Gang Stalking Reports: What Can Be Reported and Where to Get Support
Important: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not legal, medical, or professional advice. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 (United States) or your local emergency number.
Quick answer
"Gang stalking" is an online term for feeling followed or harassed by groups. Real coordinated harassment by several people can be reported when there is specific, documentable conduct. There is no verified evidence of secret organized surveillance networks or voice-transmitting devices, so a doctor can help if the experience is overwhelming. Call or text 988 if you are in distress.
What People Mean by "Gang Stalking"
The term is used in online communities to describe the belief that groups of people are coordinating to follow, watch, and harass a particular person, often over a long period. Some descriptions include being surveilled by strangers in public, being harassed by neighbors, or hearing voices or sounds that people attribute to technology, sometimes called "V2K" (voice-to-skull). Many people who use these terms call themselves "targeted individuals."
The experiences people describe are real to them, and the distress is real. The question is what is actually happening, and what kind of help will work.
Coordinated Harassment That Can Be Reported
Real situations exist in which more than one person harasses or stalks someone.
- A stalker recruits friends, family, or new partners to watch or contact the victim. See stalking by proxy.
- A group of people repeatedly harasses one person online, sometimes called brigading or mobbing.
- Neighbors, coworkers, or classmates engage in repeated, targeted harassment.
- Someone publishes the person's address or personal information. See what is doxxing.
These situations can be reported when you have specific, concrete conduct to point to. Stalking is a crime in all 50 states and under federal law, and federal law covers a course of conduct using electronic communication services.
Verify your evidence with the Evidence Auditor →A four-point checklist that confirms your screenshots are 'court ready'.What Is Not Supported by Evidence
To date, researchers and clinicians have not found evidence that organized groups of strangers are covertly surveilling and harassing large numbers of private people, or that technology exists to transmit voices into a person's head. We are also not aware of any U.S. federal law called the "Electronic Torture Act."
Mental health professionals recognize that persistent feelings of being watched, followed, or persecuted, or hearing voices, can be symptoms of conditions that respond to treatment. Having these experiences does not mean someone is weak, "crazy," or lying. It means a medical or mental health professional may be able to help.
How to Check What Is Happening
A careful record can help you and the people you trust understand the situation.
- Write down specific events: the date, time, place, what happened, and who was involved.
- Note anything another person could verify, such as photographs, video, receipts, or witnesses.
- Keep a separate list of things you experienced but could not verify.
- Share the record with someone you trust, such as a doctor, counselor, or family member, and ask for their view.
How to Report Crimes That Do Happen
Report concrete crimes, even if you believe they are part of something larger.
- Threats, trespassing, property damage, or assault: Call 911 if it is happening, or report to local police.
- Repeated harassment by identifiable people: Report to police with your documentation. See how to report stalking.
- Online harassment: Report to the platform and keep evidence. See how to report online stalking.
- Concerns about government surveillance: An attorney can explain legal options and the proper agency channels.
Where to Find Support
- 988: Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you are distressed or thinking about suicide.
- Mental health care: Use FindTreatment.gov to locate providers in your area.
- Your primary care doctor can be a good first step and can rule out medical causes.
- Be cautious with expensive "shielding" products or services that claim to block signals or protect you from targeting. There is no proven benefit, and they can be costly.
Read more about coping after being stalked.
If You Feel Watched and Frightened Right Now
If you feel in immediate danger, call 911. If you are overwhelmed, can't sleep, or are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 at any hour. Fear and exhaustion are real and deserve care, whatever their cause. You don't have to decide today what is happening to you. You only have to take the next small step toward safety and support.
Talking to a Doctor Without Being Dismissed
Many people hesitate to see a doctor or counselor because they worry they will be told it is "all in your head." Seeing a clinician for stress, fear, and sleep problems is not an admission that nothing is happening. A good clinician can help with the distress while you keep documenting real incidents and reporting crimes. You can say, "I'm frightened and not sleeping. I also have records of specific events, and I'd like help with both." Use FindTreatment.gov to find providers.
Keeping a Fact-Only Log
A log is most useful, and most credible, when it separates what you observed from what you concluded. For each event, write the date, time, place, exactly what you saw or heard, and who else was present. Note anything that could be independently confirmed: a camera recording, a witness, a message, or a record. Keep interpretations in a separate column or notebook. This approach helps you notice patterns you can verify and gives police something concrete to work with. See how to keep a stalking log.
What Real Coordinated Harassment Can Look Like
Some people really are targeted by more than one person. Examples include online pile-ons, multiple accounts that seem to be the same person, strangers who repeat the same accusations, posting your private information to invite harassment, and friends or relatives recruited to monitor you. These can be reported even if the people involved can't be identified. Preserve evidence, report each account, and file with police and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center for online conduct. Read stalking by proxy.
Supporting Someone Who Believes They're Being Gang Stalked
If someone you care about says they're being followed or watched by groups, you may not know what to believe. You don't have to argue about it. Listen without ridiculing, acknowledge their fear, and focus on safety, sleep, and support. Encourage them to see a doctor about stress, to keep a fact-only log, and to report any crime they can describe. Don't confront the people they name, and don't help them confront anyone. If they talk about harming themselves or others, call 988 or 911.
Why Accurate Information Helps Everyone
People who feel targeted deserve to be taken seriously, and so do the real crimes that can look similar from the inside: stalking, harassment, doxxing, and coordinated online abuse. Treating every claim with respect, while insisting on specific, checkable facts, protects people from being dismissed and from being drawn into beliefs that can deepen fear and isolate them. If you are unsure which category your experience falls into, ask a trusted person, a doctor, or a victim advocate to help you sort observations from conclusions, and keep reporting anything that is a crime.
A Final Word on Care
Whatever is happening, you deserve safety, sleep, and people who listen. If you are struggling, talk to a doctor or counselor, keep a fact-only log of events you can describe, and report any crime to police. Reach out to 988 at any hour if you feel overwhelmed.
You deserve to be taken seriously and to feel safe. Getting both may involve police, doctors, or both, and none of that means you are to blame.Generate and print your Safety Plan →Turn four answers into a discreet, printable emergency action plan.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
How do I report gang stalking?
Report specific, concrete conduct, such as threats, trespassing, property damage, or repeated harassment by identifiable people, to local police with documentation. Broad claims without specific events are hard for police to investigate.
Is there a gang stalking hotline?
We are not aware of an official government hotline for gang stalking. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, and call 911 in an emergency.
Is gang stalking real?
Coordinated harassment by several people can happen and can be reported. There is no verified evidence of organized networks secretly surveilling private individuals at scale.
What is V2K?
It stands for "voice-to-skull," a claimed technology that transmits voices into a person's head. No evidence has been found that such a technology exists. Hearing voices can be a symptom that a doctor can evaluate.
Where can I find help?
Talk to a doctor or mental health professional, use FindTreatment.gov to find care, and call or text 988 in a crisis. Report any concrete crimes to police.
Should I see a doctor if I feel I'm being targeted?
Yes, if you are afraid, not sleeping, or overwhelmed. Care for your distress does not prevent you from documenting and reporting real incidents, and the two can work together.