What is SMS / Text Message Harassment?

Harassment via SMS messages can mean a number of things, such as flooding victims with massive amounts of messages, sending abusive messages and even sexually inappropriate messages in the workplace.

There are steps you can take if you are dealing with this harassment; it usually starts with reporting it to the police. Later when evidence needs to be found, you will have to contact digital forensic experts to recover the harasser’s SMS messages for evidence. Consider contacting DLA Digital Forensics – with the latest SMS recovery tools and software, DLA can assist investigators and attorneys acquire evidence.

One way someone can harass a victim with text messages is to send hundreds of messages in one day, or even in a few hours. The messages harassers send can differ though, some are abusive after a dating failure others are violent messages sent from bullies. Some other tactics used include sending SMS messages in the middle of the night, or at times when the victims are busy and cannot be distracted.

If you feel you are a victim of SMS / text message harassment, make sure to block the messages, report it immediately and seek help!

Be careful what you text!

Couples who may be heading toward a nasty break-up should always be extra careful when they send SMSs or WhatsApp messages. These messages could end up as evidence against them in divorce court!

In the past years, because of advances in digital forensics, there has been a huge spike in the number of cases using evidence from iPhones and other smartphones.

With emails, you can always think about what you’re writing and rewrite them. There is a windows of opportunity to rethink what you are saying, however with instant messaging, it is immediate. Many people send out messages without even thinking.

This is described as “spontaneous venting” and it can come back to haunt you! These instant messages can be recovered at a later stage to reveal your thoughts, actions and intentions.

SMSs, WhatsApp messages and other instant messages have been the most common form of divorce evidence taken from smartphones, followed by emails, phone numbers, call history, GPS and internet search histories.

Divorce lawyers advise their clients not to use Facebook to send messages or post inappropriate statuses, as it is the main source of divorce evidence from social media. However, only about half the couples actually follow their advice.

Anything that is in writing, you have to assume that someday a judge is going to see it. So, if it is not something that you don’t want a judge to see – don’t write it down!

You can always erase your messages, but that doesn’t mean they erase theirs.

With the latest tools and forensic software, the digital investigators at DLA are able to assist investigators and attorneys from their Cape Town offices on a national basis.

At DLA, it is possible to forensically acquire material from basic handsets to the latest smartphones, from all mobile and cell phone manufacturers using a range of advanced forensic and data recovery techniques.