This is my first post at this site, and I only help someone can help me work out what we can do about someone who is harassing my wife and I.

Recently fake profiles of my wife started appearing on Hi5 and MySpace. These were horribly defamatory and claimed we were racists who hated Maoris. We are in New Zealand, and the information was passed on to black power groups in New Zealand who began telephoning us telling us they were going to kill us. The profiles had our telephone numbers, home address, and the clubs we went to, as well as the gymnasium my wife attends, and the time she goes there. We don't know who got this information or why she is being targeted.

We are scared for our lives that people will believe the crap in the profiles. We have written to Hi5 and MySpace, but as soon as they get taken down, new ones get put up in their place.

We went to the police, who told us they are investigating the situation, but gave no promises about finding the culprit. They have traced the abusive telephone calls, which we were getting at a rate of about five per night. They said the phone calls they successfully traced were coming from overseas, and they will make more enquiries.

I think the only way there will be some real action is if the companies that publish this information, Hi5 and MySpace get sued. They cannot publish material of this sort without being brought to task. If my wife or myself get killed based on the information in these fake profiles, who can be punished?

I wrote to Hi5 and asked that they not allow any information to be posted that contains our home address or telephone number. They told me this was not possible. It is surely technically possible, what they are missing is the will to do it.

I have also noticed that Hi5's "report abuse" section of their website never seems to work. Is there a more direct way we can get stuff removed by them rather than calling them up or emailing support, which seems to take forever to kick into action?