eavesdropping Archives - All in Investigations

When Your Quest is Truth; Hire a Private Investigator

Law officers and ambulance drivers, emergency room doctors and defense attorneys often boast that they see the weirdest of the weird. But sometimes the weird stories can be added to the discussion by adjustors for insurance companies. One particular story involves an adjustor in Colorado and her claimant, who insisted that her vehicle had dropped into a vertical mine shift. Knowing that the police department had no time to search endless acres of rocky terrain in the area of Baily, Colorado, the adjustor called on a private investigator. She asked the private investigator to do everything they could to locate the missing vehicle and solve the fishy-sounding story. After many long hours and long days of searching the rough terrain in off-road vehicles, the investigators [...]

Successor Busted in TSCM Investigation

Here at we use a lot of high tech equipment and software. But along with that comes years of investigative experience. And we employ both good old fashioned detective work with the digital tools in just about every case we handle. One case involved a son and his father and the company the father had built from scratch. Both had offices in the same building, just a floor apart. In fact, the son’s office was directly below his father’s office. Dad, who we’ll call Sam was getting on in years and wanted to retire – at least part-time. But he wasn’t sure his son, we’ll call Jim, was ready to take over the helm. Jim believed he was able and the next in line. Sam [...]

TSCM Sweep Rounds Up the Bad Guys

Truth is the basis for fictional story lines, that’s for sure. was called in on a case by an attorney that had a female client who was being blackmailed. The blackmailer said he had video of her inside her apartment in a 28-floor building. He described the apartment and conversations held there in detail so she knew he had access. Immediately it was evident that technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) were called for. A TSCM sweep of the apartment was scheduled. Since both conversations and visual details were given, it was evident that covert surveillance and spy listening devices were present in some form or fashion. The target was eavesdropping devices and surveillance equipment. Using sophisticated counter surveillance equipment used for electronic bug detection, hidden wireless [...]

Divorce and Children: Investigations of Marital Infidelity Used in Child Custody Decisions

What starts with a request from one spouse for to find proof of a cheating spouse or other marital infidelity often expands into another area: child custody. The requests to find evidence of an extramarital affair by an unfaithful wife or unfaithful husband continue to surge, which is why we have much experience in this area. Many times, one spouse is already talking with an attorney and they already believe there have been signs of an affair and just need evidence. Other times, it is not a secret affair or a desire to catch a cheating spouse. It could be financial or personal infidelity. Little (or not so little) lies or secrecy surrounding finances or activities could be the impetus for surveillance as well. And [...]

TSCM Ensures a Gift is Sincere, Not an Eavesdropping Device

With the door to technology wide open, some people think the days of phone tapping and other spy listening devices are over. They think that all covert surveillance is computer surveillance or cell phone tapping. Let me be the first to tell you, that’s not true – in the least. The stereotypical covert operation to plant eavesdropping devices still happens, but spy equipment could just as easily be carried into your offices in the hands of a presumed “friend.” A great example is a comment I caught in an article I was recently reading about gifts that business people receive. The caution was to beware of gifts from business associates or acquaintances of items that you would keep in your office – something framed or [...]

Cell Phone Spying is Illegal in the United States

There is one more reason to be glad you reside in the United States – cell phone spyware is illegal here. With the release of the Apple iPhone5 in Australia, cries can be heard about the “potential tsunami of privacy breaches” according to an article at news.com.au. The article quotes senior lecturer of Internet law at QUT Peter Black who says that “It is not uncommon for the law to lag behind technology in the sense that technology evolves very rapidly.” While that is somewhat obvious because of the nature of technology and the nature of legislation, here at , we know that the proliferation of cell phone spying is growing and become much more common. Some think it is a good way to catch [...]

Baby Monitors as Spy Equipment? Don’t Laugh, It’s True

Did you ever think that your baby monitor could be a spy listening device? That’s right. With technology moving ahead, parents are able to connect to their baby monitors and while these eavesdropping devices are meant to keep baby safe, the can also end up being used as electronic surveillance by bad guys. How it works is that the baby monitor connects to the local Wi-Fi network and broadcasts audio to an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. The app for the mobile device is free to download. Audio surveillance equipment has never been easier for bad guys – at least when there’s a baby in the house. The danger is that baby monitors are being installed in homes for use with seniors, too. And we [...]

Know Who Comes Into Your Home or Business to Prevent the Installation of Listening Devices

Ahh, physical access to your home or business; bad guys love that and you might never even realize that you opened the door and invited them in. Here at we have seen so many things over the years and while technology moves on creating more spy listening devices, we have to add them to the list instead of replacing old with the new. The field of technical counter surveillance measures just expands. Our experience in Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) has shown us that access to your home or business opens up a wide array of spy surveillance options for bad guys. During TSCM sweeps we have uncovered many spy devices, including: A bug in a strip outlet, a clock, a radio or any other appliance [...]

Bug Sweep in Preparation for Top-Level Confidential Board Meetings

I just heard that the Teacher’s Union in a major metropolitan city has sent a notice of intent to strike to the school district. I won’t comment on that, but it did remind me of a case took on not too long ago when another company needed a Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) specialist and specialized TSCM services. The Board of a large corporation was intending to meet to discuss a major change for the organization – there was even talk of a change of ownership. The rumors had workers and management nervous and twitchy. The Board knew that if any information they discussed leaked out, it could be disastrous for the current operations and, if they did change ownership, for the valuation of the company. [...]

If You’re Asking, “Is My Office Bugged?” You Need to Talk to

If a bad guy has access to your environment, they can plant a bug. The most common way a bad guy gains access to a home or business is through the “service technician ruse.” It isn’t just in the movies, but in real life, too. He dresses as a service technician and says he is there to perform some service. While he is on the premises, he installs the bug. You might be surprised how easy it is for bad guys to do that. Security processes need to be established in every business, because every home and business is vulnerable without them. It’s important to only allow in workers that you have called to come provide a service, for you to see identification and to [...]