Last Updated on May 11, 2022 by Fair Punishment Team

It’s a terrifying thought. Someone is watching you, listening to all of your private conversations on the telephone – reading your mail even. Privacy is so important to us, so when it is compromised – we take it very seriously.

With the advancement of technology, bugging devices can be incredibly sophisticated and tiny.

This means it can be highly difficult to spot certain bugging devices, but there are some ways you can check, or at least make informed decisions about.

Let’s take a look at some of the more tell-tale signs that your house may have been bugged.

You Were Recently Burgled

This obviously isn’t a way to check if your house is bugged but it might be an indicator that it might now be. The point is, you’ve had a mysterious person enter your property where you keep all of your private information and personal documentation.

It’s entirely possible that the burglar has bugged your property or stolen your information and made copies. Due to this particular compromisation, it’s important that you thoroughly check your home for signs of hidden cameras or audio bugs.

Speaking of cameras, it’s probably a good idea that you invest in some sort of security camera – particularly after being burgled.

Interference With The Television Or Radio

Interference to the tv or radio signal can be due to a wide variety of things such as bad weather conditions, broken equipment or problems at the station, so take this pointer lightly.

However, there can be times when this is caused by a foreign object that you probably haven’t spotted in the house.

If there are no obvious reasons for the interference problems with your television or radio, perhaps you should look around using a bug detector.

A bug detector is a handy bit of kit to own as it can alert you to where a bug is (if there is one) in your home – normally you can buy them from a security company.

The Telephone Isn’t Working Properly

You may have noticed that recently, your telephone isn’t working as it normally would, or you’ve heard strange sounds during phone calls.

At times, the call might drop in and out of connection. This could be a sign that your phone has been bugged. Before you can confirm that, do not make calls using that telephone.

Things Don’t Look Right

It’s possible to hide bugs in the strangest areas which you wouldn’t normally tamper with, such as lightswitch fittings, smoke detectors or in photograph frames.

It’s important that we explore the possible bugs that were used, so we can fully understand how to avoid them or fight against them.

Bugs

Bugs are often small devices that are designed to gather audio recordings – which sometimes goes further with more sophisticated kits that can operate with GPS, allowing certain criminals to track where their victims are.

They’re normally so small that they can go unnoticed in strange areas of the home, like inside a lightswitch or other household items.

Quite often, they require another device to connect wirelessly to – in order for the data to be stored and shared.

Wiretaps

Wiretaps will also be designed to collect audio recording data, but unlike bugs – they are directly implanted into your landline. They can either mean someone is listening to your phone conversations in real-time or recording them for review later on.

How Do You Find A Listening Device?

It’s not a simple task to try and find a listening device in your home. Due to their tiny size and the original intention to be clandestine, your chances of finding one on your own are low.

However, what you can do is the following:

• Don’t panic. If you suspect your home is bugged, any strange activity will alert those that are surveilling you that you’re onto them. Just calmly look for the bug in the house in the more obvious places.
• Consider why you think there’s a bug. Is there any reason why someone would want to bug your home? Are you being paranoid? Have you committed a crime? There might be underlying factors which have to be addressed first.
• Stop using the phone/stop discussing sensitive information. If you have been bugged, you’ll want to get to the bottom of that first before openly talking about normal, private affairs.
• Consider purchasing a bug detector and a hidden camera detector. Some come with technology that can block wiretaps whilst looking for the existing one! They can often find other bugs or trackers too.

Counter Surveillance

If you believe you may have been bugged, then the best thing to do is to act now to fight against it.

Anti-surveillance equipment is available like a bug detector or radio frequency detector which can assess where a hidden device that is emitting radio frequencies are.

Some things in your home will emit radio frequencies, so before switching on counter surveillance, you’ll want to ensure that everything else that could emit a frequency has been switched off fully.

What Might A Listening Device Look Like?

There is no answer to this as there are no “one size fits all” answers. Surveillance equipment can come completely different from another.

However, you can hazard a guess that you’re looking for generally a small device which will be found in clandestine areas and areas of note, such as directly in your telephone or even computer.

There are so many places where a bug might be placed, the list would be incredibly lengthy – so it’s wise to try and check everywhere in your house, if you suspect suspicious activity has taken place.

Detecting Hidden Cameras

Due to our brilliant advancement in technology, cameras can now be the size of a grain of rice and still have fantastic quality.

You’ll want to try and find them in your home if you believe someone is watching you – so, try doing the following:

Kill The Lights

Many cameras have to emit an infrared light so they can record and capture imagery in dark areas. If you turn off the lights and try to make the room as dark as you possibly can, it’s likely you can spot a small red light in the room.

Power Is Critical

As with most electronic devices, any spyware will normally require power to function. So, you’re best off checking the areas near electronic outputs including plug sockets or compromised extension cords.

It’s a good idea to remove the power in your house if you’re convinced there’s a bug and you’ve found a way to collect it.

Strange Noises

A lot of technology can go wrong and this applies to things that aren’t meant to be seen or heard.

If you’ve noticed a strange repetitive sound recently and there’s no obvious cause for it – it might be a hidden bug or hidden camera that is malfunctioning or running low on power.

Developed Apps

There are many apps that have been developed that claim to be able to detect hidden bugs in your home using your smartphone’s features, but there is very little evidence that this is true.

You’re much better off if you look for professional standard equipment or even hire a professional to do the check for you.

Has My Car Been Bugged Too?

If you’re a target for a criminal, it’s possible they have bugged more than just your home. Check your vehicle for clandestine bugs, check under the wheel arches and in hard-to-reach areas.

Final Thought

It’s possible to find bugs in your home with modern technology, but more often than not it’s best to ask yourself why you think there’s a bug in your home, and then act on that.