A week ago a major scandal silently erupted beneath the surface of ExpatExposed.com and the few bubbles which made it to the surface gave little away about the pelagic rumblings deep beneath.
Here’s what happened as it was told to me.
Some members of the ExpatExposed forum community (called Exxies) were discussing the removal or censoring of anti-NZ material from ExpatForum’s New Zealand community (hereafter called Expaters) when the conversation turned to the immigration advice which is often given on ExpatForum.
Exxie A decided to take it upon them self to raise an official complaint to the immigration licensing authority about the Expater moderator giving unlicensed immigration advice on ExpatForum.
Using readily available material from the Expater moderator’s own web site www.arttel.co.nz/wiki/doku.php?id=home which she publicized in her posts on ExpatForum, Exxie A published the moderator’s name on ExpatExposed.
TIT FOR TAT
New member JSaddler (who had recently joined the ExpatExposed community) responded by publishing Exxie A’s alleged name on ExpatExposed.
JSaddler also published a Google search directing interested parties directly to Exxie A’s private family album and blog, showing pictures of Exxie A’s immediate family. Things were beginning to get dirty but this was to be only the tip of the iceberg.
Exxie A was forced into withdrawing his posts and JSaddler agreed to do the same. Like civilized adults they shook on the arrangement. I do not know if the complaint to the immigration licensing authority was withdrawn.
Exxie A visited the ExpatForum to make peace with the Expaters mod, asking if she were the troll JSaddler. She denied she was JSaddler. Exxie A believed that to be the end of the matter and the dust settled.
Or did it? This was what was going on off forum.
Within a few hours someone set up a fake Facebook account using Exxie A’s real name.
On this Facebook page were copies of Exxie A’s posts taken from from Expat Exposed, many of them criticizing life and work in New Zealand.
The imposter had sent friend requests to Exxie A’s work colleagues and boss. Those people viewed the Facebook entries and were not amused, Exxie A came within a hair's breath of losing his job.
Facebook responded to a take down request but not before irreparable damage had been done.
SPANIELS
Having accomplished one major operation the next move from JSaddler was to stalk another person from Expatexposed. I shall call her Exxie 2 (B*****m) who was also a member of a dog owner’s forum, she was unconnected with Expatforum.
JSaddler stalked Exxie B's online profile and then posted this thinly disguised threat on ExpatExposed.
The implication was this – Exxie 2 you’re next for a massive invasion of privacy.
This is the link to the thinly veiled threat http://www.expatexposed.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=51343&highlight=#51343 made by JSaddler towards Exxie 2.
Quote:
"Hello all my cheerful friends.
I have been watching with interest how your former colleague deleted
most of his posts from all forums, plus his blog and escapenz website.
I first thought this was an over reaction and just mentioned it to a
colleague who works for a recruitment agency. “Not at all” was his
response. Most companies now trawl the web for info about prospective
employees, going beyond the facebook looking for other posts that might
reflect upon the persons character. So basically the game is, would a
new employer prefer some one with a positive attitude or one who spends
there time moaning about their life.
Please note, I do not belong to any gaming website, that’s all to tedious
Hi b*****m do you have a springer spaniel?"
Compare the last line of that message with an earlier private message sent to Exxie A by the Expater moderator (the one whose name he published on Expatexposed.)
The following sentence was in a private message on ExpatForum and the two parties had never discussed b******m before. B*****m was in no way connected to Expatforum and was not a member there.
"PS I love B*****m’s dog – Springer spaniels are one of my favourite breeds"It seems that there may be a direct link between JSaddler and the ExapatForum moderator.
What can we take away from this appalling, piece of on-line harassment?
Do not give out personal details, or links from which your name or address may be found. Safeguard your private data and that of your family. You never know when some sick person is going to come along and violate it. Or when you will become a victim of identity theft.
Since I wrote this blog another member of the Expatexposed community has been stalked. An anonymous person phoned his employer and workplace, resulting in him being dismissed. I may write more about this later.
Comments have now been published.
