There is a poster that seems to be here just to harvest replies. What should I do?

[Another2Cats]

Very much as the title.

There is a poster here who made her (their?) first post on 25th April.

Since then, she (they) has made 57 posts, of which 55 are starting threads that appear to be just there for soliciting engagement. This is done by way of asking a question and providing a three or four word opening post. Or sometimes only a single word in the opening post.

Should I highlight this to @MNHQ and, if so, should I link to all the 55 threads that they have started since 25th April?

For context, I am often on the Genealogy board and it was only after seeing two threads started by this person there that I took notice and realised that they had also started multiple threads on other boards as well.

This included Chat, Other Subjects, Tech Tips, AIBU, Property/DIY, Music, Sports, UK Travel, Education, Baby Names, Living Overseas, Style and Beauty, True crime and unsolved mysteries, Bullying, Parenting, Pets, Food/Recipes, Wildlife nature & conservation, and Telly Addicts.

Starting 55 new threads in the space of two and a half weeks which appear to be very much about soliciting engagement doesn't seem to really be in line with what MN is really all about.

Just to add to that, the username of this person is a direct reference to a thread that the newspapers back then picked up on. It was a thread from 2013 that people who were here then would likely remember and the poster is likely purporting to be somebody with a history dating back to then (despite their first post being on the 25th April this year).

Without giving the name of this poster, it would be like if she had called herself something like "Isle of Wight bollards" or "stacking goats".

Am I even right to call out this sort of harvesting of replies?

Are MNHQ likely to do anything about this even if I do make a complaint?

THIS is the kind of comment that worries me. (And there are a few similar ones on this thread...) Whilst many posters on Mumsnet are clued up and vigilant, there do seem to be a few who are naive and somewhat clueless regarding all this, and can't see any reason to worry, like 'what's the problem dude?'

SMH. 😐

They'll be on Watchdog or Rip Off Britain soon, with their tales of woe, and how they've had £5000 stolen from their bank account, or someone has taken out a credit card in their name, and run up a £3000 debt, and they just have no idea how it happened!

No, if only it were that easy! 😂The owners of Ltd companies have their details on the Companies House website, which is available for public viewing.

Yep, 'mummytolukeandlily1980' (So the kids names, and the poster's year of birth.)

And yes, I believe - as @Wildflowergalore said, that some people would happily give away the amounts of the last 2 transactions they made with their debit card/from their bank account (after already giving strong clues about their mother's maiden name and their first pet's name on a previous thread!)

All their 50+ threads have gone 'poufff' so I guess they have been shown the door.

By the way, @MistressBitch we were using 'they' because we neither knew nor cared either way and indeed, some of us suspected they might be an 'it'.

Anyone can join Mumsnet.
It is evident or appears to me that some Americans have joined ( time of posts, phrasing, lack of understanding of how things work here), and particularly MAGA peeps. Seeking to influence. And getting very excited about the local elections. Women’s issues and aren’t men hard done by etc.
As to information, certainly DOGE were keen to obtain details of peoples personal details. And did so.
Also even journalists, political parties in the UK I suspect to gauge views on policy ideas.

Now I know who u mean, when I saw the post on mothers maiden name I did think it was slightly odd and then other posts. Not jumping the gun but if it is someone stalking that’s a really scary length to go to. Have they continued to post?

We can spot a lot of them a mile off. I like to be argumentative and contrary for the sake of it on the political ones in particular.😂

I think they are convinced that “mums” are so stupid that we won’t even notice.

Answer or make yourself an ltd 😂

Add to do naivete sending money....

Yep, which only seems scary because sometimes people still don’t understand the full connections of value to specific information. The amount of info Companies House makes public is the same amount of info that can already be found ABOUT anyone for free BY anyone in the UK, even just using free access to 192.com - it’s less than the level of council tax info and that’s all publicly available on that site. Everything you’ve ever listed in your council tax about name, address, even additional occupants is available for free - so, this is being packaged and sold constantly by data brokers. It’s how you get junk mail in the name of exchange students you haven’t seen in 20 years that lived with you briefly decades ago. “Not on Companies House” doesn’t make you any safer 😂 I just discovered some mail we accidentally receive was for a non-UK citizen listed as an additional occupant on council tax at my address in fucking 2006! It took me 15 seconds and £0 for that info, and once I had it, I could trace their entire address history in the UK.

Your name plus your address plus whether you have a mortgage plus whether you have kids plus whether you’re married plus your common internet username plus things like your favourite colour, your mortgage amount, your mother’s maiden name - these are what adds up to $$$ in that business. That’s why the account this thread is about started 55 different threads - to see if it was viable way to establish profiles to sell. And if you have all this on someone, you can use “dirty” (possibly extra-legal) access requests to get more info to sell. That’s why it’s good to know what the legal threshold is to access your data and truly important data should only be accessed through live verification that your passport is in your possession and it’s you in possession of it (American Express use ID Kit this verification, for example - “live” photo of your passport followed by a live selfie) - unless you have to walk into a location in person or follow steps this in-depth, someone can steal that data. When I last had to stay up to date on this stuff, years ago, name + address itself was worth less than 0.00000001 (it might be up due to current political climate, maybe 0.0000001?) pence without this additional information.

Somebody can just call Cambridge Analytica or some sketchy dude on TOR for current pricing info 😂.

Sorry, I do not have internet banking. Never had. I cancelled all my credit cards 6 years ago, only have debit, on which I don't have an overdraft facility. I don't send naked pics to anyone. Yes, friends owe me a lot of money and I don't think they have any intention of repaying me, I have made purchases which were in hindsight a rip-off, but I am not naive.

Identity theft. They don't need access to your account via internet banking. If a crook has enough details about you they can open accounts and get loans in your name. You only find out about it when the lender starts chasing you for unpaid repayments and your credit score drops like a stone.

MN have left this thread up so they seem happy for people to discuss a dodgy OP.

Then I am screwed. My name is on my professional association website, together with the address, and email. And my photo.

Personal address or company address? And available to view by the great unwashed?

I don't think I would be happy about my personal address being on a website like that, it's one thing for them to have your address on their server but quite another to have it visible to everyone. Can you complain and get it taken off?

Sole trader, so personal address. Oh, well. But thank you for pointing it out.

The recent What’s the furthest from your real age you’ve ever been mistaken for (or* *however it was phrased) thread was taken down. I noticed this and wondered why. Now that I think about it, a lot of people answered this by giving their actual age. I’m going to be a lot more careful about how which posts I respond to in future.

Whilst many posters on Mumsnet are clued up and vigilant, there do seem to be a few who are naive and somewhat clueless
and are laughing at this from one of their other usernames

Millions of people all over the world have that. Identity theft requires a bit more than just those details. Presumably you have a business email and a personal one?

I'd rather not even think about it now!!!!

It’s not that hard to link one username to another sometimes. Changing frequently is one way to stay anonymous and not give too much away but it’s not foolproof. Especially if mn was to get hacked. Again.

Another thread came up in Relationships just now, asking about childhood crushes. I reported & it vanished almost instantly.

@EmpressaurusKitty Good spot. 😃

Posters should also be wary of the "how can I trace this person?" threads. You see replies saying "DM me - I have access to/subscriptions for xyz and can check for you". Whilst this can, of course, be helpful to a genuine poster, you need to stop and think about the fact that MN is anonymous and you have absolutely no idea who is actually asking.

There could be a very good reason that the person being sought is flying under the radar.