Are You Being Watched?

Are you being watched? If you suspect that you are being watched, you should look out for evidence of someone spying on you, this could be through listening or bugging devices. Being watched isn’t something that just happens to people who have committed crimes, your partner could be spying on you if they suspect you of cheating. Someone could also watch you for your business: a competitor might want to learn about new investments or innovations or an employee might be passing trade secret to a third party.  If you suspect you’re being watched, here’s what you need to do.

Look out for signs

Often if a stalker is watching you, they make you aware of this to make you feel unsafe. They may playback a conversation you have had with someone or an image of you and send it to you. If you own a business, information may appear online about your company which is only known to you, this indicates that you’re being watched. You should also look out for any open doors or windows that are normally shut, as someone may have been into your home unnoticed.

Listen to the phone line

Listening devices are often placed on phones to listen to your conversations. If you notice any change in the sound quality when talking on the phone, such as small noises, hissing or drops in speech, this could indicate that there is someone connected to the phone, listening. You may also answer the phone but can’t hear the person on the other side, however this is common and could be a computer error. The phone may also make sounds when not in use, as if used as a listening device, it can then pick up other sounds in the room.

Turn the lights off

Want to check for bugging devices in your home? When it’s dark, turn the lights off and go around the house shining a torch over surfaces, such as mirrors. If there are any devices, you should be able to see the reflection of the camera lens, there may also be a small red or white light.

Switch off appliances

You could also try switching off all electrical appliances and walk around to see if you can hear any buzzing of beeping sounds. Then investigate where the sound is coming from to narrow down where the device could be hidden.

Check plug sockets

Plug sockets are the most common place to hide a bugging device, so check for any that look out for any that can be moved easily, if so turn off the power and unscrew the plate and check for anything unusual. This should also be done with fire alarms, light fittings and lamps when turned off and unplugged.

Look under furniture

Do a check under all furniture, vases, ornaments and behind pictures. Also look for small holes in walls and furniture where a listening device could be placed. If this is the case, there may be debris, so check for cracked tiles or wall marks.

Look for moved items

Does something look different in your home? We normally notice small changes in our home so we can tell if someone has taken something or an item has been moved. So check for anything that you don’t remember before, as this could have been designed to hide the device in, or something that is always in the same place, but is no longer there or has been moved slightly.

If you suspect your home or office is being bugged, please get in touch for a confidential chat. Feel free to call Steve on 020 7666 3482 or email: [email protected]. You can also check out our counter-surveillance services here.