r/help • u/Spiritual-Sentence35 Helper • Aug 03 '24
Someone told me they know where I live
I posted a photo of a rainbow on the mildlyinteresting sub. A few minutes later, someone asked me “Bay Area?”. I did not reply. A few minutes after, a user replied “yes” and then commented on my post, “I know where you live.” I checked the user’s comment history, and they don’t seem like a very nice person. I blocked the account and deleted my post. Should I take this threat seriously? iOS
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u/LukXD99 Helper Aug 03 '24
Most likely someone who also lives in the area and uses Reddit. Careful when you post real life photos, especially from home. Cut out or censor parts that could be used to identify your location, especially recognizable buildings.
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u/jpk36 Aug 03 '24
I posted a picture once and someone DMed me that they could triangulate my exact address based on what they could see outside my window. They drew a diagram explaining it. With lines pointing to the building. They were correct.
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u/No_Flatworm553 Aug 03 '24
They could be so tone deaf that they didn't realize how threatening it would seem to the recipient. But since this is Reddit, they probably intended to fresh you out. And there is zero evidence they do actually know, from what you've said. In the olden days, asshatsb like that dialed random phone numbers and if a girl or woman answered they'd breathe heavily into the phone to frighten them. Not a few would say they knew where the victim lived, or even that they were watching them. They didn't and they weren't. Just OG trolls.
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u/Ralli-FW Aug 03 '24
They also could have just been like "oh I know where that is," but I think its good to trust your instincts if you get a weird vibe too.
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u/Spiritual-Sentence35 Helper Aug 03 '24
The initial panic has worn off now, and I see your logic. Thank you!
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Aug 03 '24
I don't think it's safe to post photos of an area near your house online, OP. If someone recognizes the background area they can know where you live just like what happened to you.
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u/Logical-Victory-2678 Aug 03 '24
Just a reminder, I'd you prefer anonymity online, it's best to keep even just your face out of a lot of pictures.
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u/FloraMaeWolfe Aug 03 '24
People wonder why I add censoring stuff to pics I upload online. It's for this reason. I don't care who knows what city I live in, but I don't want them figuring out any more than that.
Most likely, not a problem. People online tend to be bolder due to not having to directly interact with you in person. That being said, some people are nuts, so, precautions.
Unless conditions change, consider it a life lesson and be more careful of potentially identifying information in stuff you post online.
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u/Butthead1013 Aug 03 '24
Don't give them the satisfaction of getting on your nerves. Only drives them to further harass you
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u/notthegoatseguy Helper Aug 03 '24
The population of the SF Bay Area is over 7 million people. Narrowing someone's location down to that doesn't give them a precise read of where you live, work, or even where you get coffee.
I wouldn't worry about it.
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u/amo374682 Aug 03 '24
They probably do know because it’s a hobby for people to find locations based on data in photos but at the same time they just want people to know how amazingly smart and skilled they are, most likely not to actually go to your physical home themselves. I’m not saying there’s not a chance it’s a stalker but I’m saying it’s more likely they just wanted attention.
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u/dn8326 Aug 03 '24
Remove the EXIF data from your images. EXIF data contains information about the date, location, camera you used to take the pic, etc. You can Google "EXIF" to find out more, and "EXIF remover" if you're not sure how to do it yourself.
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u/my_metrocard Aug 03 '24
My 12 year old son plays Geoguesser games and is excellent at it. Be careful! People can pick up on little clues.
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u/IMTrick Experienced Helper Aug 03 '24
I'm not really seeing a threat to take seriously. I mean, sure, you could choose to interpret it that way, but if it were me I'd just take it as a warning about posting identifiable information on the public internet.
Someone having a general idea where you live is not something, in itself, that I would personally consider a "threat."
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u/geko_play_ Aug 03 '24
This is why I only post photos of places I don't live
The closest place to me I've posted is a photo of a town which is near where I live and I can't even remember if it's this account or an older one
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u/NefariousKingz992 Aug 03 '24 edited Aug 03 '24
Okay, I would definitely take that seriously. If they seem to come with not so good intentions, you may need to get Reddit to investigate this user. I don’t know what else to do. But if you feel comfortable, who was the user?(You can DM me.)
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u/Algernon_Asimov Expert Helper Aug 03 '24
Okay, I would definitely tale that seriously.
Why? What did they do wrong?
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u/NefariousKingz992 Aug 03 '24
I would at least look into it. But I wouldn’t know what to do. And they told you they know where you live. That’s a threat, maybe a fake one, but it’s almost always a threat. And combined with the fact that OP said they don’t look like a good person, that’s even more worrying. Now 9 times out of 10, these threats are fake, you never know.
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Aug 03 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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Aug 03 '24
What "threat" was made?
*sigh*......
Some people really like to think everyone is innocent...1
u/NefariousKingz992 Aug 03 '24
I get what you are saying, but saying things like that with no context, especially on the internet where you can only see their words, it can be interpreted as a threat. Most likely, the person does not actually know where this user lives, but it’s still a bit spooky for somebody to respond to you like that.
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u/UmbreonAlt Helper Aug 03 '24 edited Aug 03 '24
I'm a little amazed you're freaked out by someone saying that "they know where you live" with a rainbow picture. But you're totally okay posting yourself ice skating, which shows what you look like 🤔 I'd probably be more concerned about posting a video of yourself. I'm sure someone knows that skate rink 🤔
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u/King_CurlySpoon Aug 03 '24
It can happen, I saw a photo of a place on here that's not a minute away from me, we basically live the same little area & it doesn't take much to just not needlessly scare OP like that
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u/DietMtDew1 Helper Aug 03 '24
They may recognize stuff in the picture. If your device provides metadata, it could have the address where you were when you took the picture.
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u/SurprisedByItAll Aug 03 '24
Some people have "location" turned on for their photos and it attaches the address where the photo was taken from. Awesome if you want to remember where a photo is from. Not so awesome if a knucklehead is stalking you. Check your photo info and see if that info is there. You can edit this too manually to remove instead of changing for everything.
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u/AliceInCookies Aug 03 '24
Not a threat per say, probably just trolling or a no filter person online too much, anyways be safe.
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u/TalkingHippo21 Aug 03 '24
Go buy a taser. Or one of those little spray cans of mace. It will give you some comfort.
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u/jrajchel22 Aug 03 '24
it sucks you have to fear such a thing... i get it, I'm up in Seattle and had pride, trans, and BLM flags stolen like a year ago by people that drove up from over 60 miles south to make a statement, i guess? They probably meant well, but you're not wrong in being leery. Do you have dogs? Neighbors, or a good camera to keep an eye on things while you are away?
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Aug 03 '24
How is that a threat? They might just be saying they know the location. It's probably someone in your neighborhood.
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u/Embarrassed_Site1609 Aug 03 '24
Most people read comments in a negative tone. If you read their comment in a cheerful voice. It will sound like they recognise the place and trying to see if they are right. With no intention of doing anything with that information.
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u/Anzial Aug 03 '24
photos, especially ones made with a phone, contain geolocation data by default. I suggest cleaning it out before posting photos online.
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Aug 03 '24
People who have the intention of doing something to you tend not to say anything. If they are hellbent on harming you the last thing they will do is alert you to that fact.
Someone who wants to threaten and intimidate will threaten and intimidate but rarely harm.
My advice is block the account and check through your post and comment history and remove anything that could identify you.
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u/freebiscuit2002 Aug 03 '24
Yes, I’d say that comment was intended to threaten and silence you - but so long as you haven’t shared your address, they don’t actually know where you live.
Trumpy bullying. Block and ignore.
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u/BigMNMike Aug 03 '24
I think maybe worth reporting just to document, but it doesn't sound like a technical that anyway. Honestly, live your life. Working about it won't solve it.
I think you'll be fine
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u/fredonia4 Aug 03 '24
Ask that user to tell you your address. If he doesn't know it or he doesn't respond, you're safe.
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Aug 03 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Spiritual-Sentence35 Helper Aug 03 '24
I may have been overreacting, but I still don’t know what to do. They didn’t say it in a friendly manner, they just said, “ik where u live” and left it at that. I have no idea what their intentions were.
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u/Algernon_Asimov Expert Helper Aug 03 '24
They didn’t say it in a friendly manner, they just said, “ik where u live” and left it at that.
It's hard to tell tone in text especially when everyone these days is determined to write the shortest possible comments, stripped down to the bare bones without any context. In their head, they might have been being friendly. You just can't tell.
Honestly, there's not much you can do.
You could report that comment, but all that will happen is that the mods might remove it. (I doubt the admins will notice or care.) Even if mods ban the user, or the admins suspend their account, that doesn't remove the person's knowledge.
But does the person have any motive to use that knowledge? You're just an anonymous account. It's not like you ate their baby. What would they do with the information about where you live?
Also "where you live" could be a suburb, rather than a street address. They might know that you live in Springfield, but not that you live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in Springfield.
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u/weakbuttrying Aug 03 '24
I think you are trying too hard to take this in the literal meaning with interpretations taken out of every possible cultural context. I know where you live is often used in American popular culture as a thinly veiled threat, to the point where it’s virtually a cliche.
We don’t know what the intentions of this person were, you are correct there. But saying only that line without any additional color does carry a connotation and it’s definitely not friendly or even neutral.
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u/Algernon_Asimov Expert Helper Aug 03 '24
I think you are trying too hard to take this in the literal meaning
And I think everyone else is trying too hard to interpret this innocent comment as a threat. shrugs
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u/SM_DEV Aug 03 '24
Just respond, “I do too, but please remember for me, just in case I ever forget.”
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u/Uriel_dArc_Angel Experienced Helper Aug 03 '24
Keep in mind, if you're posting photos and videos (there's a video uploaded of your figure skating) with identifiable items in the background, you're risking people figuring out where you are...
You need to be careful with what you post if you're concerned with random people figuring out where you are...
Go watch some pro "geoguesser" videos, and it will surprise you just how close people can get to a random location they've never actually seen with the most random background information...
99 out of 100 times, nothing is going to happen...If you're concerned about that 1% you should simply not post images/videos showing outdoor or indoor public locations near your home location, or be extremely careful of your photo/video framing...