Someone Online Knows Our Home Address
Someone your child has been in contact with online — a stranger, gaming contact, or even a peer — now knows or has shared your home address, school name, or other personal location details. This may have been shared accidentally by your child, obtained through social engineering, or revealed via metadata, geotagging, or public profiles.
Discovering that someone online knows where your family lives is deeply unsettling. Your physical safety is the priority, and there are practical steps you can take right now to assess the level of risk and protect your family. In most cases, online contacts who obtain an address do not act on it physically — but it is right to take this seriously and involve the appropriate authorities.
What to do now
Assess the Immediate Threat
Consider who knows the address and the context. Is this a known peer (e.g. school bully) or an unknown person? Have they made any threats? If there is any direct threat of physical harm, call 999 immediately.
✗ Do not: Do not assume it is harmless — but equally, do not panic your child unnecessarily. Assess first, then act proportionately.
Secure Online Accounts
Change passwords on your child's accounts and enable two-factor authentication. Remove any personal information from public profiles — real name, school, photos with identifiable locations, and geotagged posts.
Report to the Platform
If your address was shared on a platform (doxxing), report the post or message for removal immediately. Most platforms have policies against sharing personal information without consent.
Contact the Police
Report the incident to the police on 101 (non-emergency) or 999 if there is a threat. Provide them with screenshots, usernames, and a timeline of events. Sharing someone's personal information online with intent to cause harm is an offence.
Review Family Digital Footprint
Search for your family's address online. Check social media profiles, public records, and websites for any personal information that is publicly visible. Remove or request removal of anything you find.
What not to do
- ✗Do not share the address situation on social media — this can attract further attention.
- ✗Do not confront the person who obtained the address. Let the police handle any investigation.
- ✗Do not move house in a panic. Assess the realistic level of threat with the police first.
Preserving evidence
Why this matters
If you need to report to authorities or a platform, evidence can help.
- •Screenshot all messages, posts, or conversations where the address was shared or referenced, including the profile of the person involved.
- •Save any threatening or intimidating messages with dates and times.
- •Document how the address was likely obtained — was it shared by your child, extracted from metadata, or found publicly online?
How to talk to your child
- ✓Explain that sharing location information online can have real-world consequences, but do so without blame. Focus on what you will do together to stay safe.
- ✓Teach your child about geotagging, metadata in photos, and why keeping their school name and address private matters.
- ✓If your child shared the information themselves, acknowledge that anyone can make a mistake and that the important thing is learning from it.
Who to contact
Police (999 for emergencies, 101 for non-emergencies)
If there is any threat to your family's physical safety
24/7
CEOP
If the address was obtained by someone grooming or exploiting your child
Online reporting available 24/7
This guidance is for informational purposes. It is not a substitute for emergency services or professional safeguarding support. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 (UK) or 911 (US) now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
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Quick Reference — Someone Online Knows Our Home Address
Someone Online Knows Our Home Address — Quick Reference
Safe Child Guide — safechildguide.com
Do this:
- 1. Consider who knows the address and the context. Is this a known peer (e.g. school bully) or an unknown person? Have they made any threats? If there is any direct threat of physical harm, call 999 immediately.
- 2. Change passwords on your child's accounts and enable two-factor authentication. Remove any personal information from public profiles — real name, school, photos with identifiable locations, and geotagged posts.
- 3. If your address was shared on a platform (doxxing), report the post or message for removal immediately. Most platforms have policies against sharing personal information without consent.
- 4. Report the incident to the police on 101 (non-emergency) or 999 if there is a threat. Provide them with screenshots, usernames, and a timeline of events. Sharing someone's personal information online with intent to cause harm is an offence.
- 5. Search for your family's address online. Check social media profiles, public records, and websites for any personal information that is publicly visible. Remove or request removal of anything you find.
Do NOT do this:
- ✗ Do not share the address situation on social media — this can attract further attention.
- ✗ Do not confront the person who obtained the address. Let the police handle any investigation.
- ✗ Do not move house in a panic. Assess the realistic level of threat with the police first.
Stay calm. You are doing the right thing by looking for help. Your child needs your support, not your panic.
Last reviewed: 2026-03-01