Edmonton woman target of men drawn by online dating profile created by ex-boyfriend

[Tennis]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...iend-1.4129508

She shudders with fear every time the buzzer in her apartment sounds, terrified the next stranger at the door looking for sex won't take no for an answer.

The young mother believes her ex-boyfriend has set up a series of fake dating profiles under her name, encouraging men to arrive at the apartment for late-night sexual encounters.

"My main concern is my safety, because if he sends the wrong sex-crazed maniac to my house … and he forces his way in, who knows what could happen," said the woman, whom CBC has decided not to name out of concern for her safety.

"I haven't slept in a week," she said.

The woman lives in an apartment in Edmonton's Capilano neighbourhood, and recently a series of strange men have appeared at her home, looking for sex.

In the span of four evenings, more than 30 strangers showed up unannounced.

The incidents have been reported to Edmonton police and are being investigated.

'It could get pretty dangerous'

"They're buzzing and saying that they're here for the meet-ups that they had arranged on Plenty of Fish," the woman said, referring to the online dating site. "But that's a fake profile my ex has set up to get back at me.

"If it was just me, that would be one thing. But it's me and my eight- and nine-year-old kids. That's what makes it even scarier."

So far, none of the men have gained entry to the building. But the unwelcome visits have become so unbearable the woman is moving to a new apartment to try to escape the harassment.

"Thank God, they've all been pretty decent," she said of the strangers who have come to her building.

"I tell them it's a fake profile and the police are coming, and they take off pretty fast. But if a neighbour happens to be coming home when they're at the door and lets them in, it could get pretty dangerous."

The young mother claims her former boyfriend of five years is responsible for the harassment.

"He was a very, very abusive man," she said, "and I've been trying to get away from him for a while."

A few days after she took out an emergency restraining order against him, she said, she got a threatening email. He vowed that if she "didn't do the right thing" he would start sending men to her house.

Within 24 hours, the first stranger appeared at the building's front door.

What to do when you're harassed online: Tips from people who have experienced it

Her attempts to have the fake profiles removed from the dating website have been unsuccessful. She has called and messaged the company numerous times, she said, but has received no direct response.

CBC News called and emailed the Vancouver-based company Plenty of Fish, asking for comment for this story.

Company spokesperson Shannon Smith said the accounts could be removed immediately if the woman could provide the fraudulent usernames.

Plenty of Fish does have a strict anti-harassment policy, and multiple ways for users to report abusive or fraudulent profiles. However, the company spokesperson declined to provide further comment on what processes are in place to prevent fake profiles, or what happens when complaints are flagged to police.
Women disproportionately targeted

Out of frustration with the company, the woman has posted a warning about her experience on a support network page for abused women in Alberta. Since then, she has learned she's not alone.

"There's actually a lot of women saying that their exes have done it to them too, and there's never been a way to get it to stop," she said. "It's scary."

Research indicates that women and girls tend to be the primary targets of some forms of cyber violence.

Wow. Lock this guy up. We have no place for such hateful actions in 2017.

[Zogarth]

Lock the guy up that is for sure. But I don't think she is in any particular danger unless she gets REALLY unlucky, it is more of a major inconvenience and harassment. I think the vast VAST majority of men who respond to any of those profiles will just leave if they find out it is fake, just as the 30 guys who did come already did. And even if the guy is insistent, i think the fact that there are kids around will completely deter even potential rapists.

[Video Games]

I hate even when the mail man knocks on my door. I can't imagine how she feels.

[Tennis]

I hate even when the mail man knocks on my door. I can't imagine how she feels.

Aww I miss your old avatar.

[Molis]

Why do you assume the ex boyfriend is guilty?

[Independent voter]

Sue. Does he have a house? Job, 401K, car, pension or anything of value? He'd be pretty remorseful if he had $300 a month garnished from his wages.

I don't see why we have to make everything a crime.

[Azadina]

Sue. Does he have a house? Job, 401K, car, pension or anything of value? He'd be pretty remorseful if he had $300 a month garnished from his wages.

I don't see why we have to make everything a crime.

Ignoring that he has apparently violated restraining order twice with his actions, I'm pretty sure he's committing crime with the actions themselves.

[Tennis]

Clearly this guy didn't read the article. 401K?

That doesn't exist here.

[RobertoCarlos]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...iend-1.4129508



Wow. Lock this guy up. We have no place for such hateful actions in 2017.

Oh no tenn! this is awful! What can we do??

[Deleted]

LOL

take that crazy ex

[Video Games]

Aww I miss your old avatar.

Hifumi? Well we'll see if I change back.

[Nirawen]

Just swap the door numbers with the apartment opposite, problem well and truly solved.

[Nirawen]

You mean problem shifted to someone who had fuck all to do with any of this. Real good idea.

To which I'd offer them the same advice, solved once again.

[Stop Pretending]

Sound the alarms! People do shitty things. Why you act surprised each time leads me to believe you live a very, very sheltered life.

[BananaHandsB]

Just swap the door numbers with the apartment opposite, problem well and truly solved.

That's how u get evicted, and likely sued by your neighbor. Would be really dumb.

[Tennis]

Sound the alarms! People do shitty things. Why you act surprised each time leads me to believe you live a very, very sheltered life.

Nonsense. The fact that you've normalized this type of hateful behaviour is a serious problem!

[Stop Pretending]

Nonsense. The fact that you've normalized this type of hateful behaviour is a serious problem!

I never said it was normal, I'm sorry you fail at reading comprehension. Acting like bad things don't happen, and when they do, you act shocked, is telling of the sheltered life you live.

[Lazuli]

My friend did this to me one time, I was hungover af and people just started walking through my house. Confused as fuck I eventually find out he made a craigslist post that said I wanted to give away my fridge and the post said to just walk in. Summer time so door was open etc. It was revenge for signing him up for barbie magazine lol.

You can do this with any similar site not just plentyoffish. Yeah it's fucked -_-

[Torto]

Clearly the ex is a moron and the police should be involved if they aren't already.

However, why is it that some women are attracted to abusive men? How can you enter a relationship and not see or choose to ignore the warning signs? Who wants to bet that her next relationship will be with a man who turns out to be another abusive cretin.

[Jimson]

Clearly the ex is a moron and the police should be involved if they aren't already.

However, why is it that some women are attracted to abusive men? How can you enter a relationship and not see or choose to ignore the warning signs? Who wants to bet that her next relationship will be with a man who turns out to be another abusive cretin.

It's not a matter of being attracted to an abusive man. It's more along the lines of "I really like this guy, then he punched me, but then he said he was sorry and it wouldn't happen again" repeated to some extent. Coupled with emotional abuse and a manipulative way of making you feel like you're stuck with him, because no one will believe you and he may kill you if you leave.