When a Stranger Decides to Destroy Your Life

[ABX]

The internet is getting nasty...

Monika Glennon has lived in Huntsville, Alabama, for the last 12 years. Other than a strong Polish accent, she fits a certain stereotype of the All-American life. She’s blonde. Her husband is a veteran Marine. Her two children, a boy and a girl, joined the military as adults. She sells houses—she’s a real estate agent at Re/Max—helping others realize their own American dream.
But in September 2015, she was suddenly plunged into an American nightmare. She got a call at 6 a.m. one morning from a colleague at Re/Max telling her something terrible had been posted about her on the Re/Max Facebook page. Glennon thought at first she meant that a client had left her a bad review, but it turned out to be much worse than that......

//snip//

....The story was re-posted on other sites, including one called BadBizReport.is where it has been viewed over 95,000 times. It quickly became the top search result for Glennon’s name on Google. Within a year, Glennon was experiencing the repercussions: Her number of listings dropped by half. She estimates that she’s lost $200,000 in business since 2015.....

//snip//

...Eventually, after $100,000 in attorney’s bills, Glennon was able to unmask the culprit. It turned out to be a complete stranger who had been offended by a comment Glennon had made about a news article on Facebook.....

https://gizmodo.com/when-a-stranger-decides-to-destroy-your-life-1827546385

[ABX]

The bad part, if you search for this relator, this fake story about her is still all over the place on review sites. Example:
http://www.badbizreport.is/monika-scott-glennon-huntsville-alabama/

[Slide Rule]

Deciding to destroy someone's life can have consequences.

You may very well encounter a drastic reaction.

[ABX]

Deciding to destroy someone's life can have consequences.

You may very well encounter a drastic reaction.

Doxxing and cyber bullying are illegal for a reason.

A photographer in Dallas was being harassed by clients who left fake reviews all over the web about her. She ended up winning a bit over $1Million from them.

[SZonian]

The bad part, if you search for this relator, this fake story about her is still all over the place on review sites. Example:
http://www.badbizreport.is/monika-scott-glennon-huntsville-alabama/

Apparently, badbizreport is overseas based on their "American lawyers make us laugh." statement in the article.  So they apparently will not be complying with the judges orders to remove the material from their site(s).  Google is just as evil in their foot dragging in removing the "indexing" to this poor woman's name.

[Sanguine]

Glennon was able to unmask the culprit. It turned out to be a complete stranger who had been offended by a comment Glennon had made about a news article on Facebook.

Another reason not to use FB.  And, unfortunately, shows the need to mask your identity on line.

[truth_seeker]

Doxxing and cyber bullying are illegal for a reason.

A photographer in Dallas was being harassed by clients who left fake reviews all over the web about her. She ended up winning a bit over $1Million from them.

And she collected how much? And she collected how much net, after her legal costs?

[ABX]

Another reason not to use FB.  And, unfortunately, shows the need to mask your identity on line.

Or use it to create a controlled public image. (ie be careful how you use it, think of it as creating a personal brand around yourself).

[ABX]

And she collected how much? And she collected how much net, after her legal costs?

I think I recall it was about half after he lawyer's fees. There was a big article in a photography magazine about it.

[truth_seeker]

Or use it to create a controlled public image. (ie be careful how you use it, think of it as creating a personal brand around yourself).

What is your professional recommendation for this lady realtor?
--She held a state  license, with her name, number, employing broker, address, phone number fully public.
--Physical office location, phone no., email, website urls

--Now open house locations, times on the internet
--


--The physical safety of females showing properties, holding open houses etc. is a big issue today.

Realtors are highly vulnerable. 

[ABX]

What is your professional recommendation for this lady realtor?
--She held a state  license, with her name, number, employing broker, address, phone number fully public.
--Physical office location, phone no., email, website urls

--Now open house locations, times on the internet
--


--The physical safety of females showing properties, holding open houses etc. is a big issue today.

Realtors are highly vulnerable.

I have no clue. I know there are reputation firms one can hire to help clean these things up but I doubt they are cheap.

[truth_seeker]

I have no clue. I know there are reputation firms one can hire to help clean these things up but I doubt they are cheap.

I failed to make myself clear. I mean guard against physical harm, too. Realtors almost by definition, but increasingly any professional too, is an open book.


Reputation is one thing, but personal safety is yet another.

[ABX]

I failed to make myself clear. I mean guard against physical harm, too. Realtors almost by definition, but increasingly any professional too, is an open book.


Reputation is one thing, but personal safety is yet another.

That's a very good point, and frankly a good discussion for anyone in a similar field. We have an agent here who has been sponsoring concealed carry classes for other agents and those who support them for a few years after an agent up near Little Rock was kidnapped, raped, and killed when she went to what she thought was a home showing. With some people going completely nuts over things said on the internet, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these internet attacks turn into physical ones.

[truth_seeker]

That's a very good point, and frankly a good discussion for anyone in a similar field. We have an agent here who has been sponsoring concealed carry classes for other agents and those who support them for a few years after an agent up near Little Rock was kidnapped, raped, and killed when she went to what she thought was a home showing. With some people going completely nuts over things said on the internet, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these internet attacks turn into physical ones.

I've worked from the same office for 18 years. One of our "managing" brokers, is an ex-police officer.

Do not meet strangers, in strange places, alone. Use teams. Use buddy system. And use electronic sigs when they suffice.

Finally IF somebody works in an area where concealed carry is not easily legally obtained, carry the damn gun anyway. But know how and when to use it.

Realtors, loan agents, others. are highly public, therefore exposed too.

[Free Vulcan]

What's scary is the mentality behind it and how many are out there that would do this in a heartbeat to someone for simply disagreeing with them.

Worse, for taking out political enemies and squelching their speech. Even worse, organizing groups to lurk around the web into some kind of internet hunter/killer teams on a scorched earth mission.

And the internet gives them so much power to do this.