# someone I work with has sent a malicious email



## temphelpplease (Jan 31, 2018)

someone i work with has created an anonymous gmail account to send me a malicious email

as it's gmail i can't get it traced

does anyone know what my HR dept's obligations are to me now? I am honestly freaking out and although i have my suspicions on who it is without proof i don't know what i can do here

i'm really distressed, if anyone has any advice that would be great


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## krtek a houby (Jan 31, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> does anyone know what my HR dept's obligations are to me now?



Have you tried asking them?


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 31, 2018)

Yeah, ask HR

Do you think it may have been sent from a work PC/device?


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## equationgirl (Jan 31, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> someone i work with has created an anonymous gmail account to send me a malicious email
> 
> as it's gmail i can't get it traced
> 
> ...


Without proof it may be difficult to get hr to do anything. Did the email come to your work email address? 

Keep a copy of it then block the email address.


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## keithy (Jan 31, 2018)

What basis do you have for thinking it is somebody from work?


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 31, 2018)

oh yes, keep a copy, print it out too just in case - forward it to HR if you feel that's appropriate

e2a:
Are you on Outlook at work?  Can you view the email headers and find the sender IP?


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## Pickman's model (Jan 31, 2018)

I wouldn't worry about it but plot a suitable revenge to be taken when the stars are right.


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 31, 2018)

Super blue blood moon tonight - surely _that's_ a sign


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## cybershot (Jan 31, 2018)

Trace an email with its full headers - Gmail Help

Copy the header into: Messageheader

If you look at the headers you should get an idea of the IP address it came from, from here use a site like Track any ip address find out where it comes from. which won't give you the exact location, but should at least give you the city and who owns the IP address, be it a work organisation or an ISP.

From here get your HR/IT Dept to look into it, or contact the ISP from where it came from, but don't expect a quick response!


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## cybershot (Jan 31, 2018)

Oh, just realised this is a newbie! Prob trying to sell us something when they let us know what product they used to track down the IP address.


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## Pickman's model (Jan 31, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Oh, just realised this is a newbie! Prob trying to sell us something when they let us know what product they used to track down the IP address.


glad you've caught up


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## Pickman's model (Jan 31, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> someone i work with has created an anonymous gmail account to send me a malicious email
> 
> as it's gmail i can't get it traced
> 
> ...


what led you to share this with us?


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## temphelpplease (Jan 31, 2018)

so i used to be a long standing member but am locked out as i havent logged in in over a year but i know from past experience this is a god place for support and advice and techy knowledge too
it could only have come from someone in my team due to what they were saying and the stuff they knew
HR are meeting with my boss today but the email address used was gmail and i know that it couldnt be tracked and without a court order there is no info i can get that would be of any use
im genuinely worried as this person is unhinged and has it in for me, i just wondered what duty of care HR had to live up to, Im waiting for union rep advice too but theres been no one around
im scared and angry


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## dessiato (Jan 31, 2018)

Throbbing Angel said:


> oh yes, keep a copy, print it out too just in case - forward it to HR if you feel that's appropriate
> 
> e2a:
> Are you on Outlook at work?  Can you view the email headers and find the sender IP?





cybershot said:


> Trace an email with its full headers - Gmail Help
> 
> Copy the header into: Messageheader
> 
> ...



These two posts are what you need to do. Gather evidence,  record everything, when and with whom you spoke to HR. That way you can substantiate any claims you might make in the future.

Good luck with it all.


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## temphelpplease (Jan 31, 2018)

yeah IT did all of that but they got no info at all about where it came from - all gmail ips are gmail 
I'm just worried that this person might try and go further than just anonymous emails - seriously they are not ok and i wondered what obligations for my safety work have to provide me with - plus of course my brain is like who the fuck did this and how the fuck can i work with any of these people ? like this sucks


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## dessiato (Jan 31, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> yeah IT did all of that but they got no info at all about where it came from - all gmail ips are gmail
> I'm just worried that this person might try and go further than just anonymous emails - seriously they are not ok and i wondered what obligations for my safety work have to provide me with - plus of course my brain is like who the fuck did this and how the fuck can i work with any of these people ? like this sucks


Of course it sucks,  of course you are upset. However, don't let yourself become paranoid over it. If you do, they've won. Don't let them. Just be cautious about what you tell people.


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## Magnus McGinty (Jan 31, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> I'm just worried that this person might try and go further than just anonymous emails



In which case they’d reveal themself. Which they evidently don’t want to do hence bullying anonymously.


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## ElizabethofYork (Jan 31, 2018)

Was the email sent to your work email account, or your private one?


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## temphelpplease (Jan 31, 2018)

work email account


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## Fozzie Bear (Jan 31, 2018)

HR has a duty of care, in theory, and needs to take steps to ensure that employees feel safe at work.

Your union rep should be able to advise you further. You should start to record any adverse feelings you experience as a result of this with times etc.


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## equationgirl (Jan 31, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> work email account


Block the email address!


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## Fozzie Bear (Jan 31, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> it could only have come from someone in my team due to what they were saying and the stuff they knew



I've just been thinking about this some more. I don't know how big the team is but I would expect, at the very least, for HR to conduct an investigation into this and question each member of the team individually. They don't need to name you. 

If the email was sent during work time people should be asked where they were at that time and who they were with. Did they see anyone acting suspiciously etc. It should be made clear that they are treating it seriously and disciplinary action will be taken if the culprit is found.

Probably fuck all will happen as a result of that. 

But it will hopefully put whoever it is off doing it again. Depending on the contents of the email the interview could conclude by saying that the police will be called in if it happens again.

You should ask your union rep to press for this if it isn't offered.


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## Winot (Jan 31, 2018)

If it was sent from a work computer then there will be a record of that person being on gmail at that time (although that might not narrow it down).


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## kabbes (Jan 31, 2018)

This thread has given me a great idea for how to blow off some steam at work.


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## temphelpplease (Feb 5, 2018)

so far the tech people have not tracked down the culprit. I'm hoping for an update this week. HR are starting to piss me off though as they seem to be moving rapidly towards managing how i feel about the email rather than doing more to find the person and dismiss them. Am considering calling the police and reporting it if work continue to dither about.


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## Magnus McGinty (Feb 5, 2018)

It’s possibly not ‘dithering’ - it isn’t difficult for someone to cover their tracks if they know what they’re doing. And presumably they’ll have done their homework so as not to get caught.


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## TruXta (Feb 5, 2018)

HR are there to protect the business, not you.


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## cybershot (Feb 5, 2018)

Also IT probably don't have the resource to put onto this, plus as said if they are covering their tracks they will be difficult to catch, that's even assuming they are using a work computer or work network. They could simply be using their phone on a mobile network, so company IT won't see anything. It's unlikely they will spend much time on it at all.


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## existentialist (Feb 5, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> so far the tech people have not tracked down the culprit. I'm hoping for an update this week. HR are starting to piss me off though as they seem to be moving rapidly towards managing how i feel about the email rather than doing more to find the person and dismiss them. Am considering calling the police and reporting it if work continue to dither about.


I suspect you'll find the police's response even more deeply unsatisfying. And I think it's appropriate for HR to be considering your feelings in the matter alongside doing what they can to track down the culprit. But that culprit was smart enough to cover their tracks, and it's likely that the only way they'll be found out is if they get careless and do/say something which identifies them.

Malicious emails are horrible - I can completely understand why it's upset you. But it would be a good thing for you if you are able to step back from the feelings a bit, and let the process run its course. Hopefully, there won't be any more. If there are, it increases the chance that the culprit will be caught. And, if your work IT department have blocked any further messages, they'll have the evidence without your having to see it.


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## Magnus McGinty (Feb 5, 2018)

TruXta said:


> HR are there to protect the business, not you.



Providing a duty of care is protecting the business.


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## Pickman's model (Feb 5, 2018)

Magnus McGinty said:


> Providing a duty of care is protecting the business.


different conceptions of protecting the business.


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## Magnus McGinty (Feb 5, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> different conceptions of protecting the business.



I’m fairly certain they don’t want to have to deal with a victimisation claim against them.


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## TruXta (Feb 5, 2018)

Magnus McGinty said:


> Providing a duty of care is protecting the business.


In an ideal world, yes. Too often that's not the case.


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## xenon (Feb 5, 2018)

The IT dept likely can't identify them any more accurately than you can. Anyone can send an email from a mobile.

So, try looking at it this way. If the sender won't identify themselves, if the content of the email is so vague as to not permit identifying them,any leverage / power they get from sending it is spent. Keep copies of anything sent to you though and log any further incidents with HR. Keep the copies off your work PC too. Printing them is probably safest as depending on your works IT policy, you may not be permitted to copy information to an external storage place.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 5, 2018)

What about scaring the shit out of whoever sent it. 
Post the email on your office notice board. Stand up and say...
"Whoever the fuck sent this email...just letting you know that I'm calling in the police and you will be found out".
Watch the faces.....sweaty brows....
Or...if you want to be more subtle forward the horrible email to everyone in your office and see how they react. 
But personally I'd go for the up front approach.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 5, 2018)

Bullying stops when completely exposed


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## existentialist (Feb 5, 2018)

PippinTook said:


> What about scaring the shit out of whoever sent it.
> Post the email on your office notice board. Stand up and say...
> "Whoever the fuck sent this email...just letting you know that I'm calling in the police and you will be found out".
> Watch the faces.....sweaty brows....
> ...



It's high-risk. If you're genuinely not bothered, and you can front it out, that might work. But if they know - which they might - that you're more upset than that, then it invites them to up the ante in some way. My dad always used to say "punch them on the nose" when I got bullied at school, but it wasn't ever as simple as that, and my ineffectual attempts usually led to the problem escalating.



PippinTook said:


> Bullying stops when completely exposed


It needs more than just exposure. And that's tough to do, sometimes.


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## keybored (Feb 5, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Trace an email with its full headers - Gmail Help



Those are instructions to view headers for email received in a gmail account, not from a gmail address. As OP says, Google proxy emails sent from their accounts (X-Originating-IP will be a Google one, not the sender's).


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 5, 2018)

existentialist said:


> It's high-risk. If you're genuinely not bothered, and you can front it out, that might work. But if they know - which they might - that you're more upset than that, then it invites them to up the ante in some way. My dad always used to say "punch them on the nose" when I got bullied at school, but it wasn't ever as simple as that, and my ineffectual attempts usually led to the problem escalating.
> 
> 
> It needs more than just exposure. And that's tough to do, sometimes.



It would get it out in the open though. .it would show the bully and the office that someone there was a fucking snake. And what is there to lose? Seriously? Hiding it and letting HR bumble their way to nowhere let's this snake in the grass win and possibly try again..

What's to lose? If you work in an office where this can happen then everybody needs to know about it. 

Out in the open is the only way once other avenues are exhausted.

Even if the scumbag is not discovered immediately it will warn the rest of the office to be on their guard.


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## xenon (Feb 5, 2018)

keybored said:


> Those are instructions to view headers for email received in a gmail account, not from a gmail address. As OP says, Google proxy emails sent from their accounts (X-Originating-IP will be a Google one, not the sender's).



FWIW you get the originating IP, "Received" IP towards the end of the headers though. Which, is still not likely to be much use.


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## keybored (Feb 5, 2018)

xenon said:


> FWIW you get the originating IP, "Received" IP towards the end of the headers though.



Not on my client (Thunderbird).
X-Originating-IP - Wikipedia


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## existentialist (Feb 5, 2018)

PippinTook said:


> It would get it out in the open though. .it would show the bully and the office that someone there was a fucking snake. And what is there to lose? Seriously? Hiding it and letting HR bumble their way to nowhere let's this snake in the grass win and possibly try again..
> 
> What's to lose? If you work in an office where this can happen then everybody needs to know about it.
> 
> ...


I don't think we even know for sure that the scumbag is someone in the office. I think it's quite likely that HR would take it quite badly amiss if someone started throwing around accusations that someone within the organisation had been sending hate mail, and the OP could find themselves suddenly the "bad guy" in this situation.

From what I understand, it's a single email (so far). Without in any way minimising the distress even a single nasty email would cause, there is a serious danger that making it a noticeboard issue would make an issue of that single email, both in terms of the atmosphere within the company, and (if the perpetrator is a member of staff and would thus be aware that they've made an impact) by escalating the situation and prompting a bigger response. At the moment, I imagine there is nothing to show the perpetrator that their unpleasantness has had any effect; providing them with that affirmation of what they have done by showing them it has would be likely to encourage further emails, which I imagine is the main thing the OP would like to avoid.

That's only my point of view, and I can see how the kind of response you're suggesting could be attractive, but it just seems to me to be risking courting far more grief for little benefit.


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## Pickman's model (Feb 5, 2018)

existentialist said:


> I don't think we even know for sure that the scumbag is someone in the office. I think it's quite likely that HR would take it quite badly amiss if someone started throwing around accusations that someone within the organisation had been sending hate mail, and the OP could find themselves suddenly the "bad guy" in this situation.
> 
> From what I understand, it's a single email (so far). Without in any way minimising the distress even a single nasty email would cause, there is a serious danger that making it a noticeboard issue would make an issue of that single email, both in terms of the atmosphere within the company, and (if the perpetrator is a member of staff and would thus be aware that they've made an impact) by escalating the situation and prompting a bigger response. At the moment, I imagine there is nothing to show the perpetrator that their unpleasantness has had any effect; providing them with that affirmation of what they have done by showing them it has would be likely to encourage further emails, which I imagine is the main thing the OP would like to avoid.
> 
> That's only my point of view, and I can see how the kind of response you're suggesting could be attractive, but it just seems to me to be risking courting far more grief for little benefit.


or indeed far more grief for far more grief


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 5, 2018)

I thought the OP knew the email was from a workplace colleague?


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## existentialist (Feb 5, 2018)

PippinTook said:


> I thought the OP knew the email was from a workplace colleague?


They might know it, but there's nothing to identify them - which would make a public accusation dicey, to say the least. Taking it to HR was the right thing to do - going public would be risky without some evidence that the message had come from within the organisation.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 5, 2018)

existentialist said:


> I don't think we even know for sure that the scumbag is someone in the office. I think it's quite likely that HR would take it quite badly amiss if someone started throwing around accusations that someone within the organisation had been sending hate mail, and the OP could find themselves suddenly the "bad guy" in this situation.
> 
> From what I understand, it's a single email (so far). Without in any way minimising the distress even a single nasty email would cause, there is a serious danger that making it a noticeboard issue would make an issue of that single email, both in terms of the atmosphere within the company, and (if the perpetrator is a member of staff and would thus be aware that they've made an impact) by escalating the situation and prompting a bigger response. At the moment, I imagine there is nothing to show the perpetrator that their unpleasantness has had any effect; providing them with that affirmation of what they have done by showing them it has would be likely to encourage further emails, which I imagine is the main thing the OP would like to avoid.
> 
> That's only my point of view, and I can see how the kind of response you're suggesting could be attractive, but it just seems to me to be risking courting far more grief for little benefit.



I get that.
But.....anonymous bullies who get away with this sort of thing tend to continue. They will go on until they get a reaction. 



existentialist said:


> They might know it, but there's nothing to identify them - which would make a public accusation dicey, to say the least. Taking it to HR was the right thing to do - going public would be risky without some evidence that the message had come from within the organisation.



What's to stop the OP printing off the email and showing it to colleagues just to ask if anyone else has been receiving similar? The OP doesn't have to accuse anyone to make this known in the office. 
In the process it may become obvious who the perpetrator is. 

I doubt HR will do much more than they've done. So the only options left are:
Ignore and suffer possible more emails.
Publicly alert colleagues by showing them the email...And saying that your plans are to go to the police. You don't have to accuse anyone but just put it out there and see what happens.


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## existentialist (Feb 5, 2018)

PippinTook said:


> I get that.
> But.....anonymous bullies who get away with this sort of thing tend to continue. They will go on until they get a reaction.


Not always. And, if they go on, they increase the risk of being caught out.



PippinTook said:


> What's to stop the OP printing off the email and showing it to colleagues just to ask if anyone else has been receiving similar? The OP doesn't have to accuse anyone to make this known in the office.
> In the process it may become obvious who the perpetrator is.


That's certainly better than putting something up on the noticeboard, but it still risks telling the perpetrator that they've got a reaction. I'm not saying "just ignore it", more "keep your powder dry" 



PippinTook said:


> I doubt HR will do much more than they've done. So the only options left are:
> Ignore and suffer possible more emails.
> Publicly alert colleagues by showing them the email...And saying that your plans are to go to the police. You don't have to accuse anyone but just put it out there and see what happens.


What do you think the police are likely to do? We don't know what the email says, but unless it's making threats to kill or something similarly serious, they're likely to say "OK, thanks, we'll give it a crime number and let us know if any more come in". They're certainly not going to be devoting many, if any, resources to investigating a single poison pen email that will be extremely hard to trace.

I fear that the OP would only be increasing their frustration and distress for no benefit whatsoever.


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## xenon (Feb 5, 2018)

keybored said:


> Not on my client (Thunderbird).
> X-Originating-IP - Wikipedia



Ah you're right.

Yeah looks like Google don't include that field when you use the web front end. 

I saw my home IP in the headers when sending from Gmail to another account, using Thunderbird. But not in a second email using GMail's web frontend.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 5, 2018)

It's a rotten situation. And one I would definitely not sit on. But that's me. I'd be showing it around and seeing how people react. 
Because there's nothing much can be done about it...but if I sussed who it was by showing it around, I'd confront them. Definitely. 

May not work for everyone...


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## temphelpplease (Feb 6, 2018)

meeting HR today as they have sent the email again


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## kabbes (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> meeting HR today as they have sent the email again


Same email?


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> meeting HR today as they have sent the email again



Fuckinell ...
Scumbags.


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## ElizabethofYork (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> meeting HR today as they have sent the email again



Bloody hell.  Hope they work out who the bastard is.


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## StoneRoad (Feb 6, 2018)

Perhaps; get HR - with a copy of email - assuming this is "internal" to interview everybody (including the OP) to see if a reaction is obtained.


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## existentialist (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> meeting HR today as they have sent the email again


Sorry to hear that. Hopefully HR will see that this is clearly now an ongoing thing, and will want to take it more seriously.


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## extra dry (Feb 6, 2018)

This is how some office shootings start.

I would say, if I were you, totally ignore the person you suppect of doing this, while keeping record of everything.

 I would say something, and in writing, to H.R + police or solisitor.


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## extra dry (Feb 6, 2018)

Sorry to hear that. 
Is the I.P address the same?


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## temphelpplease (Feb 6, 2018)

kabbes said:


> Same email?


yup


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## temphelpplease (Feb 6, 2018)

HR are being shit and very shady, I don't think they give a fuck really and are hoping it will go away. Thinking of getting outside legal advice


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## temphelpplease (Feb 6, 2018)

extra dry said:


> Sorry to hear that.
> Is the I.P address the same?


yup all the same as before


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> yup all the same as before



If you have an IP address then that can be traced surely?

Also..

"*Law Enforcement*
Most situations in which you are likely to send an email somebody might want to trace -- playing a prank on a friend, for example -- are unlikely to be of interest to law enforcement. You should, however, be aware that law enforcement and government agencies have the ability to request user information from both Google and ISPs, and can force them to reveal such information through subpoenas, court orders or search warrants."

Can a Gmail Account Be Traced?


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## Magnus McGinty (Feb 6, 2018)

Yeah but if they know what they’re doing they’ll have opened an account specifically for the task and sent it from behind a proxy in an Internet cafe in Panama.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 6, 2018)

Magnus McGinty said:


> Yeah but if they know what they’re doing they’ll have opened an account specifically for the task and sent it from behind a proxy in an Internet cafe in Panama.



True.

Maybe the direct approach is needed then?
Show the emails to all office colleagues and watch their reactions. It may not stop them but it might give you an inkling of who is the culprit


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## existentialist (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> HR are being shit and very shady, I don't think they give a fuck really and are hoping it will go away. Thinking of getting outside legal advice


I think outside legle advice is a good idea if hr aren't being  helpful. Your employer has a duty of care to you in work, and if something is going on there,they should be looking into it.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 6, 2018)

Other option..
Company changes from Gmail to an alternative...one that is monitored inside the company.

This needs to be viewed as a whole staff issue. It could very well happen others. 
I would be pushing for openness and transparency about the handling of all of this.


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## temphelpplease (Feb 6, 2018)

I'm hoping that they will proceed to a court order next, if i have to call the police in that might make them be more serious about it
It's really horrible that this is even a thing, I just can't get over it that someone would do this


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> I'm hoping that they will proceed to a court order next, if i have to call the police in that might make them be more serious about it
> It's really horrible that this is even a thing, I just can't get over it that someone would do this



People can be scum.
Unfortunately.


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## Schmetterling (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> I'm hoping that they will proceed to a court order next, if i have to call the police in that might make them be more serious about it
> It's really horrible that this is even a thing, I just can't get over it that someone would do this



In a rush right now so can’t expand too much but do not call the police from work yourself; you have to get security or someone authorised to do so to do it - unless the law has changed. That used to be a sackable offence.


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## lazythursday (Feb 6, 2018)

Schmetterling said:


> In a rush right now so can’t expand too much but do not call the police from work yourself; you have to get security or someone authorised to do so to do it - unless the law has changed. That used to be a sackable offence.


What? It can't possibly be a sackable offence to phone the police from work. If you suspect a crime has been committed you have every right to phone the police.


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## equationgirl (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease if you are in a union they may be able to help you. They should at least be able to assist you with HR.


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## mauvais (Feb 6, 2018)

Schmetterling said:


> In a rush right now so can’t expand too much but do not call the police from work yourself; you have to get security or someone authorised to do so to do it - unless the law has changed. That used to be a sackable offence.


That is definitely not the case. Anyone can call the police.

Possibly you are thinking of it being policy to call an internal number in an emergency so that site security can coordinate with the fire brigade in a properly defined way or whatever, and also because you expose your employer to charges of wasting the services' time, but again you can phone 999 if you need to.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 6, 2018)

mauvais said:


> That is definitely not the case. Anyone can call the police.
> 
> Possibly you are thinking of it being policy to call an internal number in an emergency so that site security can coordinate with the fire brigade in a properly defined way or whatever, and also because you expose your employer to charges of wasting the services' time, but again you can phone 999 if you need to.



I'm glad you said that..I was wondering why it would be a sackable offence.


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## purenarcotic (Feb 6, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> I'm hoping that they will proceed to a court order next, if i have to call the police in that might make them be more serious about it
> It's really horrible that this is even a thing, I just can't get over it that someone would do this



A court order to who? Who is going to be served an order if nobody knows who is sending the emails? 

It is a horrible thing to happen I agree.


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## Schmetterling (Feb 6, 2018)

lazythursday said:


> What? It can't possibly be a sackable offence to phone the police from work. If you suspect a crime has been committed you have every right to phone the police.





mauvais said:


> That is definitely not the case. Anyone can call the police.
> 
> Possibly you are thinking of it being policy to call an internal number in an emergency so that site security can coordinate with the fire brigade in a properly defined way or whatever, and also because you expose your employer to charges of wasting the services' time, but again you can phone 999 if you need to.



Hiya,

I used to work in Child & Families Social Work at a hospital (2003-8 so regulation might have changed since then).  We were not allowed to call the police on a client or a colleague due to confidentiality - sounds mad, I know, but that was a sackable offence.


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## joustmaster (Feb 6, 2018)

purenarcotic said:


> A court order to who? Who is going to be served an order if nobody knows who is sending the emails?
> 
> It is a horrible thing to happen I agree.


It would have to be a court order to google to get the original IP, and then the ISP of the sender.

How bad was the email? Death threats or something?


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## mauvais (Feb 6, 2018)

Schmetterling said:


> Hiya,
> 
> I used to work in Child & Families Social Work at a hospital (2003-8 so regulation might have changed since then).  We were not allowed to call the police on a client or a colleague due to confidentiality - sounds mad, I know, but that was a sackable offence.


That's the specifics of confidentiality of that role, and if mental health risk-related stuff now is anything to go by, probably not the case any more either


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## Voley (Feb 6, 2018)

I've called the law at work before now.  Not on a colleague, admittedly, but in an emergency I've done it a few times. I work in social housing and I've had people threaten suicide / set their flat on fire etc.


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## twentythreedom (Feb 6, 2018)

PippinTook I think your suggested courses of action are risky, unlikely to succeed and will quite possibly just make things worse

Stick with going through appropriate authorities for now, temphelpplease. Hang in there, and keep posting, lots of support here for you


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## Magnus McGinty (Feb 6, 2018)

It’s also possible that it isn’t someone who works with you at all. It’s someone who has a grudge though, clearly.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 7, 2018)

twentythreedom said:


> PippinTook I think your suggested courses of action are risky, unlikely to succeed and will quite possibly just make things worse


What?.
All of them???
I suggested legal action.
I also suggested the company could change from using gmail to a work email system that could be monitored.
I also suggested transparency and letting colleagues know what's going on.
Ok...maybe posting the offensive email on the office board is a step too far for some...but if all else fails...?
But I did contribute more than one suggestion.


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## Mumbles274 (Feb 7, 2018)

If you call the police, don't dial 999. It's not an emergency. 

I'd call the police for what its worth. They take malicious electronic stuff a lot more seriously these days


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## Supine (Feb 7, 2018)

How about replying with "fuck you, coward. Meet me in the car park at 5:30 for fistycuffs"


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## joustmaster (Feb 7, 2018)

PippinTook said:


> What?.
> I also suggested the company could change from using gmail to a work email system that could be monitored.


I think the OP said that the email came from a gmail address, to their work address.
Not that they use gmail at work...


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## Magnus McGinty (Feb 7, 2018)

Supine said:


> How about replying with "fuck you, coward. Meet me in the car park at 5:30 for fistycuffs"



Or publish the address here to increase the volume of fan mail.


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## existentialist (Feb 7, 2018)

Magnus McGinty said:


> Or publish the address here to increase the volume of fan mail.


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## Baronage-Phase (Feb 7, 2018)

Magnus McGinty said:


> Or publish the address here to increase the volume of fan mail.


Excellent idea...


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## RainbowTown (Feb 7, 2018)

Keep every bit of evidence you have, document it. Have a timeline to all that's occured. Also make a written note on all the people you've approached on this matter, include dates, times, responses etc.

Then inform your manager(s) and HR that unless steps are taken NOW to address the problem, you will be seeking outside legal advice forthwith. State to them,you'll give them a few days to respond. Be focused, firm and resilient. Good luck.


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## doodlelogic (Feb 10, 2018)

Schmetterling said:


> Hiya,
> 
> I used to work in Child & Families Social Work at a hospital (2003-8 so regulation might have changed since then).  We were not allowed to call the police on a client or a colleague due to confidentiality - sounds mad, I know, but that was a sackable offence.



It‘s this kind of shit that enabled Saville.


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## Corax (Feb 16, 2018)

temphelpplease said:


> so i used to be a long standing member but am locked out as i havent logged in in over a year /QUOTE]




ETA: Lazy Llama ?


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## Corax (Feb 16, 2018)

Schmetterling said:


> Hiya,
> 
> I used to work in Child & Families Social Work at a hospital (2003-8 so regulation might have changed since then).  We were not allowed to call the police on a client or a colleague due to confidentiality - sounds mad, I know, but that was a sackable offence.


I can't see how that in itself can be legal.

I spent over a decade in the NHS, so I'm very familiar with the confidentiality requirements. There's absolutely nothing that I came across which could possibly prevent anyone from calling the filth about suspected criminality though. I suspect that at the very least you weren't being told the whole picture. ..

Was this definitely *official policy,* or just _something your boss told you_?


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## Corax (Feb 16, 2018)

PippinTook said:


> I get that.
> But.....anonymous bullies who get away with this sort of thing tend to continue. They will go on until they get a reaction.


Sure. And the bully's ideal reaction will be a public one that warrant's a definitive reaction from HR. Just imagine their glee if confronted about it at work in front of witnesses.


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## Corax (Feb 16, 2018)

temphelpplease Just in case you'd not already realised this, absoluely DO NOT mention the existence of this thread to HR or anyone else at work. Their response would put your job at risk.


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## temphelpplease (Feb 19, 2018)

so latest is police have given me a crime number and someone is allocated to it but he has said essentially that they can't do anything much but they would email the address for me if I wished saying this is a crime to get it stopped. the emails are being quarantined - if any more have come through - so I'm not seeing them if they are. I know that what will happen is this will just go away and I will have to accept that this person won't get caught and can essentially do it again if they please, it's really effected how I feel about my work which is what they wanted all along but I am unable to jut get over it, it's so horrible. I wish I was loaded then I'd pay for a private investigation to try and find them out
thanks for all the advice and support


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## Corax (Feb 19, 2018)

If they receive an email from the police then it may at least shit them up enough to stop them doing it to the next person.


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