Personal Safety
Starts With Knowledge
Practical protection tactics for adults facing harassment, stalking, dating risks, fraud, threats, or suspicious contact. Developed by licensed investigators with law enforcement backgrounds — direct, actionable, and designed for real situations.
The information on this page is general safety education. If you are in immediate danger, contact 911 immediately. If your situation requires formal investigation, request a CPIA case assessment.
Situational Awareness
Knowing how to read your environment — online and in person — is the foundation of personal safety. Situational awareness isn't about paranoia. It's about knowing who is around you, what's unusual, and what your exit options are before you need them.
Key Tactics
- Maintain awareness of who is watching or following you
- Trust your instincts — discomfort is data, not weakness
- Establish baseline behavior so you can recognize deviation
- Know your exits before you're in a situation that requires them
- Limit personal information visible on social media and public profiles
Dating & New-Contact Safety
New relationships — romantic or professional — represent genuine risk if the other person's identity and intentions aren't verified. Most dating fraud and exploitation follows predictable patterns.
Key Tactics
- Meet in public places for initial contacts
- Tell someone where you're going and who you're meeting
- Conduct a basic search of any new contact before meeting
- Be cautious of anyone who moves unusually fast emotionally or financially
- Avoid sharing personal address, workplace, or financial information early
- Recognize when someone avoids video calls or in-person meetings
Stalking & Harassment Documentation
If you are being stalked or harassed, proper documentation is essential — both for your personal safety and for any eventual law enforcement or legal action. Documentation quality directly affects case outcomes.
Key Tactics
- Log every incident with date, time, location, and witnesses
- Preserve all communications — do not delete threatening messages
- Screenshot and archive social media activity before blocking
- Save contact records, emails, voicemails, and texts with metadata
- Report to law enforcement and obtain a case number for each report
- Keep a physical copy of all documentation in a separate location
Personal Information Protection
Your personal information is the primary tool used in fraud, impersonation, and exploitation. Controlling what is available about you significantly reduces your risk profile.
Key Tactics
- Use unique passwords and two-factor authentication on all accounts
- Minimize what you share publicly on social media
- Remove your information from data broker sites
- Shred documents with personal or financial information
- Use a P.O. box or virtual address when possible
- Review your credit report regularly for unauthorized activity
Fraud & Impersonation Prevention
Financial fraud and impersonation scams target individuals of all ages and income levels. Recognizing the tactics is the most reliable prevention.
Key Tactics
- Verify any financial request before sending money or information
- Be suspicious of urgent requests, especially those involving gift cards or wire transfers
- Call back on official numbers — never call back on numbers provided in suspect messages
- Understand that government agencies do not call and demand immediate payment
- Never share login credentials or one-time codes with anyone
- When in doubt, stop and verify through a trusted channel before acting
When & How to Contact Law Enforcement
Understanding when and how to involve law enforcement — and what to expect — is an important part of personal safety planning.
Key Tactics
- Call 911 for any immediate threat to your safety or others
- File a police report for stalking, harassment, threats, and fraud — get a case number
- Bring organized documentation when reporting to law enforcement
- Ask about protective orders, restraining orders, and victim services
- Know that law enforcement investigates criminal matters — civil disputes require attorneys
- Understand when a licensed investigator may supplement law enforcement action
When Your Situation Requires More
If the tactics on this page aren't enough — if a threat is escalating, evidence needs to be collected formally, or a situation has developed into suspected criminal activity — CPIA's licensed investigators are available for a separate case assessment.