If it can happen, it most likely will happen if someone really wanted to (ie by doing phising attacks, looking up public records, hiring private investigators,

If it can happen, it most likely will happen if someone really wanted to (ie by doing phising attacks, looking up public records, hiring private investigators, etc), so the best thing to do is to think about what can be done to minimize any collateral damage after the fact (ie protecting your image, securing online accounts, keeping your home safe, etc), since any sensitive information (ie confidential or embarrassing) they can acquire can be used to blackmail. It's pretty hard to remain anonymous online for a long time given how everything is connected and archived on the internet these days.