Online Harassment Investigations
With Online Harassment become more prominent, UKPI are here to help when you need and Online Harassment Investigation
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What is Online Harassment?
Put simply, online harassment is harm caused to an individual through the use of digital platforms and communication tools; this can be perpetrated by one person, or a group of people. Threats, humiliation, bullying, embarrassment, or abuse that happens digitally is all classed as online harassment.
This blog provides information on what online harassment is, how to report it, and the steps that private investigators take when investigating online harassment cases. So whether you’re the victim of online harassment or just want to know more about the subject, read on!
Our cyber investigation services
Far from limiting our services to harassment that happens in person, our skills extend to investigations of online conduct too. As experienced cyber investigators that benefit from having seen the online landscape evolve over the years, we can support you by gathering the evidence you need to understand who is harassing you, so you can report them with confidence.
What to do if you’re being harassed online
Our advice if you’re being harassed online is to make a note of what’s happened (even if it seems insignificant), and to call the police – to log early instances if nothing else. The work we do here at UKPI can support your official report, but it’s essential to notify the authorities, particularly when you want to pursue the perpetrators legally.
What to do if you’re in danger
As with any threat to your personal safety, if online harassment causes you to feel in immediate danger, the advice is to of course call 999 in the usual way. Gathering evidence can be done later; what matters is your safety.
Common forms of online harassment
Cyber Stalking
Cyberstalking is defined as the use of digital technology to harass, threaten, intimidate, or track someone. This includes regular messages when someone has made it clear they’re not interested – even if it’s under the guise of ‘being friendly’ or ‘checking in’.
Trolling
You’ll no doubt have come across the concept of trolling as the internet has evolved, particularly through the rise of social media. Trolling involves uploading humiliating posts and/or unwanted comments about someone in an online community, often purely for a reaction, but sometimes as part of a wider campaign of abuse.
Online Impersonation
Impersonating someone online is classed as harassment. This includes using someone else’s name and/or photos to send emails, publish material, set up social networking accounts, or communicate with others.
The benefits of online harassment investigations
Provides useable evidence
By identifying anonymous harassers and collecting and documenting harassment incidents, a legally sound record of the abuse that you’ve been subjected to can be gathered by our specialist online harassment investigators. This kind of evidence can support protective measures like restraining orders, as well as criminal justice.
Improves security
Our digital harassment investigators are experts in this field, and can assess how the harasser is accessing information about you, and offer security recommendations to protect against further attacks.
Reduces the impact on your mental health
Knowing that a professional cyber investigator is handling your case, and taking proactive steps to both stop the harasser’s actions and bring them to justice, can ease the mental and emotional toll.
Be patient during an investigation – it may take several hours or even days for officers to review your report. Finally, online harassment investigations can be difficult and time-consuming, but they’re important in protecting victims. Thanks for reading, and hope this article has helped.
Why hire UKPI?
Online harassment can have a lasting impact on victims, and can make you feel isolated, distracted, and unsure of who to trust. At times like this, you need a team on your side that you can rely upon to get to the bottom of what’s happening; that’s the service that UKPI are proud to provide.
Over 25 years in the business has furnished us with the knowledge and skills required to carry out thorough digital harassment investigations, working closely with our clients as an invaluable support.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, we can. We do this through techniques such as IP tracing, which, amongst other methods, can legally uncover information about anonymous harassers.
Yes, the reports and evidence that we provide will meet legal standards, and can be used in civil or criminal court proceedings if required.
No, we make sure that our investigations are discreet; we gather evidence without alerting the harasser, both to avoid escalation, and interference with our investigation.
Our timeline always depends on the complexity of the case. However, many investigations are completed within a few days to a few weeks. Rest assured that you’ll receive an estimate based on your specific situation, which we’ll discuss at your initial consultation.
To get the ball rolling, we’ll need any relevant messages, screenshots, social media profiles, emails, and ideally a timeline of events. The more information you give us, the better we can assess and investigate the case.
Yes, we can investigate harassment linked to your workplace, which includes gathering evidence, and work with your employer’s policies to help create a safer work environment.
Yes, it is. We handle every case with strict confidentiality to protect your privacy and ensure any sensitive information is kept secure.
Like timeframes, the cost of your investigation will depend on the complexity of your case. After an initial consultation, we provide a tailored quote, so you’ll know exactly what you’re paying.
Contact UKPI today to begin your online harassment investigation
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