Is My Phone Bugged? Does My Partner Have Access to My Stuff?
Every man and his dog has got a smartphone these days and many of us spend hours glued to it each and every day. Even if your mobile phone isn’t used for what you might consider to be important stuff, it’s still going to contain a lot of sensitive personal data and you don’t have to be a fully trained private investigator to gain access to it. So, is my phone bugged?
This can represent quite a risk if anything on your phone can be used against you in some way, particularly when talking about a current or ex-partner. Typically speaking, there are two different ways in which could lead to the phone bugged. Firstly a phone could be be bugged from the exchange but this usually involves the authorities – your partner would not have access to the technology that the police do to carry out such activities. You should also know that a private investigator has no access to this sort of technology either, so you can’t call a PI to do your bugging for you. There are some unscrupulous investigators out there that lead on the gullible promising that all this could be done, so buyer beware if you have talked to one of these backyard operators.
The second, and by far the most common way of bugging a phone nowadays is using spyware easily downloaded from the internet. An app can be installed on the target phone which then gives the perpetrator almost full access to the device allowing them to collect text messages, emails, chat messages, photos, and even listen in live on some apps. Some examples to look out for include Flexispy and WebWatcher
Of course, having a phone bugged isn’t legal to do in Australia which is why Integral Investigations doesn’t deal in these sorts of products for their clients – but this is what you should be looking out for. The app or program needs to be installed on your phone handset so the perpetrator will need access to this at some point to make the installation. But if you’re living together, this isn’t difficult! They aren’t expensive either – less than a couple of hundred dollars will give your spouse the opportunity to have your phone bugged.
Bugging a Partner’s Phone Is Fairly Common
As any good private detective will tell you, the practice of bugging a spouse or partner’s phone is quite common, particularly if there’s any suspicion of infidelity. Other reasons may relate to financial or emotional abuse and in both senses, it’s important to be able to spot the signs that it’s happening. As we said above it is actually quite easy to do and just needs a small investment and some time alone with the device.
If your ex or current partner seems to know things you’re sure you haven’t told them, that should be a major sign that at least something is going on. If you are in any doubt as to whether your device might be phone bugged, the simplest way to fix it is to do a factory reset. Yes, that is a pain for sure, but it wipes off all apps and programs not originally stored on the device. If there was one of these spyware apps installed, it will be gone instantly.
However, some people need to actually know if there is something installed on the phone so you may need the help of a private detective agency to find out if any spy applications have been installed in your phone’s background. Our technicians can usually find out if your phone has been bugged although it isn’t a cheap process. You can buy a brand new iPhone for less than the cost of one of these services.
When Your Phone’s Compromised
Spy or GPS tracking apps can be easily and freely downloaded and then set up to operate silently without you knowing. It can be tricky to detect as a layman, but there are some indicators that something’s not quite right with your phone.
They include:
- Your phone seems to run warm all the time
- It takes longer to turn off than it used to
- You seem to getting through your data quicker than normal
- Your battery isn’t lasting as long
- You’re hearing unusual sounds while on a call
When Your Accounts Are Compromised
Another way in which your partner might be able to monitor what you’re doing is by getting into one or more of your online accounts, be it email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The passwords for each can be gained a number of ways, with the easiest one being to watch you while you’re entering it.
By gaining access to your email, they may be able to use the forgot password function to gain access to all your others, which pretty much allows them to keep a very close eye on everything you do in both the online and off-line world. So something yo should do to protect this sort of access from happening is to change your passwords often. If they don’t have the password, they can’t get in to you device.
Let Us Use Our Private Detective Know-How to Help
No one wants to be manipulated or violated in this way, so if you suspect that your partner is monitoring your every step through your phone, we can use forensic methods to analyze whether your device contains any malware, bugs or any other type of suspicious program. What’s more, by changing all your passwords right now, you can cover yourself against the other threats to your privacy. And don’t forget our first recommendation – factory reset and any spyware will be gone for good! Phone bugged? No way!
We do this kind of thing all the time at Integral Investigations, so don’t be afraid to get in touch by calling us on 02 9460 4988 in Sydney or on 07 5646 9716 if you’re in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast. However, if you’d like to know more about the private investigator services we offer beforehand, you can find the answers you’re looking for by visiting us online at www.integralinvestigations.com.au although we’d probably use a different phone to do so………just in case 🙂
