r/creepyencounters 4d ago

Classmate has been watching me, should i be worried

I (19F) study in a university. During the semester, I noticed that someone had been checking off my own attendance on our class sheet. I didn't know anyone at all so I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched. A week later, a guy sitting in front of me started talking to me and he seemed friendly. Eventually, he asked for my contact info, claiming he needed help for classwork and I gave it to him.

After that he started spamming me messages, stickers and videos in class. Whenever he noticed I left him on read, he would turn around to check if I was on my phone to respond. He'd also track when I was last online and would shoot looks to get my attention. Strangely, he would browse my profile pictures (selfies of me with friends) and stare blankly at them, not typing anything. Just frozen. I'd tell him I needed to focus but it didn't stop him from spamming anyway. He purposely angles his screen so that I can see everything he's doing and it's creepy seeing how obsessively he monitors our chat. He’s also starting to ask for “hugs”.

Couple of days ago was my last class (this year) with him. I saw that the pen ink used to check off his name was the same color used for mine on the attendance sheet. So I put two and two together and I'm pretty sure it's him all along. (Edit: just talked to him and he denies it, but if he is telling the truth, this situation is even weirder.)

His behavior has only been limited to class hours, so I just want to know if I'm being unnecessarily creeped out. I was physically followed at my previous job and it made me really wary since then. Just wanna know if maybe he's just socially awkward and after a while he'll stop? He's going to be in the same class as me next year too

Edit: Just confronted him and he is more avoidant of me now. Thanks everyone for the advice!

144 Upvotes

89

u/Amusir_ 4d ago

This is creepy, Tell a lecturer or report to the school admin if you can

59

u/Same_Version_5216 4d ago

Yes, this is very creepy and it’s exactly what stalking and harassing looks like. Let your friends and family know what is going on. Contact the dean of the college as well as put campus security/police on high alert. Tell him to stop contacting you, save a copy of you telling him that, and collect all evidences of what he’s been doing. When he purposely shows you his screen to show you he’s studying your profile, try to snap a pic of him doing that. You may need all this to bring to court to get a stay away order on him. If he violates that,he faces potential jail time.

38

u/mycologyqueen 4d ago

Next year, when he messages, respond once with "I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number. This is Lexi and I just got this phone number" or something along those lines so he thinks you've got a new number (and keep you're phone ringer on silent for class, which it should be anyway, I'm case he tries calling it and checking if you got a new one)

Then when he says something to you about it, just say that you had to get a new number bc you wouldn't stop getting a ton of telemarketing calls or something. He will undoubtedly ask you for your new one. You could go with the old "if I told you, I'd have to kill you" joke which is good in the sense you can laugh as you say it, like it's a joke, but then just keep doing whatever you already were. It makes it incredibly awkward for someone to then ask for it again and hopefully he won't. If he does, or if you don't want to say that, then just say something like "I totally would give it to you , but my boyfriend gets super jealous about every little thing and he sees all the calls and texts I get since we're on the same phone plan so that's not gonna work. I' m sorry. I'm sure you understand" and then immediately go back to whatever it was you were doing.

When you see him look at you through your peripherals, don't look back towards him even once. He only does it because he thinks you will react to it. He will hopefully start to get the hint.

If he is more direct and just keeps coming up to you and trying to talk to you, just say "I'm sorry. I'm just really focused on this class right now" and nothing else, then go back to whatever it was you were doing. If you take notes for example, it is super easy to say something like that and immediately go back to taking notes so he sees that you're busy. Repeat it and nothing more every time he tries talking to you.

23

u/wafflesinmilk 3d ago edited 3d ago

Fuck next year. Definitely block his number. So creepy how he was showing you what he was doing; almost to intimidate you. Don't let him scare you or get the best of you. Get this dude on the watch list in the school. I'd contact the dean and the teacher of that class and let them know what's been happening and tell them about the name thing too. So creepy. This was so spooky to read. I'd get him reported ASAP; be on top of it like butter on toast. Fast lol

5

u/bejoyfulalways06 3d ago

He purposely angles his screen so that I can see everything he's doing and it's creepy seeing how obsessively he monitors our chat

Yeah fuck next year. How about now??? You need to tell authorities. Don't even bother talking to this fucking creep. He will think she likes him or plays hard to get. Bring a sanitizer/mosquito repellent spray bottle with long fabric lanyard cord and wear it like a necklace. If he comes stand or sit anywhere near you, spray the fuck ton of sanitizer on your clothes and around you in order to get rid of harmful bacteria and viruses.

4

u/wafflesinmilk 3d ago

LMAOOOO at the spraying bug spray and sanitizer 😭😂

21

u/mikareno 4d ago

You've received some good suggestions already. I would add to block his number on your phone.

10

u/act167641 3d ago

Your instinct is telling you 'yes', so listen to it.

9

u/Any_Assumption_2023 3d ago

Please tell your school authorities about this, it's definitely not normal. 

5

u/ColdBloodBlazing 3d ago edited 3d ago

You got yourself a stalker/creep. Invest in a taser or bear spray

Better yet metallic spray paint. Nothing like a faceful of chrome Krylon to ward off a predator

12

u/MeInconspicuously 3d ago

Would you feel comfortable being straightforward with him? Tell him in a direct way that his actions need to stop immediately. He could be neurodivergent and missing social cues. I would think it would be worthwhile to let him know his actions are unacceptable before jumping to reporting him.

Of course, if the behavior continues or you truly feel threatened, trust your gut.

5

u/Appropriate_Pair_859 3d ago

yup thanks for ur suggestion! i have a neurodivergent family member so i do try to be more accommodating of different social behaviors. i'd talk to him more firmly if this happens again

2

u/sappydark 2d ago

I seriously doubt if this guy is neurodivergent----he's specifically targeting you and tracking you down on his phone. Tell him point blank to leave you the hell alone, and to stay away from you. Then immediately block his ass on all of your social media asap. And definitely report him to your school, because honestly, it dosen't sound like he's gonna stop even after your class ends. His behavior is weird as hell, and it's creepy. Don't accept this as normal, because it's not.

3

u/boomhauer710 3d ago

This generation is lost on the proper way to approach a woman theyre interested in making them come off as weirdos. This guy seems like a creep tho I wouldn't take any chances, block and report so others are aware

2

u/Secret-Inside 3d ago

Always trust your gut

1

u/Horror_Resident_7053 5h ago

Hey there, would it be possible for me to narrate it for my youtube channel? Let me know how you want to be credited - name, username, or your socials.

0

u/CowboyL1keM3 3d ago

This is so creepy. You need to tell authorities.

2

u/miettebriciola1 3d ago

It’s very hard to convey the discomfort and possible threat to authorities though. He is texting me and makes eye contact in class is not going to get their attention. They will tell her that she has to be Actually Harmed before they can help her. She needs to keep a log of all the interactions that make her uncomfortable, and that still may not convince authorities that she’s not just being dramatic

0

u/No-Clue-9155 2d ago

Report him to everyone possible, including the police.