Dealing with a Potential Persistent Impersonator
Introduction
Over the years, several people have falsely claimed to be related to me. One particularly persistent individual introduced himself as my nephew—the supposed son of one of my sisters—explaining that he wanted to know more about his “lost uncle.” To clarify, I have twin sisters who are four years younger than I am, but we have never been close. There has been no direct contact with either sister since 1977, apart from a single visit from one of them in 1992. During that brief meeting, there was no mention of a child, or even a “nephew” of mine.
Initial Contact
He first contacted me on February 10, 2007, and, over an extensive series of emails, insisted he knew of me and had questions about my private life. He claimed to work for a government agency similar to GCHQ or the former Bletchley Park, which immediately struck me as odd. If he truly worked in intelligence, openly revealing his affiliation would be, at the very least, unprofessional and, quite frankly, foolish. He also shared that he was gay, which held no relevance to me, but seemed to be part of his effort to build rapport.
Intensifying Messages
For a time, I played along with his emails, answering a few of his questions. However, as his messages grew more insistent, he began to press for an in-person meeting—something I was determined never to do. His persistence started to unsettle me, and I began to wonder about his true intentions. If he did indeed work in intelligence, he would know my location, potentially using this to create a sense of psychological pressure. Was this some calculated attempt to undermine my peace of mind?
In 2007, I wanted to send an 80th birthday card and gift to my father. As we were not especially close, I reached out to this “nephew” to verify my parents’ address. Strangely, he became evasive, unable to provide clear details. This set off alarm bells. Soon, his messages took an even stranger turn, prompting me to block him from contacting me further.
Raising Concerns with Family
Afterward, I began to bounce back his emails. He responded once with, “Very funny.” On April 19, 2012, he resurfaced, attempting to connect with me on Facebook, sending “likes” on my profile, and adding me on Twitter. I chose to ignore him, and fortunately, he removed himself from my Facebook contacts seven days later after a final visit to my page on April 26, 2012, at 7:40 pm.
Given his persistence, I reached out to his supposed mother, my sister, to express my serious concerns about this ongoing and disturbing behaviour. I received no reply from her. Interestingly, he had asked me not to “mention his approach to the family,” which only heightened my sense of caution. I also took additional measures to protect myself in case his actions escalated further.
Protecting My Privacy
Aside from a few genuine relatives I know and appreciate hearing from, I am cautious about connecting with people online. I don’t know what these shadowy, intrusive individuals hope to gain, as I have nothing to offer them. While they may find thrill in these antics, to me, it’s a futile and rather creepy distraction.
Reflection on Internet Safety
I believe that real employees at agencies like GCHQ should do more to protect the public from these lurking internet predators. Genuine efforts to safeguard vulnerable people from such deceptive, invasive behaviours should be prioritised. We all deserve a safe online environment, free from shadowy individuals intent on disrupting our lives.
