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needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 03:54 PM

Someone has sent me two emails that I consider harassment. The person used a made up email to hide who they are and I have asked them to stop. If they send another email after I asked them to stop can I press charges? The emails aren't threatening in any way. Just annoying. And I thought that if I tell them to stop and they continue then that is harassment.

What can I do? What can happen to them? If nothing can be done now, what do I need to wait for in order to do something? What defines email harassment?

twinkiedooter · Feb 7, 2009, 03:58 PM

I don't think 2 emails would be considered email harassment. Maybe 2,000 emails would be more like it. Right now, until they continue doing this, I would suggest you do nothing.

Contact your internet provider and ask them what they can do about this. Or you put them on a block yourself. If they are not threatening or sexually harassing, there is nothing that you can do police wise.

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:04 PM

How many more emails can they send before I can finally take action? Do I really need to wait until they've sent 1,000?

No, the emails aren't threatening or sexually harassing, but I told the person to stop. If they send even 5 more emails isn't that harassment if I said to stop?

Curlyben · Feb 7, 2009, 04:10 PM

Filter them and have done.

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:13 PM

And what if the person just makes a different email each time?

Curlyben · Feb 7, 2009, 04:16 PM

Annoying e-mails would hardly be classed as harassment.
If you DON'T respond then they WILL get bored and stop, so a filter to JUNK would work a treat.

Simple really.

Alty · Feb 7, 2009, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by needhelp9999

and what if the person just makes a different email each time?

Just keep blocking them or delete them. If you don't respond then sooner or later the person will give up.

Isn't there some easy way to change your email address? I'm not that computer savvy but I would think that wouldn't be too hard to do.

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:18 PM

So what would be classified as harassment then?

Curlyben · Feb 7, 2009, 04:19 PM

Continual Threaten or abusive messages of a highly personal nature.
Basically inappropriate SPAM.

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:21 PM

What if the person is claiming that I'm cheating on the person I'm with and have cheated on the other people I've been with in the past? Emotional distress.

Curlyben · Feb 7, 2009, 04:21 PM

That's NOT harassment.
Libel possibly, but that's it.

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:22 PM

Could I do anything about that then?

Curlyben · Feb 7, 2009, 04:25 PM

Yes, filter and ignore.

Proving libel is difficult and extremely costly.

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:25 PM

So basically unless this person gets threatening physically or sends another 1,000 emails there's nothing I can do?

ScottGem · Feb 7, 2009, 04:26 PM

The problem here is that the law hasn't caught up to technology. There is really no law to punish someone for filling up your e-mail box. And even if you tried to press charges, its unlikely you would find a prosecutor to do it for you.

The other problem is its not easy to prove who was on the other end of the e-mail. A court order would have to be served on the e-mail provider and even then they could have used phony info to create the account.

So you have two options; 1) forward any e-mails you get to abuse@domain, where domain is the e-mail service and 2) move the mail into a separate folder for action if they become too much.

Curlyben · Feb 7, 2009, 04:26 PM

Bingo !

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:28 PM

What was the story I read about someone that was prosecuted for submitting an ex bosses email to a bunch of porn spam mailing lists? They ended up getting into trouble. That wasn't really threatening and they didn't even send a direct email but they got in trouble.

Curlyben · Feb 7, 2009, 04:30 PM

That was potentially provable and honestly sounds a little implausible.

You have already said they are using a "made up email to hide who they are" so you are on a hiding to nothing here.

ScottGem · Feb 7, 2009, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by needhelp9999

what was the story i read about someone that was prosecuted for submitting an ex bosses email to a bunch of porn spam mailing lists? .

I'd have to know the full story to see how it compares to your situation. But its probable that the network admins were able to prove it and the trouble he got in was proably loss of his job, not a criminal prosecution.

needhelp9999 · Feb 7, 2009, 04:41 PM

What if I suspect I know who it is?

Sorry for all the questions. Just trying to get it all out there.