Eavesdroppers can use a variety of methods to invade your privacy..
What signs might they leave behind...
Awareness, the First Issue
Becoming more aware of your surroundings is the first thing that you can do. Eavesdroppers use many different methods to surveillance people. The eavesdropper may leave "tell tale" signs that he's been there..
In this article, our company is going to convey some ideas of what you can do to protect yourself. There are reasonable checks that you can do, to find out whether your under surveillance or not, and how to be your own "counter surveillance" detective. Many times this just involves some common sense..
"Checking out" the outside
Are there strange vehicles parked outside my home or office property, more "often" than normal?
Vans, Cars or Trucks - If these vehicles have tinted windows, it's a perfect place for "surveillancers" to use video cameras and long range microphones to watch and record your activities. Utility Company Vehicles - Cable company, Telephone company and Gas company trucks make a great cover for "eavesdroppers". In fact, if they have the proper equipment to access your telephone pole or entrance box, they can easily place a "tap" or "wiretap" to listen to your telephone conversations.
Delivery trucks or vans - You notice that the same delivery truck keeps showing up on your street, maybe parked for hours..
Have the doors or windows showed signs of jarring?Many times, eavesdroppers may try to gain access to your home or business. They can place their electronic surveillance devices and then leave. Door locks may actually become "sticky" or hard to open.. Windows may show signs of prying, such as "scratched" frames or glass.
Have you "checked out" your outside "telephone box"?
Many times eavesdroppers don't have the time or luxury to climb the telephone pole, to install "telephone taps". Your "telephone entrance" or "Ma Bell Service entrance" is a great easy entry point for telephone surveillance, giving easy access to almost anyone. This "network interface device" or NID box, is similar to your circuit breaker entrance box, in that connections are made from the telephone companies telephone line, to the main telephone line in your home.. This "box" is usually located outside your home or business, mounted to an exterior outside wall.
With a few tools, such as a screwdriver or nutdriver, you can easily check for "foreign electronics" installed in your "ma bell" telephone entrance...
Of course you can't always check your telephone "entrance" box everyday, as this can become very inconvenient and time consuming..
Check out our Telephone Wiretap Detection Equipment.. Our models give 24 hour monitoring of your telephone line and it's connections, all the way back to the Telephone Company's Central Office.
Do you have your vehicles parked outside?
Eavesdroppers will often involve you and your automobile. They can install "bugs" inside your car, or place a tracking device known as a "bumper beeper", on the undercarriage of your vehicle.. A good visual check is easy.. But sometimes these "bugs" can be so covertly placed that the only way to detect these devices is by use of a sensitive RF "Bug" Detector. Check out our equipment, which can aid you in detection and location of any foreign radio transmitters... Click here for (RF) Radio Frequency Detection equipment.
Have you checked your windows?
This is particularly a good source of "long range" listening devices.. Sound from homes or offices can be carried through windows.. This can be "acoustically" picked up by using several methods.. The simplest, which is easily visually found, is the "suction cup mic"... A tiny, "electret microphone" can be stuck or glued to the window, following a pair of wiring which leads to a transmitter, hidden or buried in the ground..
Other methods that can be used are "long range distance" devices, such as reflective microwave, laser, infrared or reflective sound (boom mics).. These devices are difficult to detect by conventional means as the actual surveillance device may not be installed on your premises..
Masking the sound at the window's source would be the solution, which is what our "Acoustical Random Noise Generator" does. This unit, simply attaches to the suspected window, introducing a blanketing "white noise", which is conducted through the window. "Would be" eavesdroppers recordings become simple "noise", instead of intelligible conversations...
Check out our Acoustic Random Noise Generator
"Checking Out" the Inside
The first thing to look for is the "out of the ordinary".
Have you noticed that things have been moved around in your home or office?
Eavesdroppers are usually in a hurry when they plant "listening devices" or "hidden cameras". Quite often they do not return objects in the normal position in which they were left..
Pay attention to moved : Tables, Desks, Chairs, Lamps and other Furniture - planting devices behind or under these objects is common place.
Has someone rummaged through desks, file cabinets, and other storage "areas"?More often, "spies" or "eavesdroppers" are just after specific information... People and Employees, in general, usually remember where they organize things. If objects or paperwork seems to be moved or even missing, this can be a definite sign that you "have a problem".
Are there physical "abnormalities" in the room or office that just don't seem "quite right"?Remember, electronic eavesdropping devices are very small. Some devices less than a few inches, which could be hidden in odd places.. Look for:
- Jarred light switches, wall outlets and other receptacles
- Picture Frames that have been slightly moved
- Broken Ceiling Tiles - that of which used in popular "dropped ceilings"
- Walls with "holes" or "depressions" - could indicate a "spy cam" or "wireless microphone"
Are there any new objects, in your room or office, you haven't seen before?Such as:- Wall Clocks
- Smoke Detectors
- Sprinklers
- Exit Signs
- Computer "Mouse"
- Pens or Markers
Have you accepted any free gifts?
Companies, salesman and other people may offer you a free complementary gift..
Sometimes, these gifts are disguised "eavesdropping devices".
Such as:
- Cordless Phones
- Calculators
- Pens
- Clock radios or Boom Boxes
- Small televisions
- Figurines, Statues or Pottery
- Lamps
- Pencil Sharpeners
- Free clocks with "calendars"
- Nameplates
"Checking out" the Telephones
Do you hear occasional "clicking", "static" or loss of "voice quality" when you're using the telephone?
This may very well be a "telephone tap" installed on your telephone line. When a telephone tap is installed, many of these characteristics can become apparent.. This is usually due to a very poor quality "tap". "Telephone Taps" can automatically "seize" the telephone line, when you're using the phone, creating these types of "noises" or poor voice quality reception.
Does your telephone sometimes only ring "once"?This could be the indication of a popular "telephone tap" called an "infinity transmitter" or sometimes called a "hook by-pass" switch.. It usually consists of either a modified "telephone", or an outside "slave device" place somewhere on your telephone lines "pair", which could be anywhere inside or outside your home or business.
When you "hang up" your telephone, do you hear noises from the telephone ringer or earpiece?
If you can hear "noises" from your telephone when you are in the process of "hanging up" , this would likely indicate an "inductive", "capacitive" or "hook by-pass" telephone tap "discharging" or "feeding back" through your telephone. These "telephone taps" again, may be placed either inside your home or office, or outside on the "telephone line pair". The best way of determining whether a "Telephone Tap" or a "wiretap" problem exists and where it might be located (so you can defeat it), is by the usage of one of our Telephone Tap Detectors..
"Checking out" Home Electronics
Do Radios or Televisions pick up strange interference?
Radios and Televisions can often "detect" hidden transmitters even without you knowing it.. Strange interference or even "feedback" can sometimes occur when these "home electronics" are used in proximity of eavesdropping devices. Feedback interference can result in a type of humming, whistling or simple dead spots of reception on many home electronic radio devices, also including cell phones and cordless phones resulting in total loss of signal.
Synopsis:
Hopefully, all of the ideas conveyed in this article will give people a generalized understanding of what to look for, if they are in fact under suspicion of surveillance. The fact is that more illegal surveillance occurs everyday in the United States due to the low cost of surveillance equipment such as hidden video cameras, wireless radio transmitters, wired microphones and electronic telephone wiretap equipment. As these devices can easily be purchased by almost anyone, on the internet and in electronic magazines. What's unfortunate is that the companies that sell these sold called "security" products, hide behind the legal system of classification of these devices. Whether they are used in an ethical or legal fashion by the consumer, has now really become the bottom line.
