How to keep a record of harassing messages in Australia

Whether the messages come from an ex, a neighbour, a family member, a former colleague or a customer, the advice is the same: keep a record. One unpleasant message is easy to dismiss. Thirty of them, in date order, with a note of what each one did to your week, tells a story that police, a tribunal or a lawyer can quickly understand.

This guide explains what to save and how. It is general information for Australia, not legal advice. If you are in the US, the same record-keeping steps work there too, and our guide to text messages as evidence in US courts explains how they are used.

What to keep

• Every message, including ones that seem minor. Patterns matter.
• Your replies too. A record of both sides shows you responded reasonably.
• Calls: screenshots of your call log, and a note of what was said.
• Voicemails: save or record them before they expire.
• Anything else: social media posts, comments, letters, notes left at your door, photos of damage.

Saving text messages

• Screenshot with context. Make sure the sender’s number or name and the date and time are visible. On iPhone, swipe left in a conversation to reveal the time of each message before you screenshot.
• Back them up. Save screenshots to a cloud folder or email them to yourself, so a lost or broken phone does not take the record with it.
• Keep the phone too. Police may want to see the original messages on the device.
• Do not edit or crop out details. An edited screenshot is easy to challenge.

Saving emails

• Do not delete the original. Move it to a dedicated folder.
• Save a full copy. Most email apps let you download or print an email with its details. In Gmail, “Show original” displays the full technical record of where it came from.
• Forward a copy to a separate account you control, as a backup.

Keep a log alongside the messages

Messages show what was said. A log shows the pattern and the effect on you. Write each entry as soon as you can, in plain words.

Keep entries short and factual. A notebook, a phone note or a simple spreadsheet all work, as long as you add to it every time.

Who can use the record

• Police: using a phone or the internet to menace, harass or cause offence can be a criminal offence. Call 000 in an emergency (911 in the US) or the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
• eSafety Commissioner: for serious online abuse, eSafety may be able to help get material removed. Report at esafety.gov.au.
• Courts and tribunals: for apprehended violence orders (in the US, protective or restraining orders), neighbour disputes, workplace matters and family law.
• A lawyer: a clean, dated record saves time and money. Free help is available through Legal Aid and community legal centres, and in the US through LawHelp.org.

Let the record build itself

Keeping a record by hand is exhausting, and it means reading every hostile message closely. FenceChat does the keeping for you: every message sent to your FenceChat address or number is stored, untouched and timestamped, in your Archive, even though you only see the filtered version. On plans that include export, you can download the Archive as a spreadsheet or a PDF, with each message numbered and dated.

FenceChat gives you a separate email address and, on the Protected and Legal plans, a separate mobile number to give the other person instead of your own. Their messages are filtered before they reach you: the practical information comes through and hostile language is filtered out. The untouched original is kept in your Archive, timestamped, in case you ever need it. They do not need an app or an account, and you never have to share your real number or address.