Cease and Desist Letter for Online Harassment

Online harassment feels lawless, but the person doing it is not anonymous to you, and a formal letter to their real-world address lands differently than a reported post. It says: I know who you are, I am documenting this, and I am prepared to escalate.

Screenshot everything before you send the letter. Harassers frequently delete posts once they receive a demand, which is fine for stopping the conduct but bad for your evidence if you did not capture it first.

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Sample letter

This is the exact structure your finished letter will follow, with placeholders where your facts go.

[Your Full Name] [Your Street Address] [City, State ZIP] [Date] [Recipient's Full Name] [Recipient's Street Address] [City, State ZIP] RE: Demand to Cease and Desist Online Harassment Dear [Recipient's Full Name]: This letter is a formal demand that you immediately cease and desist from the following conduct: publishing harassing and abusive posts about me on [platform] from the account [handle], and sending abusive direct messages, despite requests to stop For the record, the conduct includes the following: On [date], you posted "[quoted post]". On [date], you sent me [number] direct messages. I have preserved dated screenshots of every post and message. Accordingly, I demand that you immediately stop posting about me, tagging me, messaging me, or contacting me through any online account, and remove the posts about me that you control. You must comply within 7 days of receiving this letter. If you do not comply, I am prepared to pursue every remedy available to me, which may include filing a civil action seeking damages and injunctive relief and reporting your conduct to the appropriate authorities. I would prefer to resolve this without involving the courts, and your prompt compliance will make that possible. This letter is not a complete statement of the facts or of my rights, all of which are expressly reserved. Please treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves. Sincerely, [Your Full Name]

What to include

The accounts involved and the platforms where it occurs
Specific posts or messages, quoted, with dates and screenshots preserved
A demand to stop posting about you and remove existing posts they control
A demand for no further contact through any account
Platform reports as a parallel track, not a substitute

Common questions

Should I report to the platform or send a letter?

Both. Platform reports can remove content and suspend accounts but do nothing off-platform. The letter reaches the person behind the account and creates legal notice.

What about anonymous accounts?

A letter needs a real name and address. If the account is truly anonymous, focus on platform reports and preserving evidence; unmasking an anonymous poster is possible in litigation but needs an attorney.

What if they post about the letter itself?

That is common and usually helps you. Mocking a formal demand in public tends to prove the harassment is knowing and deliberate. Screenshot it and add it to the file.

New to this? What a cease and desist letter is, whether it is legally binding, and how to send it properly.