Part 4: Stalking, At Work

Since 2015, I have been stalked by an individual and her associates. They have gone after my business and my reputation. They have spread rumors and lies about me and contacted and engaged:

·      Clients and their employees

·      Colleagues

·      Co-workspaces

·      Platforms and other services I use

·      People of note it the community.

Overview of the Stalking Activities (Covered in previous posts)

The stalker and their associates have done the following since 2015:

·      Hacked my computers;

·      Tracked my phone and location;

·      Hacked into my security systems installed after they broke into my apartment –  three times, installing surveillance equipment;

·      Befriended people who live in my building and on my floor;

·      Contacted family, friends and colleagues.

Read these previous posts for details of these activities

·      The Stalker’s Beginnings

·      An Overview of Stalking Activities

·      Activities Where I Live

Contacting Clients

This individual uses several false narratives to engage people to cut their ties with me and to help stalk, follow and harass.

These stories, I suppose, serve as a reason to get involved. It also helps that the stalker uses their parents’ connections within fire and police and their partner’s status and connections as leverage.

Here are some of the stories they’re telling – none of which are true.  

·      I troll for men. I hunt men in the parking lot. I stalk men. I go after married men. 

·      I stalk this individual and their spouse. I’m out to break them up.

·      I’m a celebrity monger. I hound or stalk celebrities/athletes.

·      I’ve done harmful things or talked bad about the person they’re contacting or colleagues and friends.

·      I’m [just fill in the blank]. Think of something damning, and I’m sure I’ve been accused of it. 

·     The stories told often depend on the person being approached. It will be something that resonates with them.

One story that rises above the rest: The timing of a restraining order In 2018 (2.5 years after the stalking started), I filed a restraining order against this individual. It turned out this individual was due to have a baby soon. The story they are telling is that I purposely filed a restraining order when she was pregnant or to impact the pregnancy, which is false and a lie. I filed it because the harassment and stalking hadn’t stopped for 2.5 years. It should be noted that this individual continued the stalking and harassment during this pregnancy and others that followed.

Client Activities

After being contacted by this individual, some clients have dropped my services, or individuals break off communication with me. However, some knowingly and willingly take part in helping this individual.

Because my phone has been used to track my whereabouts, this individual and their associates have known where I am and show up in person. So what do they do when they show up and follow me around?

·      They take note of my schedule, and places I frequent and pass that along information to the stalker and their associates. They contact clients, neighbors, friends, family and others.

·      If I’m meeting with a client or potential client, that relationship is at risk. I can’t tell you how many people have been contacted after I’ve been seen talking to them. This happens a lot and not just in a work environment. It’s how this individual expands their reach.

·      The following creates a feeling of fear and insecurity.

·      This individual and their associates use information about what I do, where I go or what I wear, whatever they can get, and use to mock, tease and bully.

When someone knows where you go and what you do and uses that to ruin your business and your relationships, it’s an attack on your life, your security and your privacy. It’s a threat and threatening.

Professionals Who Get Involved

I can’t tell you how many times people have told me they would never get involved with something like this, but they have. I think the people who have participated don’t see the following and the spreading of rumors as threatening. They aren’t seeing the bigger picture about how the information they get is used.

Here’s a look at some of the people involved. I won’t use names here, but I have a list.

-              Award-winning educators – several of them

-              Marketing VPs for big banks

-              Directors of large-scale, very popular community events

-              Philanthropy leaders at different levels of leadership

-              Business group executives

-              Restaurateurs

-              A fundraising consultant

-              Web designers

-              Event planners

-              The former head of a school district department

-              Teachers: One teacher confessed that when this person asked for help, she felt special. Envision a scenario from high school, when the popular girl taps you to be in her social circle.

-              Several entrepreneurs and their staffs

-              People in media outlets

-              Philanthropists

-              Marketing VP for big insurance company and their founder

-              Other PR professionals

-              Contractors I’ve used.

One client’s team of employees are deeply entrenched in this person’s grasp. I work in PR, so this group engages in an array of activities, such as:

·      Canceling media interviews and trying to stop coverage I am able to get a client;

·      Contacting other clients and their employees;

·      Looking for other people to publish stories to make me look bad;

·      Thwarting partner communications with chambers of commerce and business groups;

·      Creating busy work and lots of it. They create bogus requests;

·      Making things difficult in general;

·      Promoting other professionals to take over my work.

·      Keeping me out of the loop on events and meetings;

·      Sabotaging social media scheduling;

·      Recruiting new staff members to join the cause;

·      Spreading rumors and stories broadly among their partners and other individuals, including people of note in the community. Read about tactics some of the stalker's and her associates use to make my work difficult.

Co-Workspaces

In the summer of 2016, I joined a co-workspace in the Gables. This person befriended people there. I got hacked at this co-workspace. The hacker was the individual in charge of the WIFI system at the office. This is individual was also another co-workspace member.  

The hack entailed accessing my password manager. They logged into accounts I hadn’t opened or accessed in months. On my computer, they accessed a folder with recommendations written by colleagues for an RFP. Each of those recommendations were opened. I can’t say for certain that those people were contacted but I can tell you that eventually those professionals froze me out. When they see me, they walk the other way and don't treat me in the same way.

I figured out who was behind the hack when I innocently asked the short, fat man who oversaw the WIFI network about the security of the system, he turned quite pale, couldn’t look me in the eye and disappeared for several weeks.

Our evidence against him was largely circumstantial. He didn't leave a trail except for the guilty behavior. My attorney at the time advised me to leave the co-workspace, which I did.

Since then, I have tried working at other co-workspaces, only to have to leave. Once this individual finds out where I am, they befriend someone there to watch and monitor, which you would think isn’t threatening.

Here’s why it is a threat?

·      They pry, trying to determine my list of clients.

·      Attempt to hack my computer.

·      Mock – copying what I wear and do.

·      Get to know my schedule and share it with the stalker and their associates.

For people who think that just following isn’t bad. Think again.

·     It’s a violation of privacy and a threat to my security.

·     They engage in defamation of character and slander.

·     It’s harassment. It's criminal.

Social Media This individual and their associates have hacked my social accounts and contacted followers and friends, many of whom are no longer followers or friends.

On LinkedIn, this individual and their associates have used those connections to attack my business. I will elaborate about the use of social media in a future post.

I wonder

Why isn’t anyone asking what’s wrong with the stalker and the people who help this individual?

For those of you who have participated with this individual you have…

·      Legitimized baseless rumors by spreading them. In the process you’ve engaged in defamation of character and committed slander. Your behavior is immoral and unethical, not to mention unprofessional.

·      Legitimized this person’s criminal behavior. Stalking is a felony. In this case, the stalking is extreme and considered aggravated stalking, which carries bigger penalties.

Many of the people who participate or have taken part are people who serve the community. These are people who have committed themselves to improving the world where we live. It's ironic that these same people take part in this behavior.

Shame on you. You have blindly followed this individual who lies, cheats and commits crimes and you've become an accessory. You never even questioned the stories about me or what you were asked to do.

You have the opportunity to right your wrongs. Tell your story to my attorney and to police. Contact me directly here.