen name on AIM, my email address, and he knows what city I live in, and he says he has my IP address also.

My name (first nor last) are associated in any way I'm know of with my email address. In fact I made the email address a few weeks ago to use to divert junk mail away from my primary email address.


So yeah, I really don't want to go to the police and stuff. Can this guy find me?
 
E

ErikCLDR

macrumors 68000
Jan 14, 2007
1,795
0
Well in that he lives somewhat close I would be concerned. I doubt he is actually serious, but you never know.

I would be curious in hearing the rest of the story. How old are you? How old is the person that's threatening you? More specifically what threats did he make.

Again I highly doubt this guy is serious, but better safe than the sorry. Threaten him you'll call the police. Or just call the police and teach him a lesson.

"Cyber-Bullying" is a huge offense where I live. In middle school this kid got suspended for a week... and the event didn't even happen in school.
 
someguy

someguy

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 4, 2005
2,351
21
Still here.
I'm talking with him now and luckily he seems to be just messing with me. I still think he's a little weird but I am not so worried anymore.

But just for conversations sake, what's the most likely way he could find me based on the info he has about me?
 
xsedrinam

xsedrinam

macrumors 601
Oct 21, 2004
4,345
1
Did you save the AIM conversaton? It would be good to have that on file just in case.
 
mcarnes

mcarnes

macrumors 68000
Mar 14, 2004
1,928
0
USA! USA!
I piss off people quite a lot on the internet (gee, I wonder why). Usually people can't tell that I am almost always joking. Anyway, an IP address is pretty hard to trace to an exact physcial address without the help of an entity like the police. If he does not have your real name or address, I would not worry about it at all. He is full of hot air.
 
Rodimus Prime

Rodimus Prime

macrumors G4
Oct 9, 2006
10,136
4
well first off unless you click a link in his buddy profile, or did some type of direct connection with him he does not have your IP address.

Also having you ip address is fairly useless beyond getting what city you on in. Heck the one from my home town says I am am in Houston when I look it up. My home town is just outside of Houston.
On top of that chances are your ip address is dynamic which means it changes about once a week or so. Very few people have a static IP address and I do not think you have one.

Also oh wow he knows you screen name and email. Unless one of them is a lot like your real name it is not going to get him any where. He can go to your city and look for you but you are what 1 person out of 20k. So yeah odds are he would never find you.

He is all talk and no action. People are all big and tough behind a computer but in real life most of them are wusses. Heck people who do that to me I be come a little arrogant to them just blow them off.

People worry way to much about their IP address. For the most part it is a useless string of numbers point to your computer in cyber space. As for location in real life not really useful to find some one with out going though the internet company and they will not give out that info with out a court order.

Just relax and hell become a little arrogant to him. It a great way to pull the thunder out from them when they know you really do not give a hoot about the threat.
 
K

katie ta achoo

Blogger emeritus
May 2, 2005
9,166
5
Then again, you have to remember how many people are macho, macho men on the internet. He's probably a 30-year old guy living in his mom's basement. ;)

Heck, if I took every threat, flame, and insult on the internet seriously, I'd still be on the phone with the cops.
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
katie ta achoo said:
Then again, you have to remember how many people are macho, macho men on the internet. He's probably a 30-year old guy living in his mom's basement. ;)

Heck, if I took every threat, flame, and insult on the internet seriously, I'd still be on the phone with the cops.
Click to expand...

Damn, I thought I actually scared you. :/
 
Y

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,027
3,002
St. Louis, MO
Perhaps the most useful information he has is your IP address, and even then, that's completely useless. Only thing that would be good for is getting your name and address from your ISP, and they won't give that up without a subpoena.
 
someguy

someguy

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 4, 2005
2,351
21
Still here.
So talking with him last night, he was very cool and admitted he was just trying to scare me a little, then we talked for a short while and I said I had to go. Then he got all offended like I didn't want to talk to him and got very angry again and started saying things like he was before even though he had no reason to be upset.

He also claimed to have worked for a whole list of different companies like AOL, Seimens, and I think a few ISPs. I didn't see mine anywhere in the list, be even then, I think he's just some loser trying to amuse himself by freaking other people out online.

I must say, though, it works! :(
 
Jasonbot

Jasonbot

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2006
2,467
0
The Rainbow Nation RSA
ErikCLDR said:
"Cyber-Bullying" is a huge offense where I live. In middle school this kid got suspended for a week... and the event didn't even happen in school.
Click to expand...

You just had a kid suspended, a kid at my school was expelled for this :p
 
someguy

someguy

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 4, 2005
2,351
21
Still here.
IEatApples said:
Yes, please answer this question!?! :confused:
Click to expand...

I talked with him twice yesterday. The first time when he made the threat, then once more that night to try and clear things up (which worked at first and then went sour when he flipped out and made more threats).

Now I've blocked him and deleted the account of the email address of mine that he had.


Also, I don't know if it helps, but I've since rebooted my modem and made sure my IP was changed.
 
someguy

someguy

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 4, 2005
2,351
21
Still here.
mcarnes said:
You sure you didn't do anything to set him off? Sounds like something happened...
Click to expand...

Not that it is important, but I really did not. The first time he got pissed because I blocked him (he IMed me from another name and went off). The second time we were just chatting and I had to leave, and he got all offended that I didn't want to talk to him anymore, like we were good buddies or something and I had done him wrong somehow and he got really angry.

:confused::confused:
 
Y

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,027
3,002
St. Louis, MO
Your IP address is completely worthless to him.

I'll still never understand why people act like it's the end of the world if someone gets their IP. Your IP is attached to every single packet of data you send or receive on the internet, and the chance of someone getting it is very good. But they can't do much with it, especially if you have a firewall or a router
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
If it makes you feel any better, I'm told that very, very few people follow through on these sorts of threats. This person doesn't even know your name, let alone where you live, and has no real way of discovering either piece of information if you'd don't give it to him.

In the old days, sad cases like this made random threatening phone calls in the middle of the night. They're at least a little disturbing (as they are supposed to be), but in the vast majority of cases, completely harmless.
 
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