Someone's Using My IP

I've been told my IP address is one of a cpl that's being used by a person harrassing someone online via facebook/email/forums.

How is this even possible and how can I prevent it from ever happening again?

Thanks in advance for ANY help!!!

 

Welcome to Majorgeeks megh

a: IP addresses often change, unless you have opted for and probably paid more for, a fixed IP address.

b: with a non-fixed IP, should your router/modem disconnect, the next connection in line will likely get the old IP you just had.

I'd ignore it tbh.

Unless, that is, you have noticed anything unusual happening on your computer or someone who may be involved with making the accusations has had access to it.

 

Another possibility - if you have an unsecured wireless router and said person is piggybacking on your connection to do the harassment.

 

satrow & lbmest - Thanks for the replies & welcome. I've found answers to quite a few pc problems in the forums here so I'm really hoping someone here has some insight into this problem.

I never had reason to keep track of my IP address until this came up a month ago. Since then I've checked daily and it's always the same. This is a home connection/personal pc, I'm the only one using it. No one touches my pc but me and it's secure, keep it updated, use AVG/malware/spyware progs weekly. No strangeness, unknown services or progs running in the backround. I'm not sure about the connection itself, though. I use a 2Wire wireless router on an AT&T DSL line. I've never done anything to it since I first set it up some 4-5yrs ago.

I can't ignore this. This was a call to my home by a Private Investigator, both he and the person being harrassed are who they claim. At first he claimed it was me but I was visiting family in another part of the state the first few months this started. And of course, he isn't being paid to help ME so now I have to figure out how this was done by myself.

I never even knew you could find an IP of someone looking on your Facebook/email/forums, let alone track the IP to an individual. He claims he did some type of "scan" (?) to see where the IP has been online but wouldn't elaborate. I did a lot of searching on the net about all this and the only thing I can think of is someone smart enough to fake their IP when they did this harassing and I was just the unlucky person who had that IP the past few months it's been being used to harass this person. Could that be what it was?

Thanks again for any help. I swear this is enough to make me unplug my modem for a year.

 

Hmm, if any of the IP data was released by FB or forums legitimately to a PI or complainant, it would likely contain much more than just IP addresses; there could also be evidence of machine 'fingerprinting' for the user(s) of that IP address. Details would include Operating System, Service Pack level, OS add-ons, details of Web browser used and probably more.

To secure your end of the connection, you need to check that you have changed your Admin password on the 2Wire to something complex and non-dictionary based. Turn off the wireless, connect to it only via ethernet cable. Then check that there is no way that someone could gain physical access to your home without you being aware that it had happened.

 

I'm not certain what all was obtained from who, legitimately or not since I'm not the one who hired this company and they aren't very forthcoming citing privacy issues involved, etc. I was told it was my IP that was traced, not my pc. I offered to let them do whatever they needed to prove my pc wasn't used but they said it wasn't necessary at that point.

I'm fairly certain no one broke into my home to use my pc while I wasn't home. No one has keys and my neighbors would of mentioned lights on, etc. esp since my next door neighbor is law enforcement and I asked him to keep an eye on things while I was away.

I didn't think of turning off the wireless itself. (duh) My pc has always been connected via ethernet, the wireless was used by my kids before the last went off to college 2yrs ago. It's turned off now (thank you) and shall remain that way.

 

Ah, if you have someone in law enforcement as a neighbor, it might be an idea to talk through the problem with them if you get the opportunity.

Do you have any dates/times when the harassment was supposed to have taken place?

 

Already spoke to the neighbor, he's the one who checked out the PI for me to see if he was legit. He tells me I'm fine legally since I'm not the one doing the harrassing and can prove it but wasn't much help on the pc technical aspects.

The dates involved were June-Aug and Dec 2011. They won't say anything further.

I spoke with ATT today as well, got nowhere since it's the weekend but I did notice my IP is different now than it was earlier today. lol

 

Hmm, strange - try to keep tabs on your own IP, it's a right pain though.

Hmm, June-Aug and December, that's holiday seasons for some professions perhaps?

 

satrow - I was thinking maybe a college kid in his offtime or visiting his parents and somehow used my connection. I honestly can't be sure I turned the router off last summer before I left. It's in a fairly difficult to reach area, on a seperate surge prot. that has peripherals I turn on only when I use them so I might of forgotten to turn it off, tbh, I just don't remember.

LauraR - I did turn it off and back on after reading your post and yes, there's now another different IP address. It's pretty much been on 24/7 before this so perhaps thats why the IP was the same while I've been keeping tabs on it?

And like I wrote, they're claiming my IP was involved, not my PC, and I'm pretty positive my pc isn't being hacked or anything. I'm not worried about them doing anything to me personally since it wasn't me, just annoyed and frustrated ... I don't like not knowing how someone can abuse what belongs to me and want to make certain it doesn't happen again.

 

Thanks LauraR, I most definitely will be calling ATT Monday to ask about all of this.

 

Your IP is probably dynamic as are most home situations. You are assigned an IP from your provider from a pool of addresses and use that for a set time (lease interval) or a reset occurs (as in power outage) and that IP is specifically yours for that length of time.
A static IP, which costs more per month, is used more in business applications where networking access is needed in a stable situation. The IP never changes without some prior notice on the part of the provider.

Actually, getting a new modem from the ISP would be a good avenue so you can be sure no settings have been tampered with in the configuration of the modem.
The ISP could swap it out and help you set up a secure connection since you will be talking with them anyway. I would think they would do this at a minimal charge if you explain the situation.
My 2 cents.

 

@ gloozit: wireless security is fairly easy to bypass/hack/crack. Currently the wireless on the router is disabled anyway, Megh connects the PC via ethernet.

 

I dont know how, but I have had a similar experiance recently. I played on a gambling site and won 10.5k, it was fantastic. However when I wanted to withdraw the money next day, it was gone. The site said it had been played out from my IP address. This was impossible as we were not at home, but they saisd there was no evidence of hacking/ I think it must be possible as it definately was not me or my husband. No one else lives at my house, or uses my computer.