What to Do If You're Being Stalked Online (Cyberstalking) (2026)
Immediate steps
- If a partner/ex may be monitoring your devices, use a safer device (not your phone) to seek help.
- Document the pattern: dates, times, platforms, messages, and any in-person sightings.
- Do not confront the stalker.
- Check devices/accounts for unauthorized access, tracking apps, and shared location settings.
- Report to platforms and to law enforcement; ask police to create a report even if no single act seems 'major.'
Evidence preservation
Keep a stalking log with every incident (date, time, platform, what happened, witnesses). Screenshot messages with URLs and timestamps. Preserve voicemails, emails, and headers. A documented course of conduct is important for both protective orders and federal/state charges.
Where to report
| Entity | Contact | What to report |
|---|---|---|
| Local police | Non-emergency line; 911 if in danger | The pattern of stalking; request a case number and ask about protective/restraining orders |
| FBI IC3 | https://www.ic3.gov | Cyberstalking that crosses state lines or uses electronic communications |
| Platforms hosting the stalking | Each platform's report/abuse tool | Stalking accounts, messages, and impersonation |
Removal actions
- Report and remove stalking content via platform tools.
- Remove your location/contact data from people-search sites so the stalker can't track your movements or address.
- Remove address/phone search results via Google 'Results about you.'
Prevention and follow-up
- Change passwords from a safe device; enable 2FA; audit account recovery options.
- Review and disable location sharing; check for stalkerware.
- Consider an Address Confidentiality Program (see domestic violence digital safety) if you've relocated.
- Remove yourself from data brokers to shrink the stalker's information supply.
Legal context
Federal stalking law (18 U.S.C. 2261A) criminalizes using the mail, an interactive computer service, or other interstate facilities with intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or surveil, where the conduct causes reasonable fear of death/serious injury or substantial emotional distress. It carries up to five years for a base offense, protects the victim, immediate family, intimate partners, and pets, and generally requires a course of conduct (two or more acts). The 2022 VAWA reauthorization expanded federal tools against cyberstalking. All states also have stalking laws. This is general information, not legal advice.
Key mistakes to avoid
- Confronting or negotiating with the stalker.
- Researching help on a device the stalker may monitor.
- Deleting evidence or your accounts before documenting.
- Assuming blocking alone stops a determined stalker.
How Delist helps
Cyberstalkers rely on people-search sites to locate your home, workplace, and relatives. Removing your data from those brokers — and keeping it removed — is one of the few measures that directly limits a stalker's ability to find you offline. delist.ai automates and monitors that removal.
Find out what personal data is exposed about you online.
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Sources
- Text of federal stalking/cyberstalking statute 18 U.S.C. 2261A
- NNEDV Safety Net technology safety planning for stalking victims
- FBI IC3 reporting channel for cyberstalking
This guide provides general information for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, medical, or safety advice. If you are in danger, contact emergency services immediately.