Threat of violence

[newyorkguy2000]

I know these calls are common, text message from someone saying they are the "boss" and mentioning you wasted girls time and now have to financially compensate or risk violence. I used to get them every now and then.

However what I found surprising is a friend of mine last week, who is also in the hobby, received one where they confirmed his full name and address where he lives. He showed me that text recently. Not sure how they got that info since never has company over, uses a text app on this phone with a phone number he only uses to make contact in the hobby. Plus, the actual cell phone he uses is his work phone, registered to the company, which is another reason he uses the text app.

Only way I can figure is something with the IP address when he is on his wifi at home maybe or something like that they hacked. I use a burner phone, prepaid, don't go on wifi.

Just wondering if anyone had similar experiences? Plus any of your own best practices for security, safety and making contact by phone/text.

[thebodyman10]

Well this is unsettling ! I wonder how they got that information ? Sounds like your friend was doing everything right and taking the normal precautions.

[Anonymous01]

"Normal precautions". Using an unauthorized text app on a COMPANY phone? While connected to HOME wifi? Lemme guess... the home's wifi's password is "password". Just how many collective IQ points can one person bring down the national average?


There are FREE IP trackers available on the web.... once you know a number tied to a physical phone, just type in the phone number and if the phone is on (or off, in the case of Android or Apple with "Find My Phone" activated) in a crowded 5G setting, it will pinpoint the real time location of the phone within a meter or so.


Don't believe me? Buy an Apple AirTag, activate it, pair it with your phone, and put it somewhere mobile - like the center console of your car. Then park it and walk away from it. For a long time. And a long distance. Then thumb up the "find my" setting (and for God's sake, don't tag the AirTag with "My Car"). The CR2032 1.5 volt button battery is pinging off every iPhone that comes within distance (about 20 - 30 feet) and Apple is triangulating all of those signals to let you know in real time where your AirTag is.


Texting off a home wifi takes a lot more bandwidth and time than a simple AirTag... plenty of bandwidth and time for an IP tracker to triangulate exact location. The rest is public records searches - usually $9.99 - $12.99 per address searched. Owner, spouse, little kids names and birthdates.... yada, yada, yada....


That's what's "normal" today....

[Precious_b]

You always leave a trail.

Guy is lucky his SO doesn't know about the hobby before this happened.

Let it be a lesson.

Otherwise, tell the blackmailer you'll pay him in person. They name the time, you name the place.

[LGBBQandT]

Probably license plate and registration. I can't imagine these guys are finding the IP address and then the home address from a VOIP number. That's something a government can do, not a gangster.

[GhostRiderYYZ]

IP's are not registered to a person but to the company that has the router that issued it. Home router passwords are easy because there are published lists for well over 3000 home level routers of their DEFAULT password. (NetGear uses 1234)

License plates are a lot easier. And if they do a Sam Spade on your social media they can get enough pieces of the puzzle to see enough about you.

My Hobby phone, though bought in Houston has a San Antonio area code, is registered to a name of Bill Gates and using a gmail account that more fake info that most news sites.

For me to make this vanish all I do is remove the SIM and destroy it, delete the Gmail account which has all the emails, calls and texts for any provider and is done in about 5-10 minutes for total wipe. If the cops seize it all I need is access to another PC device and I can remote wipe the phone that way. Texting is done via the Google app.

Do this: meet the blackmailer but have some undercover officers there. They get arrested for a more serious crime.

Unless you are me... then meeting them is something they will regret as I have friends that will gather intel on them, maybe even do a rando on them.