Finding a stalker

[msindt19]

Hey MacRumors...I have a question/problem.

Backstory: My girlfriend has a stalker who has been calling and leaving strange messages on her phone (from a g-mail phone account). She has called AT&T to block that number. His next step was to e-mail her from an anonymous e-mailing site (don't know the name offhand). She was really concerned so we went to the cops, and of course they were unable to do anything because there was nothing threatening about his voicemails and no sign of her life being in danger.

That was a couple of weeks ago, today she logged into facebook and I guess there is a way to track where you have been logging in from, and it is showing that she logged into her account from Lake Mary, FL...odd thing is we live in NYC. I haven't looked into any of this since I'm at work but she said she was able to obtain the IP address and figure out he is doing it from an iPhone. My question is, is it possible to contact Apple and have them trace the iPhone to the IP address? I'm hoping he is doing it from his home network so that the IP would remain the same....Or am i completely off base and the iPhone is given a new IP every time it logs into the same/different networks?

Any help would be much appreciated. I've already told her to call Apple, not knowing whether they could help...but if anybody on here has any ideas, please help.

Thanks

 

[Tomorrow]

Don't bother with the trace; have her just change her FB password.

 

[msindt19]

I forgot to mention, she has completely changed all of her passwords (e-mail, facebook, etc.) to something that I feel would be pretty difficult to figure out with symbols numbers and letters in no certain order.

 

[Tomorrow]

I forgot to mention, she has completely changed all of her passwords (e-mail, facebook, etc.) to something that I feel would be pretty difficult to figure out with symbols numbers and letters in no certain order.

Was this before or after someone accessed her FB account from Florida? If it was before, then someone in Florida appears to have her password.

 

[Iscariot]

You'll never catch me.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I don't think your issue will be resolved with Apple. I think this matter needs to go to the cops. Also, I did not know that a stalker had to be sending threats, I thought the unwanted tracking of her whereabouts would be enough.

She needs to change her passwords for sure but maybe for the meantime she should shut down her FB page.

 

[msindt19]

You'll never catch me.

well dang, I was hoping it was nobody on here...


As for the password, this is the third time she has changed it in a month. She changed it after the person logged in from FL. Regardless of slowing this person down...is there a way to track him via his iPhone's IP?

 

[GoCubsGo]

Not legally. If she is worried then shutting down her social media sites will be a non-issue. As for her e-mail, she should bounce any e-mail she gets that he sends. Don't have her preview any of the e-mail either, just hit bounce in Mac Mail.

 

[firestarter]

As for the password, this is the third time she has changed it in a month.

Where is she accessing her facebook from?

Does she have a PC? If so, have you checked it for remote logging software?

Does she access Facebook from a work machine? If so, who might have logged her password on there?

It's interesting that her password has repeatedly been compromised. Think through how this could have happened - it may be a lead.

 

[msindt19]

Jessica: I totally agree that any kind of "stalking" should be accounted for. The lady at the station said they would put it in the records but it would be a "closed" report (aka nobody is going to do anything about it) Being in NYC, I'm thinking the cops feel this isn't as important as all the other crime going on. As for her FB account, she has closed it down many many times; however being from a large family spread across the states (6 sisters and a brother) FB is the only way they all really keep in contact (pictures of nieces/nephews) outside of a few phone calls here and there. I'm sure she'll give it another shot but then I'm worried that this person may reinstate her account and act as her. She uses gmail for all of her e-mails, I don't think she ever set up Mac Mail.

Firestarter: The only places I know of that she logs into FB is from her phone and her MBP. No comp at work so no worries there...we think it may be someone semi-close to her but everything is coming up short.

Thanks everyone for the replies, I'll talk to her when I get home from work and see if I can get any more info.

 

[iJohnHenry]

You'll never catch me.

Some people actually find that funny? Very nice.

 

[OutThere]

I agree with firestarter that the repeated facebook breaches may be a clue. There is a chance, though, that the Lake Mary, Florida IP address could be a red herring—I have had issues in the past with facebook, and in trying to secure my account I found that when I was logging on with my iPhone over 3G it was registering as a login from Washington, DC (300 miles away). There are a variety of ways you can lock down facebook, under Account Settings go to Security on the left, read the options and start enabling things. I have to jump through some hoops to use facebook on a new device, but it's worth it for me.

There are at least a few keyloggers that will run on Mac, something not out of the question for someone determined. More likely if there's any chance they could have had physical access to the computer.

 

[Shrink]

Not legally. If she is worried then shutting down her social media sites will be a non-issue. As for her e-mail, she should bounce any e-mail she gets that he sends. Don't have her preview any of the e-mail either, just hit bounce in Mac Mail.

Sorry to be a dunce, but could you tell me how to do that. I assume "bounce " means you send it back to the sender. I'd like to do that with some spam I'm getting.

So, how do you bounce in Mac Mail.

Thanks...

 

[eternlgladiator]

Sorry to be a dunce, but could you tell me how to do that. I assume "bounce " means you send it back to the sender. I'd like to do that with some spam I'm getting.

So, how do you bounce in Mac Mail.

Thanks...

I think bounce was removed in Lion. If you have snow leopard it's just a menu selection. Message menu I think.

 

[pvmacguy]

Maybe try contacting the FDLE (Florida department of law enforcement) with your NYPD case number and explain the situation ad provide them the IP address they may be able to assist you. Or lake Mary PD.

 

[Shrink]

I think bounce was removed in Lion. If you have snow leopard it's just a menu selection. Message menu I think.

Thanks for the reply.

Under Message, there's a choice "Send Again", but no "Bounce" (I'm on Lion). Is "Send Again" the same as Bounce?

If it's the same, what exactly did (does) "Bounce" do?

Thanks again...

 

[Carlanga]

check Facebook and other accounts for secondary emails and other options to retrieve passwords. I would reset everything regarding security in all her programs including questions and secondary emails and the options of fwd emails to X accounts automatically. All should be expunged and redone.

 

[Iscariot]

Some people actually find that funny? Very nice.

…Said the glass house to the brick.

 

[iJohnHenry]

…Said the glass house to the brick.

Thank you for the "b".

My last one today was particularly nasty, which is why I did not find humour in a stalking.

 

[eternlgladiator]

Thanks for the reply.

Under Message, there's a choice "Send Again", but no "Bounce" (I'm on Lion). Is "Send Again" the same as Bounce?

If it's the same, what exactly did (does) "Bounce" do?

Thanks again...

I'm not sure about send again. Bounce basically would send it right back to the sender as if they typed in the wrong email address. It doesn't work with spam since those usually don't accept replies. But with a single user the idea is that they'll believe they typed something wrong or the account is inactive and leave it alone.

 

[Skyrim]

You girlfriend got some admirer. If he was using the private ip dynamically assigned by DHCP. You cannot catch him.

 

[acidfast7]

you guys live in NYC and this bothers you?

 

[Shrink]

I'm not sure about send again. Bounce basically would send it right back to the sender as if they typed in the wrong email address. It doesn't work with spam since those usually don't accept replies. But with a single user the idea is that they'll believe they typed something wrong or the account is inactive and leave it alone.

Thanks for your reply.

Too bad Bounce is gone - I might try Send Again and see what happens.


Again - thanks for taking the time to reply...

 

[GoCubsGo]

Thanks for the reply.

Under Message, there's a choice "Send Again", but no "Bounce" (I'm on Lion). Is "Send Again" the same as Bounce?

If it's the same, what exactly did (does) "Bounce" do?

Thanks again...

Oh my apologies. I've used it in SL but not Lion.
Why would they remove that crud?

 

[eternlgladiator]

Thanks for your reply.

Too bad Bounce is gone - I might try Send Again and see what happens.


Again - thanks for taking the time to reply...

you're welcome

Oh my apologies. I've used it in SL but not Lion.
Why would they remove that crud?

I'm not sure why they removed it but I googled before I answered Shrink and found that people were complaining on apple support forums about its removal. It's possible a future software update will bring it back but I have no idea.