Malicious communication? Defamation of Character?
Discussion
Ok guys, this is a flaming complicated one, and it's been playing badly on my mind so please do bear with me.
I recently split up with my girlfriend, and moved out of her house in August, back in the area I lived when I first met her. She lived about 20 miles away and I moved into her house. Anyway, since I left, I haven't heard a peep out of her. The break up was fairly amicable, and we'd no reason to contact each other. One thing I did possess was a mobile phone that she'd taken out the contract for. It stopped working the day I moved out, and she didn't ask for the handset to be returned - I would have happily given it back to her once I'd removed any personal stuff.
Due to how quickly things moved at the time, not everyone got my new phone number when they should have - or at all.
Months go by, and a couple of weeks ago, one of my colleagues sends my old number a text message from another part of the building we work in. This isn't something he'd usually do as we usually communicate via facebook messenger. As I was walking towards him he received a reply to the text he'd sent, He was baffled at how this had happened as I was standing beside him at the time and my phone was devoid of charge. It didn't take me long to twig that he still had my old number saved.
He sent a few replies to the messages, nothing more than a few words, when the person who now has the phone begins to masquerade himself as me, and inform my colleague, by text message, as to some things "I" have been doing. The content of the messages was vile, and very disturbing. The person who has the phone knows what sort of car I drive and the area I live, and mentions both of these in the messages. He has enough information about me to make this appear believable to anyone who knows me. I'm fortunate I was standing next to my colleague as this unfolded.
I'm seriously worried about this and my head is in the shed as a result. I walked into my local police station, and spoke to the desk officer, whom has since put me in touch with another officer who has passed it to their colleague, and I've had brief telephone conversations with several officers, but no more.
I was asked to print out the screen shots of the messages to my colleage, which I duly have. I do know who is using the number, and he is a "friend" of my ex girlfriend. I've met the guy twice and done nothing to him. I've identified him to the police, over the telephone.
The advice I'm really looking for is what might happen regarding this? Can the police actually do anything? My main concern is that I don't know how many other people have contacted that number, believing it to be me, and have received similar "confessions". The things my doppelganger has admitted to are rather serious and I would not like to think anyone else thought I'd done something like this? It's not something you could easily approach someone about in conversation.
I recently split up with my girlfriend, and moved out of her house in August, back in the area I lived when I first met her. She lived about 20 miles away and I moved into her house. Anyway, since I left, I haven't heard a peep out of her. The break up was fairly amicable, and we'd no reason to contact each other. One thing I did possess was a mobile phone that she'd taken out the contract for. It stopped working the day I moved out, and she didn't ask for the handset to be returned - I would have happily given it back to her once I'd removed any personal stuff.
Due to how quickly things moved at the time, not everyone got my new phone number when they should have - or at all.
Months go by, and a couple of weeks ago, one of my colleagues sends my old number a text message from another part of the building we work in. This isn't something he'd usually do as we usually communicate via facebook messenger. As I was walking towards him he received a reply to the text he'd sent, He was baffled at how this had happened as I was standing beside him at the time and my phone was devoid of charge. It didn't take me long to twig that he still had my old number saved.
He sent a few replies to the messages, nothing more than a few words, when the person who now has the phone begins to masquerade himself as me, and inform my colleague, by text message, as to some things "I" have been doing. The content of the messages was vile, and very disturbing. The person who has the phone knows what sort of car I drive and the area I live, and mentions both of these in the messages. He has enough information about me to make this appear believable to anyone who knows me. I'm fortunate I was standing next to my colleague as this unfolded.
I'm seriously worried about this and my head is in the shed as a result. I walked into my local police station, and spoke to the desk officer, whom has since put me in touch with another officer who has passed it to their colleague, and I've had brief telephone conversations with several officers, but no more.
I was asked to print out the screen shots of the messages to my colleage, which I duly have. I do know who is using the number, and he is a "friend" of my ex girlfriend. I've met the guy twice and done nothing to him. I've identified him to the police, over the telephone.
The advice I'm really looking for is what might happen regarding this? Can the police actually do anything? My main concern is that I don't know how many other people have contacted that number, believing it to be me, and have received similar "confessions". The things my doppelganger has admitted to are rather serious and I would not like to think anyone else thought I'd done something like this? It's not something you could easily approach someone about in conversation.
cmvtec said:
My main concern is that I don't know how many other people have contacted that number, believing it to be me, and have received similar "confessions". The things my doppelganger has admitted to are rather serious and I would not like to think anyone else thought I'd done something like this? It's not something you could easily approach someone about in conversation.
My first thought is that now you'll maybe find out who your real friends are. I suspect I'd probably text everyone in my current contacts list and give them an idea of what's happening as well as making it abundantly clear that you no longer have any connection to your old number. Then let plod carry on. I reckon it'll depend on whether the case is allocated to an officer who's interested in this kind of thing as to how far it'll go.This is one of these issues that makes me realise I’m now of another generation.
Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
You could also ring your girlfriend and tell her what’s happening -I’m sure she’d be appalled and also pressure ‘her friend’ to stop.
You could then contact friends and say someone has been pretending to be me please ignore any dodgy messages. I’m sure if your friends are receiving texts saying ‘mmmmmm I just love child porn’ they realise it’s not actually you.
There’s probably (if all goes well) 30 minutes work in this for you.... leaving the Police free to focus on proper crime.
You could also ring the mobile company and get the number blocked or similar....
Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
You could also ring your girlfriend and tell her what’s happening -I’m sure she’d be appalled and also pressure ‘her friend’ to stop.
You could then contact friends and say someone has been pretending to be me please ignore any dodgy messages. I’m sure if your friends are receiving texts saying ‘mmmmmm I just love child porn’ they realise it’s not actually you.
There’s probably (if all goes well) 30 minutes work in this for you.... leaving the Police free to focus on proper crime.
You could also ring the mobile company and get the number blocked or similar....
jdw100 said:
This is one of these issues that makes me realise I’m now of another generation.
Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
You could also ring your girlfriend and tell her what’s happening -I’m sure she’d be appalled and also pressure ‘her friend’ to stop.
You could then contact friends and say someone has been pretending to be me please ignore any dodgy messages. I’m sure if your friends are receiving texts saying ‘mmmmmm I just love child porn’ they realise it’s not actually you.
There’s probably (if all goes well) 30 minutes work in this for you.... leaving the Police free to focus on proper crime.
You could also ring the mobile company and get the number blocked or similar....
My initial thoughts were to do exactly this - and I did go and look for the bloke. I couldn't find him. I don't know a great deal about him other than the approximate area hes from and the type of car he drives. Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
You could also ring your girlfriend and tell her what’s happening -I’m sure she’d be appalled and also pressure ‘her friend’ to stop.
You could then contact friends and say someone has been pretending to be me please ignore any dodgy messages. I’m sure if your friends are receiving texts saying ‘mmmmmm I just love child porn’ they realise it’s not actually you.
There’s probably (if all goes well) 30 minutes work in this for you.... leaving the Police free to focus on proper crime.
You could also ring the mobile company and get the number blocked or similar....
I have also contacted the people who may mistakenly have this number, but they already have my new number. I'm not too worried about my friends, its other acquaintances that concern me, be it work colleagues or people who contact me occasionally for one reason or another.
The police also contacted my ex, by telephone, I believe - who refused to speak to the police. I haven't contacted her at all during this, nor do I intend to.
As it goes, I wasn't planning on doing anything about it until the colleague who received the messages persuaded me to go to the police, and this colleague isn't exactly the type who would run to the police for anything, either.
The content of the messages was very graphic and detailed, and frankly, made me feel sick when reading them. Certainly a great deal of detail, twinned with a few local place names and a mention of "The Jag" made it look entirely believable to someone who didn't know me very well.
Would appear to be fairly clear cut malicious comms
"1(1) Any person who sends to another person -
(a) a letter, electronic communication or article of any description which conveys -
(i) a message which is indecent or grossly offensive;
(ii) a threat; or
(iii) information which is false and known or believed to be false by the sender; or
(b) any article or electronic communication which is, in whole or in part, of an indecent or grossly offensive nature,
is guilty of an offence if his purpose, or one of his purposes, in sending it is that it should, so far as falling within paragraph (a) or (b) above, cause distress or anxiety to the recipient or to any other person to whom he intends that it or its contents or nature should be communicated.
"1(1) Any person who sends to another person -
(a) a letter, electronic communication or article of any description which conveys -
(i) a message which is indecent or grossly offensive;
(ii) a threat; or
(iii) information which is false and known or believed to be false by the sender; or
(b) any article or electronic communication which is, in whole or in part, of an indecent or grossly offensive nature,
is guilty of an offence if his purpose, or one of his purposes, in sending it is that it should, so far as falling within paragraph (a) or (b) above, cause distress or anxiety to the recipient or to any other person to whom he intends that it or its contents or nature should be communicated.
Thanks Pothole.
The officer I last spoke to seemed keen to follow it up and see it through, but I know they are strapped for time and resources.
Realistically, I just want him to be taken to task for his actions. If the information he's touting gets into the wrong hands, it could easily make a real mess of my life.
The officer I last spoke to seemed keen to follow it up and see it through, but I know they are strapped for time and resources.
Realistically, I just want him to be taken to task for his actions. If the information he's touting gets into the wrong hands, it could easily make a real mess of my life.
jdw100 said:
You could then contact friends and say someone has been pretending to be me please ignore any dodgy messages. I’m sure if your friends are receiving texts saying ‘mmmmmm I just love child porn’ they realise it’s not actually you.
You may be right regarding the above but how about if the message was along the lines of "Sorry, I can't meet you for a pint. I'm being investigated for child porn offences and not allowed into town".That wouldn't be quite so obvious that it's not OP replying and by the time the recipient has blocked all contact from OP - so he can't set the record straight - and told other people, it's potentially going to have a pretty big impact on him.
I do think it's pretty serious, to be honest.
jdw100 said:
You could also ring the mobile company and get the number blocked or similar....
Sadly I don't think it would be as easy as that as presumably the number was transferred to an account held by the OP's ex and is now 'lost' to him.Edited by PorkInsider on Friday 1st December 06:47
Without going in to too much rotten detail, and over the space of several messages, he's said something along the lines of:
"I've been arrested for sleeping with a 13 year old girl, the police nearly booted my front door off its hinges and arrested me, they've gone over the Jag and found forensic evidence. I'm sh*tting myself 'cos I'll lose my job and will have to sign a register."
There are far more details as well as place names etc. in the actual messages but this is the crux of what has been said.
"I've been arrested for sleeping with a 13 year old girl, the police nearly booted my front door off its hinges and arrested me, they've gone over the Jag and found forensic evidence. I'm sh*tting myself 'cos I'll lose my job and will have to sign a register."
There are far more details as well as place names etc. in the actual messages but this is the crux of what has been said.
Yeah, that’s serious, quite apart from the reputation damage that’s the sort of thing that can end up with assault or worse if it gets to the wrong people.
That said, I don’t understand how you’ve identified the person sending the texts? How do you know that it’s this bloke you hardly know and have had very little to do with - that doesn’t make sense to me at all and without actual evidence I wouldn’t be going anywhere near him.
Were it me I’d let everyone I knew know about what’s been going on and let the police get on with it.
That said, I don’t understand how you’ve identified the person sending the texts? How do you know that it’s this bloke you hardly know and have had very little to do with - that doesn’t make sense to me at all and without actual evidence I wouldn’t be going anywhere near him.
Were it me I’d let everyone I knew know about what’s been going on and let the police get on with it.
charltjr said:
Yeah, that’s serious, quite apart from the reputation damage that’s the sort of thing that can end up with assault or worse if it gets to the wrong people.
That said, I don’t understand how you’ve identified the person sending the texts? How do you know that it’s this bloke you hardly know and have had very little to do with - that doesn’t make sense to me at all and without actual evidence I wouldn’t be going anywhere near him.
Were it me I’d let everyone I knew know about what’s been going on and let the police get on with it.
The picture set on the WhatsApp account for that number is of him. This was something the police have also asked me to screen shot and print.That said, I don’t understand how you’ve identified the person sending the texts? How do you know that it’s this bloke you hardly know and have had very little to do with - that doesn’t make sense to me at all and without actual evidence I wouldn’t be going anywhere near him.
Were it me I’d let everyone I knew know about what’s been going on and let the police get on with it.
Further to this, when I first met my ex-girlfriend, he had a similar setup with her whereby he was using a phone she contracted, and was paying her for the use of it. From what I picked up, his credit rating is too shot to get a phone contract of his own.
This was the only reason I ever met him previously, he was at the house to pay her for the use of the phone.
jdw100 said:
This is one of these issues that makes me realise I’m now of another generation.
Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
You could also ring your girlfriend and tell her what’s happening -I’m sure she’d be appalled and also pressure ‘her friend’ to stop.
You could then contact friends and say someone has been pretending to be me please ignore any dodgy messages. I’m sure if your friends are receiving texts saying ‘mmmmmm I just love child porn’ they realise it’s not actually you.
There’s probably (if all goes well) 30 minutes work in this for you.... leaving the Police free to focus on proper crime.
You could also ring the mobile company and get the number blocked or similar....
Wow, amazing advice. Literally no way that could go any way other than planned. 10/10Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
You could also ring your girlfriend and tell her what’s happening -I’m sure she’d be appalled and also pressure ‘her friend’ to stop.
You could then contact friends and say someone has been pretending to be me please ignore any dodgy messages. I’m sure if your friends are receiving texts saying ‘mmmmmm I just love child porn’ they realise it’s not actually you.
There’s probably (if all goes well) 30 minutes work in this for you.... leaving the Police free to focus on proper crime.
You could also ring the mobile company and get the number blocked or similar....
jdw100 said:
This is one of these issues that makes me realise I’m now of another generation.
Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
You're not of a different generation, your just not a massive wimp! Never would have occurred to me to go to the Police. They are for serious crimes, same as I wouldn’t call an ambulance except for serious injury.
Why would you not just go and see the chap in question or call him and tell him to stop. Not email him or text him or Facebook him or tweet him..actually go and see him or speak to him and tell him to stop. Look/sound angry and tell him to pack it in.
FFS OP, if you know who it is, go and see him and tell him to stop being a
and to grow the fk up. And then bang his sister.
Jokes aside, man up ffs, this is not a Police matter.
If you really are not up to going to see him and tell him to stop, get a solicitor to send a cease and desist letter. Will cost you £50, but since your "head's a shed", well worth it.
Edited by poo at Paul's on Friday 1st December 09:47
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