- Practice: Intellectual Property
- Time: 3 Months
- Lawyer: Christine Judge
- Location: New York, US
Background
A client, Rachel (name changed for privacy), contacted our agency after experiencing months of online harassment. She was receiving anonymous messages and fake social media accounts impersonating her had been set up. The harassment was impacting her personal and professional life.
Despite reporting the issue to social media platforms and the police, the perpetrator remained unidentified, and the harassment continued. Rachel needed concrete evidence to take legal action
Approach
We began by analyzing the messages, emails, and social media activity related to the harassment. Using Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and digital forensics, we:
Traced IP metadata from emails (where possible) to identify the general location of the sender.
Analyzed writing patterns, slang, and timestamps to narrow down potential suspects.
Discovered digital footprints between the fake accounts and a real social media profile.
Result
Cross-referencing usernames, email handles, and profile information, we identified a common pattern—several fake accounts were linked to a secondary email address used by an individual known to Rachel.
Further research revealed that this individual had a history of this type of behaviour. With the suspect identified Rachel was able to pursue a civil course of action against the individual.
