Tips from a Private Investigator III

Here are some common indicators that your home or office may have been bugged.  Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) along with our sister agency Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) have a team of electronic surveillance device and counter-surveillance experts that can identify and disable surveillance devices. Please contact us if you fear you may be a victim of surveillance.

1) Strange sounds or volume changes on your phone

This is commonly caused by an amateur eavesdropper when they attaches the actual wiretap, or similar listening device. Surveillance devices often cause slight sound disruptions and differences on the telephone line.

2) Static, popping, or scratching on your phone lines

When two conductors are connected together (such as a bug or wiretap on a phone line) a “capacitive discharge” happens that results in this static, popping or scratching. This is also a sign that an amateur eavesdropper or poorly trained person is trying to access your phone lines.

3) Sounds come from your phones when it’s hung up

This is usually caused by a hook switch bypass, which turns the telephone receiver into a spy microphone (and also a speaker). There is probably somebody listening to everything you say or do within twenty feet of the telephone (if this is happening).

4) The phone often rings but nobody is there

This is a key sign of what is known as a “slave device”, or line extender being used on your phone line. There may also be only a very faint tone, or high pitched squeal and beep.

5) Strange interference on your radio or TV

Television broadcast frequencies are often used to cloak a eavesdropping signal. The difficulty for the person spying is that the devices they use also tends to interfere with a television or radio reception (usually a UHF channel).

Many amateur eavesdropping devices use frequencies within the FM radio band, these signals tend to “quiet” an FM radio near the bug.

6) Your house was entered but nothing was taken.

Eavesdroppers often break into a target’s home or office, and very rarely leave evidence of the break-in.

Occupants though have a feeling that something is not quite right.

Furniture may have been moved slightly for example. A very popular location for the installation of eavesdropping device is either behind, or inside furniture (sofa, chair, lamp, etc.)

7) Electrical fixtures seem to have been moved slightly

 One of the most popular locations to hide spying devices is inside, or behind electrical outlets, switches, and lighting fixtures.

Look for small amounts of debris located on the floor directly below the electrical outlet. Also, watch for slight variations in the color or appearance of the power outlets and/or light switches as these are often swapped out by an eavesdropper.

8) A very small discolouration has suddenly appeared on a wall.

This is a sign that a pinhole microphone or video camera has been recently installed.

Again you might also see a small amount of white powder either on the floor, or on the wall.

You may also notice small pieces of ceiling tiles, or “grit” on the floor, or on the surface area of counters and tables or desks.

This will be an indicator that a ceiling tile has been moved around, and that someone may have installed a hidden video camera or other eavesdropping device.

If you have items like a smoke detector, a clock or lamp yo may find they look slightly crooked or have a small hole in the surface.

These items are very popular concealment for covert spying devices and often when they are installed they are rarely installed straight.

9) People seem to know your activities when they shouldn’t.

This is the most common indicator, and often the loss of your secrets will show up in very subtle ways.

10) Your door locks suddenly don’t “feel right”.

Locks may suddenly start to get “sticky”, or they completely fail.

This is a good sign a lock has been picked, or manipulated with in some way.

Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) along with our sister agency Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) have a team of electronic surveillance device and counter-surveillance experts that can identify and disable surveillance devices.

BEPIA and IPIA are fully registered Private Investigation Agencies offering private detective and private investigator services to the Private and Business sectors throughout Indonesia and South East Asia.