Harassment Emails - what can I do to stop someone sending them to me?

[nannynick]

Hi, I am looking for advice with regard to emails being sent to me.

I have been receiving emails from someone for 2 years. The emails are of an unfriendly nature and are intermittent. There can be periods of time, sometimes many months, between each email.

The latest arrived at 19:27 today (24-April-2007) and I have forwarded it to abuse@btinternet (traced the IP and it originated on the BT network) and also copied it to my local police. Previously I have contacted my local police, but they didn't help. So this time, I hope they will start to take more notice... as it has escalated to being emails and occasional packages sent via royal mail. The packages alas can not be traced, as they are samples from companies, thus can be requested by anyone.

Anyone have any advice?

Will the police deal with this under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, or is it just not of much interest to them, until this person comes to my home and kills me?

whats the IP

do you know who's sending them?
if you do I'd see a solicitor and warn them off
if not, block their email address

sound awful

Can you not block that address ?

NannyNick I have experience of this and gave a statement when in Women's refuge. You know me and we have a link share from site to site but my site is down so you can't mail me.

If you want to chat more leave me your email o something and I'll let you know what happened when I reported similar.

I would like to think that you being male wouldn't get in the way of decent support but I suspect it might a bit...?

Oh god yes a lot of that comes to court
text messgaes are the work ofhe devil ime.

what do they say?
ARe they threadts to kill?

have you no idea who it is?

are they photographs of a personal nature?

gorslly offensove

intefereing wihtyour business

COD is that you undercover?

Hardly undercover

ok am aorund for a few more mins if you want any help
Then am orf.

[email protected] - though I expect Mumsnet regulars over in Childminding/Nannies forum section already knew that

No images, just text. They are using a Yahoo Mail account and thus their real name is hidden, but the message headers shows the IP where they are logging in. Traceroute within 5 minutes of getting the latest email traced it to a Broadband modem bank in BT Ealing area (if anyone works for BT, it was: bar8-pos8-0.ealing4.broadband.bt.net, 19:27-24-04-2007)

The subject of the email is to do with me being male and working with children.

Aww Nick - How mean

Have you reported it to Yahoo?

UtterPigsty, I think they could be classed as
intefereing with my business I suppose.

I can block the emails from getting to me, but if I block them at the server, then I can't gather them for evidence purposes.

Nannynick, poor you, this sort of thing is horrid. Now, you don't need to answer on here but is your harasser suggesting that you are, um, not a fit person to work with children? Because that is defamatory/slanderous and thereby against the law, and the emailer could be prosecuted. The police would also be interested if the emailer is threatening to hurt you, kill you or damage your property.

Do you have any idea who your tormentor is? Because it's possible that a nasty letter from a solicitor will make the person leave you alone.

No, not to Yahoo on this occasion. Think I may have in the past. The user changed email address sometime between Feb 2005 and Feb 2006, they just registered another email address at Yahoo mail.

Thus I feel it's better tackling the ISP, as it is a user on their network.

There's something in this week's Grazia about Zac Goldsmith being stalked although in that case she applied for a job for some organisatin he was involved with. Actually it's her story (am v sad to realise she has prob gained financially from this)

Some info here

I would say that they are suggesting that I am not a fit person to work with children... here are some typical comments from their emails:

"MALE NANNIES ARE A BIT FUNNY"

"I met a former client of yours the other day. She is the mother of two children and she didn't like you very much. Apparently you were very strict with the children and made them cry. But as I said to her, male nannies are a bit funny."

" As promised, I've started sending you little presents through the post. You should be receiving a consignment of ferret food within the next 10 days."

"Hope you liked the ferret food. What will be coming through the post next? Well, you'll just have to wait and see."

" Haven't had any of your little leaflet offerings through the door recently which is a good thing. I was considering establishing an anti-male nanny club to send leaflets around the Surrey area as well. When I do so, you'll be the first to hear (from the newspapers) heh heh heh!!"

(This one was in this evenings e-mail. But as the trace tonight indicates, and previous traces indicate, the person is logging onto the internet somewhere near Ealing, London.)

No threats to kill or damage property yet.

Do you have any idea who your tormentor is?

No. Alas it could be anyone.

Because it's possible that a nasty letter from a solicitor will make the person leave you alone.

That's what I want to happen, but until I can get their contact details, can't send them anything. Will BT release a users details to the Police, or do the police need to get a warrant to get such information?

Keep the emails.

Never reply.

Continue to escalate it with the sending email service.

Have another try with the police, there is growing awareness of harassment by electronic message these days.

Try not to let it worry or offend you. Only a low-life cowardly toe-rag would send a nasty anonymous email. Its no shame to be enemy to someone like that.

agree keep all emails
don't respond just keep as evidence
keep anything that you get in the post including packaging
If it were me I'd then go and see a solicitor
FFS there's some real loons about isn't there - just remember Nick whoever it is is just a sad pathetic loser with too much time on their hands

How horrible .

The amateur sleuth in me deduces that it sounds like it's from a female nanny - full of hatred fuelled by jealousy.

If you regularly put your email address out on here as you suggest, then could it perhaps be someone from on here whom you have somehow upset? Or who is upset about a male nanny posting on here? Of who is jealous of you on here? (I would hope not, but you never know).

Thanks for that.

I replied to the first one, but never to any after that. I kept a copy of my reply for the evidence records.

My local police have changed my area officer, so with luck the new person may take more notice.

I do worry about it, but try not to.

I doubt it is a user on Mumsnet, as it started in Feb 2005, and I didn't join here until June 2005. I posted a lot on a nanny forum back then (not so much these days) so could easily be a female nanny who took a dislike to me. I just can't figure out who.