Being Watched

Sorry but, the story starts off without a bang, though things soon start to get interesting.

I See You is interjected with short chapters from ‘the stalker’, the creepiness of the stalker’s thoughts really bring home how important it is to be vigilant about your information, pictures and day to day movements. You just cannot underestimate the crazy things that go on in some people’s heads.

Imagine if people were setting up websites specifically to help stalkers find their next victim. Many of whom like to do more than just stalk. These websites display photographs you, details of your appearance, your daily routines, the journeys you take, the route you take, and the carriage you tend to sit in on the 7:30am train from platform 3……

New profiles being added daily without consent.

People pay to access the listings and select their prey – though it’s promoted as a  more down to earth means of getting close to someone you want to approach innocently, without all the trimmings of a traditional dating site. The website owner, knows better.

This is all part of what happens in I See You. 

A very disturbing possibility to say the least.

You don’t really know whether a chance meeting with a stinger is sheer coincidence, or a result of being watched, followed and targeted.

Paranoid? Maybe.

Better to be paranoid than naive?

You decide.

The author, Clare McKintosh comes from a police background – which makes me wonder how much of this book might be based on real life cases she’s worked on, despite being written as a work of fiction.

The twists pick up pace very quickly toward the end of the book, leaving us with a very unexpected finish.

I’d probably rate I See You an 8/10 based largely on it’s enlightening and awareness raising quality.

Blissfully Ignorant

In this day and age, complacency is not your friend, particularly around social media, privacy settings, uploading choice photos, and detailed information about your whereabouts and life in real time, with wild abandon.

This data can be the golden treasure that a potential fraudster, stalker or other cyber criminal needs to begin plans to do you harm. A sinister minority that muddy the waters for well intentioned online followers.

Read All About It

In the main stream news, we don’t seem hear much about cyber crime, or crimes aided by social media other than fraud or illegal organisation of terrorist events. But what about the role of social media in the planning and plotting of a murder? Go do your research!

Stalker

An interesting BBC article from a few years back noted that the profile of a cyber stalker is often characterised by social inadequacy in real life (or may lead to it through online obsessions). Anxious, isolated, depressed individuals who are out of synch with reality.

I wouldn’t be so sure though – since we live in an age where materialism and exhibitionism is at it’s all time peak, there are likely many jealous souls looking for sophisticated ways to achieve dastly deeds. Or bitter ex partners, friends who feel betrayed, the list goes on. I think anyone can be a predator, and I See You really highlights this in the story.

Wise up and be on your guard folks!

Fraudsters

“You are now 20 times more likely to be robbed while at your computer by a criminal based overseas than held up in the street, new figures have revealed.” Martin Evans, crime correspondent, Telegraph.

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