Cyberbullying can be bullying of the most devastating kind and for anyone- children, teens and adults alike. This is because attacks are seen by a much wider audience and there’s a high degree of anonymity as cyberbullies are cowards and hide behind fake screen names and profiles to avoid exposure.

Here are 7 common tricks they use to cover their own behinds and make you look like the perpetrator.

1. They inbox you with a barrage of insidious messages.

Again, cyberbullies are cowards and fear being detected for the sick creeps they are. So, they use the inbox to unleash their vitriol onto their victims. Even if you delete the person from your friends’ list, they can still send messages through the inbox.

2. They will tag you in a post, then claim you’re stalking their page.

This happened to me once. Although this is rather obvious (or should be) to others and used by dumber and maybe drunk cyberbullies, it does happen.

3. They rally their friends to troll your page.

Once you hit the “Block” button, watch for an influx of friend requests from people you don’t know or who would otherwise never in a million years “friend” you. This almost always happens just after you’ve blocked a cyberbully.

4. They troll the pages of your spouse, family, and friends.

Cyberbullies do this to seek and gather information about you and those you’re closest to, which is then used as either ammunition to defame you, make fun of you, or to attack those you love.

5. They create hurtful, degrading and humiliating memes of you.

Cyberbullies do this to intimidate, to embarrass you, and to bait others to harass you.

6. They have others (or they do it themselves) to insert images of porn and other disgusting materials onto your timeline.

All designed to cause embarrassment.

7. They copy your profile photo and create duplicate and fake profiles in your name, claiming to be you.

They then send requests to all your family, friends and associates, baiting them to accept. Once the requests have been accepted, the cyberbully then sends your associates deplorable messages or tags them and posts flaming or lewd posts to their timelines in hopes of causing friction between you and the people you care about.

And sadly, there isn’t much anyone can do until better technology is introduced to track down these vile bullies and more robust laws are passed against this practice.

Here are ways you can deal with a cyberbully.

1. Out them.

Expose them by taking screenshots of their profiles and of the nasty messages they send you. Screenshot every message or vile comment. Then plaster them all over the internet. Hey, they asked for it. So, put them on blast. Exposure is the best way to shut these idiots down.

2. Unfriend and BLOCK them.

You don’t need them in your life- or stalking your page. Get rid of them! Also, the sooner you block the creep, the less likely they are to send you a virus or get access to any sensitive information.

3. Delete the incendiary posts or comments but keep the screenshots stored in a folder.

You never know when you might need them for litigation.

By being vigilant, I was able to save myself a lot of headaches.

If they are other tricks which have been used against you and that I have left out, please feel free to comment.