Being identified/users having my real name

[muchagirl]

Hello all--

I am relatively new to the cam girl scene, and have been using Chaturbate for the past 6 months with no issues. However, the last two times I broadcast, two separate users have identified me by my real first name! I don't know how this is happening, as I have a pseudonym listed in my profile and all accounts associated with my CB account. I have my home state blocked as well as the surrounding states as the company I work for in regular life is based out-of-state. I understand that some individuals use proxy IP settings, and that being recognized by someone I know is a risk that I am taking by performing on the internet. But these do not seem to be users that I know in real life, judging by the information listed in their profiles. Of course, both times I panicked, banned the user and stopped broadcasting immediately (because who wants to have sex with people they know, right?), which more or less feels like an admission of guilt for me, and I don't like that. I'm not invested enough in sex work nor do I make nearly enough to justify doing it full-time and outing myself to friends and family or deleting my Facebook account to avoid being recognized. But I also don't know so many people in the world that I should regularly be identified on a cam site.

My questions for the cam girl community are: 1.) How common is this? 2.) Am I missing something? What am I overlooking that could give users access to my identity? 3.) Do users ever use this as an intimidation or extortion technique? It's possible that people may have picked up on my name in the few times early on that my husband slipped up and called me by it while on cam, but it's been months since. Can any experienced cam girl tell me why this happens?

Thanks!

 

[Esther_Fae]

Is the email you used to create these accounts only connected to your model name? Are the photos you use only on your camming related sites? Things like reverse image search and looking up someones email aren't hard to do.

 

[Sansa]

Pretty much what Rose said. Keep absolutely everything separate, not even the same photos, no matter how much you like them.

If you have an amazon wishlist, twitter, tumblr, anything, make duplicate accounts.

 

[Sevrin]

It's possible that people may have picked up on my name in the few times early on that my husband slipped up and called me by it while on cam, but it's been months since.

If I had to guess, I'd say this is the most likely reason why members would know your name.

 

[Vera]

I had something similar happen a few months ago when I was still broadcasting on MFC, only they had somehow gotten a hold of my phone number. From there, they listened to my voicemail greeting and got my first name. Nothing ended up coming of it- I think trolls generally have a pretty short attention span as long as you ignore them. I totally second separating all of your accounts, though, and maybe changing your passwords to things if it will make you feel better. Chances are, an acquaintance IRL recognized you, or you had some sort of information shared between your cam persona and personal life.

I know how scary this is, and I hope nothing comes of it. *hugs*

 

[eclipse76]

Your location on your wishlist seems quite precise, if you ever said your real first name in the chat, they could have found you with a Facebook search.
And are you sure you never used the name "muchagirl" elsewhere before?

 

[muchagirl]

Thanks for the help! I haven't used that moniker or email address anywhere else except in connection with cam-related sites. The Amazon wish list is definitely something I can live without. In my experience, all it does it set models up to be scammed.

And I would never in a million years give out my phone number. My name isn't attached to the greeting anyway.

 

[DirtyMoneyXXX]

If (although obviously "forbidden" and warned against) you set up a PayPal, I am pretty sure you have to give your real info, also. ??? And if it was set up with your persona email address, it could have been searched for and your real name could have been discovered. Also, if you have received payment, I believe PayPal discloses the true identity of the recipient. Just a possible scenario.

If any of your persona social media was set up on your phone, it may have inadvertently used your phone number... Most use phone as an option for verification. Regardless of whether a voicemail is set up, a reverse phone number look up and a few dollars can identify you.

Of course, reverse image search is highly likely... I mean, the pics we take for persona are very pretty and why wouldn't we want to share the more vanilla pics with people who actually love us. Even if a picture is not identical to the persona pic, similarities are enough to show both personal and persona in search results. It wouldn't surprise me if some sort of facial recognition is (or likely will be) used as well. I have reversed a couple of my photos just see results and have found pics of other people who look similar to me or have similar pose/outfits/backgrounds/etc. Apple uses that technology in iPhoto and has similar malfunctions (like confusing me with family and friends who have similar looks). Scary, but possible.

It may also be wise to have a completely separate login/user on your computer (or maybe even a completely separate computer), strictly for camming, so personal info is not tied to anything (applications like contacts, iTunes, iPhoto or windows equivalent, etc). This will also prevent accidental social media posting from the wrong account (since your computer likely remembers the last account used or has one set up as a default). Uploading photos on your computer (within the same login/user name), even if stored externally afterwards, could possibly add meta data to them and reveal personal information (including date, time, location, and possibly even computer user name or worse, real name). In addition to the separate login/user name, upload everything to an external hard drive. Save all of your libraries for camming (photos, videos, music, etc) to this drive and not on the actual computer. This is also handy for when you get a new computer because you won't have to transfer then delete all of the camgirl stuff.

Of course, never follow, like, fav, etc, any of your persona social media from your personal social media... Including allowing anyone that knows you personally to do so.

Have a "bat phone". Purchase a new or used smart phone (or an old phone that has been completely restored to factory defaults and buy prepaid minutes so it is not traceable to you. Use this for all of your mobile apps and social sites, so there are no mistakes.

After all that, though... It is most likely that someone heard your name mentioned while live (as you mentioned had happened) and the member(s) were just taunting you. Also possible that something in your cam background could be identifying.

I'm sure I missed some possibilities, but there are so many potential identification hazards in this business. Not to mention a lot of creeps that get off on attempting to scare us.

 

[mfcbaldie]

I have encountered personal details for models a handful of times. This was by accident in two instances: one was from PayPal for a skype, where the model used her personal e-mail (duh!), and the other on an Amazon wishlist which had her name. I have to admit in each case I found them on Facebook and checked them out.

In the first case, the model got my name from PayPal as well, so I guess I was as busted as she was (I told her enough about myself that she would easily have been able to figure out who I was by googling my name). She disappeared one day, never to be seen on MFC again. No, I didn't stalk and murder her... she turned up on Facebook with a baby in about 7 months. She never did delete her MFC profile though.

In the second case, I told the model immediately via MFC mail that her personal information was exposed. But it's still up... and she wasn't quiet on cam about where she lived... and she knew that I lived in the same town for that matter. She disappeared from MFC as well - and meanwhile I've moved out of the country ... very suspicious! Have no fear, she's still alive on FB posting selfies

Otherwise two Romanian models have outright told me their identities, shared facebook, etc., but I suspect that I am at more risk than them! (Actually I do travel there on business but have stayed free of the temptation to meet). One is a 19-year-old who I can't tell whether she is just silly or a crafty minx... the other is 45 and I keep waiting for the "I need 1000 euros" shoe to drop, but it hasn't in 6 months now.

After 5 years on MFC, there is quite a list of models with whom I've spent some time and attention (and $$) - inevitably when they disappear they don't leave a forwarding address I'm trying not to be a creeper but it's nice knowing they are off on the next chapters of their lives and not just disappeared. I suppose it might be the same for models who have members disappear all the time.

 

[KylieJacobs]

This is a good thread with more information also: https://www.ambercutie.com/forums/viewt ... 5764&hilit

 

[Myriads]

I've run a major web fetish forum since 2000, and I chose to keep my identity pretty close, and for the most part that works, but as time passed, people started to pin my identity more often, and the reason was information creep.

Small bits of info add up over time. Clues to where you went to collage, Jobs you've held, events you attended, and so forth. With the massive web capacity to search things in everyones hands people can connect the dots a lot more simply these days. Reverse image searching is the next tool that is starting to overturn hidden info. It's hard to maintain full security. Heck I've known a few models who had their ID's blown because they shared the general area they grew up in, and people slogged thru the online yearbook pictures for the schools in that area.

And soon I'm sure Googles facial recognition and analysis + matching will come on line soon, it's a service where you can upload an image and they will find all other images on the web with that exact face for you. That will be a real identity hiding killer, especially for people like yourselves who have face visible web jobs. Eventually a screenshot and a search will turn up any other picture on the web you are in. Privacy is not part of the future I fear.

I'm not sure if you suffered from information creep and a dedicated searcher, but because two different people found you, odds are there is an ID leak someplace that is pretty easy to look at. The Amazon wishlist sounds like a strong possibility. They can be notorious for displaying stuff that you don't want, or narrowing a geographic search to manageable size.

I know how disturbing it is to be identified. And I'm regretful it's happened to you. A very unsettling experience. I hope that you are able to process it, and continue with the work you choose.

Myriads