Once the perpetrator has gained access to your data and personal information they can begin the doxing. See below for some of the ways that your personal information can be distributed or used to cause you harm or distress.
If you are fortunate enough not to have been doxed, visit our how to prevent being doxed section and ensure that you are doing everything you can to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of doxing in the future. If you need help with a problem related to doxing – visit our Total Access Support area to learn more about the various ways we can help you with your particular situation.
Your social media account details can be distributed in order to be used for further harassment – as well as to help others find more information about you and your activities. Generally this information about your public profiles is the first thing to be released as doxing usually begins after existing social media bullying and abuse. Avoid clicking on any suspicious or unusual links as people could be trying to get you to download viruses.
The release or publication of your home address can lead to a multitude of issues, from annoyances such as magazine subscriptions and unwanted pizza deliveries to more serious problems such as assault, swatting or stalking. Victims with a prominent public profile can be driven from their homes.
Harassment involving your place of work or study can be particularly stressful as it can affect your professional reputation. Even without making allegations against you, repeated irritations such as false deliveries and general hoax calls can be damaging to your role – employers or administrators might decide it is easier to let you go and lose the problem. This is the aim of doxers as they seek to cause you trouble and distress. Jobs involving work with children, such as teachers or doctors, may be especially vulnerable to false accusations.
Email addresses are usually abused through the sending of hate mail as well as signing up to embarrassing or annoying spam emails or services. Losing control of your email accounts can be incredibly distressing – especially if your backup email or secondary identification process is not adequately in place.
Leaked phone numbers are generally used to stress and harass victims through hoax and abusive phone calls and text messages around the clock. Abusers may call you themselves or sign your number up for services such as text updates to cause irritation.
Credit card information, account numbers and other financial information should be reported immediately to your bank should you suspect it has been doxed. Your bank will be able to provide you with the best advice to deal with the situation and take preventative measures to secure your account.
Consider if any other information exposed in your doxing could be used in conjunction with your doxed financial information such as how many cardholders are on your account – a common security question.
The Cybersmile Foundation is one of our main partners worldwide. Their feedback and support have been instrumental to us as we have continued to grow. Their initiatives help bring home a very positive messaging amongst young users. Cybersmile’s insight into online abuse, swift support and ongoing collaboration with Twitter make them a key partner for us.Patricia Cartes, Head of Global Trust & Safety, Twitter
