Sheenagh Aindreaa year agoI (24F) am currently facing a distressing situation involving my ex-boyfriend (24M), who has created a website that impersonates me and portrays me in a horrific light. The website, which is myname.com, ranks first on Google when someone searches for me. This has become a significant issue as I am in medical school, and my administration has informed me that I need to prove he is behind this website or risk jeopardizing my future in the program. My ex and I were together for four years, but we broke up under traumatic circumstances. On the day my brother passed away, he refused to come to the hospital to support me, which led me to tell him I never wanted to speak to him again. It was a bizarre and painful experience, especially since I was desperate for his support during such a difficult time. Nine months later, I discovered that someone had bought the domain of my name and created a website impersonating me. The site features black and white photos of me with my eyes blacked out and includes several blog posts that are not only disturbing but also well-written, making them seem more credible. This impersonation is damaging my reputation and threatening my position in medical school, as it could severely impact my chances of securing a residency. I learned about the website when a mentor of mine found it and alerted me and the administration. They have made it clear that I need to provide evidence that my ex-boyfriend is behind this site. I attempted to trace the IP address back to him, but he seems to be using an Amazon VPN, which complicates matters. When I checked the domain registration through WHOIS, I found that he used a proxy service to hide his identity, making it even harder to prove his involvement. Additionally, I discovered that he had been logged into my iCloud account on his laptop since our breakup, giving him access to my texts, emails, social media, and photos. I worry that he may have become jealous and created this website to hurt me. I filed a police report, but the authorities have not taken my case seriously enough to assign a detective. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to hire a lawyer, as I am already struggling with student loans. I feel stuck and overwhelmed, not only by the legal and technical challenges but also by the emotional fallout from this situation. I thought I would marry him; he was my best friend, and now I am left trying to understand why he would treat me this way. I still have feelings for him, and it’s painful to grapple with the abandonment and trust issues that have arisen from this experience. I am reaching out for advice on both the technical and emotional fronts. How can I gather the evidence I need to prove his involvement? And how can I begin to heal from the trauma of this betrayal? I am determined not to let him ruin everything I have worked so hard for, but I need guidance on how to move forward.1115
Sheenagh AindreaSheenagh Aindrea