What Is Cyberstalking? Recognizing the Signs

Stalking has moved online. A stalker no longer has to stand outside your window — they can track your location through a phone, map your social life through a payment app, or read your messages through spyware. Understanding how this works is the first step to taking back control.

What is cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted behavior carried out through technology — phones, apps, social media, email, or smart devices — that causes a person to fear for their safety. Legally, it is a 'course of conduct,' not a single event.

Common tactics

• Bluetooth trackers hidden in cars or bags (e.g., AirTags).
• Spyware and keyloggers installed on phones or computers.
• Fake 'burner' accounts used to bypass blocks.
• Doxxing — publishing your address or personal details online.
• Caller ID spoofing so calls appear to come from your own number.
• Swatting — filing false emergency reports against you.

Early warning signs

• They know where you are without being told.
• They reference private conversations or searches.
• Your devices behave strangely — battery drains, lights flash, accounts log out.
• You receive contact from numbers or profiles you thought were blocked.
• Your information appears on 'people search' sites without your consent.

What to do if it is happening to you

Start documenting everything — screenshots with dates, sender identities, and full URLs. Run our Risk Assessment to understand your threat level, and use the Evidence Auditor to make sure what you save will hold up in court.

Stalking is a pattern of behavior, not a single event. The pattern is what the law protects against — and what documentation proves.