How to Report Online Stalking: Platforms, Police, and the FBI

Step 1: Preserve Evidence Before You Block or Delete

Blocking and reporting can make content disappear. Capture it first.

• Take screenshots that show the full web address, username or handle, date, and time.
• Save the profile link and any account ID, not just the display name.
• Record phone numbers, email addresses, and message headers where you can.
• Save the surrounding conversation to show the contact was unwanted.
• Store copies somewhere the stalker cannot access, such as a new email account or an offline drive.

Use the Evidence Auditor to confirm your screenshots are complete, and read evidence that holds up in court.

Step 2: Report to the Platform

Every major platform has tools to report harassment, impersonation, and threats. Report the account, the specific posts or messages, and any impersonating profiles. Our Social Media Reporting Guide lists the steps for the major platforms. Keep the confirmation emails or screenshots as evidence of your report.

Step 3: Report to Local Police

Online stalking is covered by stalking and harassment laws in every state. Bring your evidence and timeline, and describe the pattern and your fear. Our guides explain how to report stalking and how to report a stalker to the police. Ask for a report number.

Step 4: File With the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) accepts complaints about internet-enabled crime. It is useful when the stalker is in another state or country, when the conduct involves computer intrusion, or when local police lack the resources to investigate. Federal law covers stalking conduct that uses electronic communication services and facilities of interstate commerce. Read our summary of federal cyberstalking law.

Step 5: Report Impersonation and Identity Misuse

If someone is using your name, photos, or personal information to open accounts, impersonate you, or commit fraud, report it through the Federal Trade Commission's IdentityTheft.gov. It helps you create a recovery plan and record the misuse.

Step 6: Report Spoofed or Harassing Calls

If calls or texts appear to come from your own number or from numbers that are being faked, the Federal Communications Commission explains caller ID spoofing and how to file a complaint. Keep call logs as evidence.

Step 7: Protect Yourself While You Wait

Reports can take time. Meanwhile:

• Secure your accounts, change passwords, and review logged-in devices. See our digital safety guide.
• Reduce what the stalker can find by removing your information from people-search sites with the Data Broker Removal tool.
• Tighten privacy settings and limit location sharing.
• Make a safety plan, especially if the stalker could know where you live.

How to Report an Internet Stalker When You Don't Know Who It Is

You can still report. Give police, the platform, and IC3 everything you have: account names, links, times, messages, and any details that suggest who it could be. Do not try to unmask or confront the person yourself. Investigators can request records you cannot, and confronting an unknown person can be dangerous.

What to Expect

Responses vary. Some platforms act quickly, others slowly. Police may need time to identify an account holder. Keep adding new incidents to your reports and keep your records organized. A well-documented pattern is more likely to be acted on.

What to Include in an Internet Crime Complaint

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center says it is the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime and encourages people to file even if they are unsure whether their complaint qualifies. A complaint is most useful with:

• Your contact information.
• Everything you know about the person: name if known, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, websites, and any addresses.
• What happened, when, and how, in date order.
• Which platforms were used, and the web addresses of relevant pages or profiles.
• What you have already done, such as reports to platforms or police, with report numbers.

Keep the confirmation you receive. If you learn more later, you can submit an update.

Reporting Across Many Platforms Without Burning Out

Stalkers often use several accounts on several services. A simple spreadsheet or document can keep track: platform, username, web address, date of first contact, date you reported, and the report number or confirmation. Report each account separately and keep screenshots of the reports. When new accounts appear, add them to the list and report again. The list becomes valuable evidence of a pattern, and a summary for police.

When the Platform Doesn't Respond

Reports sometimes disappear into a queue. If a platform doesn't act, report again with clearer evidence, such as links showing the pattern and the dates. Look for an escalation or appeal option in the platform's help pages. Include the platform's report numbers in your police report and FBI complaint, because law enforcement can sometimes request records from companies through legal process. Do not delete your own copies of the evidence.

Reporting Threats Made Online

If someone threatens you online, save the threat with full context, report it to police, and call 911 if you are in danger. Sending a threat across state lines can be a federal crime. Read interstate threats and threatening communications. Don't reply or negotiate, and add the threat to your safety plan.

Protecting Your Accounts While You Report

Reporting takes time, and the stalker may try to access your accounts in the meantime. Use a safe device, change passwords starting with your email, turn on multi-factor authentication, and review logged-in devices. Save evidence before changing settings. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Secure Our World pages explain the basics, and stalkerware explains what to check on your phone.

If a Child or Teen Is Being Contacted

If an adult is contacting a child or teen in a sexual, threatening, or persistent way, report to the police immediately, save the messages, and report the account to the platform. Police can direct the report to the specialized agency that handles crimes against children. Don't confront the person, and don't delete the evidence. Tell the child they are not in trouble.

A Simple Evidence Spreadsheet to Copy

A spreadsheet can organize everything you collect. Create one row per incident or account, with columns for the date and time, the platform, the username and web address, what was said or posted, where your evidence is saved, whether you reported it and when, and the report or confirmation number. Sort by date to see the pattern. Give a printout to the police with your statement. It is more useful than a pile of screenshots, and it makes your complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center easier to complete. Our stalking log guide explains what to record.

What Happens After You Report Online

After you report to a platform, you may get an automated reply, a request for more information, or a decision to remove content or suspend an account. Some reports receive no reply. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center states that it cannot guarantee a response to every complaint, though your report is still valuable (IC3). Police may contact you for more information and can sometimes request records from companies through legal process. Keep every confirmation, add new incidents to your log, and send updates in writing so there is a record of each one.

Online stalking leaves a trail. Your job is to preserve it. Investigators' job is to follow it.

Sources and further reading

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Interstate Stalking (U.S. Attorney's Office, N.D. Georgia)
• IdentityTheft.gov (Federal Trade Commission)
• Caller ID Spoofing (Federal Communications Commission)