Hello all, thanks in advance for reading...
I ask that you put aside any sort of judgment of me for the moment and help advise. Please. Sunday night I had too much to drink and got into an argument with my SO; I got the ridiculous idea to make a "casual encounters" ad on craigslist stating I was in an LTR, but looking to make a friend, etc. Like an idiot, I listed one of my email addresses. less than 30 minutes later I came to my senses and thought "wtf am I thinking??" and immediately took the ad down. It was just a sheer moment of insanity.
The next morning, I receive an email from some anonymous G-mail user that was addressed to the email I put in my temporary listing, AND to my personal personal email address (which you could find after some googling, I do freelance work and have a web site, etc.) This person sent me an email and explained that they "knew" my SO as an "acquaintance" and was trying to teach me a lesson.
It read something like: "It would be in your mutual interests that you reveal this ad and your honest intentions to ***(SO). be clear, open, and honest. i will anonymously send her the attached image file from your craigslist ad and this e-mail one week from today or after you've let me know that you have had the discussion.
i understand if you feel frustrated or even a little violated. i have nothing against you personally...... nor anything to gain or lose. i do not desire to be mean to you, just a respectful friend of (***SO)and good human being. whatever the problems confronting your relationship may be, i sincerely hope that you two might perhaps use this as an opportunity to work through them.
...i would even be willing to facilitate mediation of a non-professional and un-clinical sort. an uninvolved third party can bring some clarity of thought to an emotional situation.... from your ad, that kind of communication does sound like something that you might appreciate and respond to. but you'd each have to agree about it. i will not meet with you alone or do anything that might create a false impression of bias or impropriety. trust is essential in every form of productive human relationships. (signed anonymous)"
the attached JPG included a screen shot of the CL ad, and several tabs in a firefox browser that showed pages to our house remodel blog, my blogger user profile, her blogger user profile, and a tab to our actual house blog.
I haven't responded to this person but it would be easy for this person to find her email. My god, I had a horrible intention but I did NOT act on it, and she and I are scheduled for a couples counseling once I start school in a few weeks since our insurance companies are very expensive for "specialists".
I don't know what to do. I do not want to show her the ad if I can somehow circumvent this creep. I already snuck on her PC yesterday and blocked the sender's (known) email address, as well as anything that has "craigslist" in the subject.
Is there anything legally I can do? I don't know how to handle blackmail but I know you are not supposed to get angry. I have considered responding to this person, with image attached, and CC'ing my SO's "email" (one that is similar to hers because there are characters that can make it look real), as well as CCing a "fake" attorney at a Houston law firm. I want to say something like, "The discussion has been had between us, and our attorney at such and such law firm has initiated a subpoena to Google Gmail User Support to retrieve the original email you sent. Legal action will be pursued if you make contact with either of us again for (blackmail???)"
I can't track this person's IP because it's from Google. I don't know if this is someone who actually KNOWS my SO, because if I came across one of MY friends' SOs ad on craigslist, I'd probably tell them right away depending on my friendship with their SO (IE tell them to cut the crap or straight up tell the other party).
Is this blackmail? Do I have ANY sort of recourse? Would the "fake" email scare the anonymous user? I'm at a loss. Please help.
I ask that you put aside any sort of judgment of me for the moment and help advise. Please. Sunday night I had too much to drink and got into an argument with my SO; I got the ridiculous idea to make a "casual encounters" ad on craigslist stating I was in an LTR, but looking to make a friend, etc. Like an idiot, I listed one of my email addresses. less than 30 minutes later I came to my senses and thought "wtf am I thinking??" and immediately took the ad down. It was just a sheer moment of insanity.
The next morning, I receive an email from some anonymous G-mail user that was addressed to the email I put in my temporary listing, AND to my personal personal email address (which you could find after some googling, I do freelance work and have a web site, etc.) This person sent me an email and explained that they "knew" my SO as an "acquaintance" and was trying to teach me a lesson.
It read something like: "It would be in your mutual interests that you reveal this ad and your honest intentions to ***(SO). be clear, open, and honest. i will anonymously send her the attached image file from your craigslist ad and this e-mail one week from today or after you've let me know that you have had the discussion.
i understand if you feel frustrated or even a little violated. i have nothing against you personally...... nor anything to gain or lose. i do not desire to be mean to you, just a respectful friend of (***SO)and good human being. whatever the problems confronting your relationship may be, i sincerely hope that you two might perhaps use this as an opportunity to work through them.
...i would even be willing to facilitate mediation of a non-professional and un-clinical sort. an uninvolved third party can bring some clarity of thought to an emotional situation.... from your ad, that kind of communication does sound like something that you might appreciate and respond to. but you'd each have to agree about it. i will not meet with you alone or do anything that might create a false impression of bias or impropriety. trust is essential in every form of productive human relationships. (signed anonymous)"
the attached JPG included a screen shot of the CL ad, and several tabs in a firefox browser that showed pages to our house remodel blog, my blogger user profile, her blogger user profile, and a tab to our actual house blog.
I haven't responded to this person but it would be easy for this person to find her email. My god, I had a horrible intention but I did NOT act on it, and she and I are scheduled for a couples counseling once I start school in a few weeks since our insurance companies are very expensive for "specialists".
I don't know what to do. I do not want to show her the ad if I can somehow circumvent this creep. I already snuck on her PC yesterday and blocked the sender's (known) email address, as well as anything that has "craigslist" in the subject.
Is there anything legally I can do? I don't know how to handle blackmail but I know you are not supposed to get angry. I have considered responding to this person, with image attached, and CC'ing my SO's "email" (one that is similar to hers because there are characters that can make it look real), as well as CCing a "fake" attorney at a Houston law firm. I want to say something like, "The discussion has been had between us, and our attorney at such and such law firm has initiated a subpoena to Google Gmail User Support to retrieve the original email you sent. Legal action will be pursued if you make contact with either of us again for (blackmail???)"
I can't track this person's IP because it's from Google. I don't know if this is someone who actually KNOWS my SO, because if I came across one of MY friends' SOs ad on craigslist, I'd probably tell them right away depending on my friendship with their SO (IE tell them to cut the crap or straight up tell the other party).
Is this blackmail? Do I have ANY sort of recourse? Would the "fake" email scare the anonymous user? I'm at a loss. Please help.
