How to know if you’re being stalked or are just paranoid
I’ve heard it all on my national radio show. There was the guy totally freaked out because too many strangers in public knew his name for it to be a coincidence. (His name was Buddy.)
There was a woman who swore one of Metallica’s band members hacked her iPhone to stalk her after she rejected him online. And another who bought and sold three cars because she thought they all had hidden trackers.
They all ask the same question: “Is it me or is someone/something tracking everything I do on my device?”
Tracking happens, no doubt, and it’s getting worse, given how easy these tools are for anyone to use. But I also know sometimes, it’s paranoia at work. Before you panic, let’s talk through a few scenarios.
‘I see ads for things I talked about’
I was talking to my husband about taking a hiking trip in Patagonia. I walked upstairs, sat at my laptop, and travel ads for a Patagonian getaway were on my screen. Tech companies insist this is a coincidence.
If you don’t want to believe Big Tech (I don’t blame you), take privacy into your own hands. Skip the smart speaker or turn off its microphone when it’s not in use. On your phone or computer, pop into your settings to turn off your mic for specific apps and sites, or force your device to ask you each time before enabling it.
‘They know where I am’
Dana called my show with a frightening story. Her daughter is a college student who was afraid to leave the house because unknown numbers sent her threatening texts no matter where she went. “They know what time we eat dinner, our workplaces and our schedules,” Dana told me.
This case was true harassment. I called Ricoh Danielson, a friend of the show and digital forensics expert, who helped track down the guy. Turns out, it was someone Dana’s daughter had talked to on a dating app. Here are Danielson’s tips for if something like this happens to your family.
‘Is Google stalking me?’
I once had a caller concerned Google knew his schedule too well. A few weekends in a row, he drove to his son’s house to mow his lawn while his son was out of town. The following Saturday, a pop-up from Google Maps told him how long it’d take to get to his son’s home in current traffic.
He called me, worried Google was in his life too much, and I told him no, that’s exactly how Maps is supposed to work. Your navigation app looks for patterns in where you go, and sometimes, it’s just creepy. Fortunately, on Google Maps, you can change a few settings to stop that tracking.
The bottom line
There’s a huge difference between a healthy dose of skepticism and true paranoia. When I hear from someone I’m genuinely concerned about, I privately recommend they call the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 1‑800‑950‑6264.
📩 We all know someone who’s convinced they’re being watched. If you need me to step in, drop me a line here. It’s my mission in life to lend a helping hand whenever I can.
Tags: Apple iPhone, computer, data, data collection, digital life, Google, Google Maps, inbox, internet, Location, location data, malware, mental health, mic, online, opt in, paranoia, Podcasts, privacy, radio show, shopping, smart speaker, smart speakers, smartphones, spyware, stalking, Surveillance, technology, tracking
Share:
