Creepers are no longer just lurking around the corner as you walk by
your favorite bar, leering at you with drool coming out of the corner of
their mouths. Creepers have now joined the 21st century and are online in a big way.
There
are so many creepers out there that we had to write an article just to
let you know about some of the ones you might encounter on the
Inter-webs.
Some creepers are just annoying and others are just plain scary.
Here are 5 Types of Internet creepers and some tips on how to avoid them:
Geo-creepers:
Some
creepers want to virtually follow you around all the time. They may be
content just keeping tabs on you digitally or perhaps they want to find
our where you are in the real world so they can accidentally bump into
you on purpose.
How do Geo-creepers do their magic? Geo-creepers can take the geotags
that are embedded in the metadata of photos you take and use that
information to determine where the exact geolocation of your photo was
taken. They may also stalk you based on where your latest check-in was
on Facebook or Foursquare. If you have locations turned on for your
tweets on Twitter then this helps them locate you as well.
Consider disabling geotagging on your phone and/or also removing geotags
from pictures you’ve already taken. You may also want to disable
location services for some apps like Facebook and Twitter if you want to
try and “get off the grid” for a while.
Facebook Creepers:
Facebook creepers are probably hanging on your every status update or “like”.
These folks will comment on nearly every post,
picture, etc. This can really give you the heeby jeebies. The may just
be harmless admirers or they might be stalkers, you just never know. At
some point, you have to make the tough choice whether to unfriend them,
block them, or put them on a list where you share things with everyone
except for them.
Check out the Creeper Abatement Strategies we present in our article How to Deal With Facebook Creepers for some suggestions on how best to handle the different varieties of Facebook creeps
Dating Site Creepers:
Creepers
want to be loved to, that’s why there is no shortage of them on online
dating sites. Not to be confused with dating site scammers, a dating
site creeper is anyone who provides consistent unwanted attention and
refuses to leave you alone.
Arguing with a dating site creeper
will likely only heighten their interest in you and encourage further
harassment. You may want to consider ignoring them and/or blocking them.
If things escalate and they begin to threaten you in anyway, report
them to the site administrators as soon as possible.
Twitter Creepers:
Twitter,
by it’s very nature is a haven for creepers. Once a creeper becomes a
“follower” they can be alerted whenever you tweet. Creepers can retweet
you, mention you in their tweets, and direct message you.
If one
of your followers gets a little too close for comfort you can always
block them. If things escalate or get scary you can choose the “Report”
option to report them to Twiiter.
Coffee Shop Wi-Fi Creepers:
Another
creeper that you may encounter in the wild is the Coffee Shop Wi-Fi
Creeper. These weirdos will setup shop near free public Wi-Fi and may
try to eavesdrop on your Internet traffic by setting up what are known
as Evil Twin Wi-Fi Hotspots. To learn more about Evil Twin Wi-Fi and
Coffee Shop Hackers / Creepers, check out our articles: The Dangers of Evil Twin Wi-Fi Hotspots and Coffee Shop Net Surfing Security.
By Andy O'Donnell
Security Expert
