8 Warning Signs Someone Is Spying on You!
Not too many things can provoke fear and unease in a person more than the idea that someone is spying on them. Whether it’s a stalker who physically follows you around or a tech-savvy person who monitors your activity by hacking into your digital devices, they can violate your privacy and ruin your peace of mind.
It’s not always easy to know you’re being monitored because modern-day stalkers can use the latest technology to keep an eye on the activity of their targets, through the use of mini spy cameras and GPS trackers.
However, if you have sound observational skills and are aware of your surroundings, then you may notice certain signs that indicate someone is spying on you.
1. Bumping Into Someone in Public Too Often
It’s not out of ordinary to bump into colleagues or fellow classmates when you go grocery shopping or go for a walk in the nearby park. However, if you often notice an unfamiliar person walking around near your home or come across them in public too often, then it may be a red flag.
This may not always be a coincidence and can indicate that the person is following you, since they tend to know where you live and what are your routine activities. So, it’s better to take the necessary precautions for your safety.
2. Your Business Competitors Get to Know Confidential Information
Keeping trade secrets and protecting confidential business information is the key to setting up a successful business venture. However, you may encounter difficulties and incur losses if competitors gain unauthorized access to critical information about products, employees, customers, and other important intellectual property.
While it’s perfectly legal and prudent to stay abreast of your competitor’s activities in the market, some businesses may engage in unethical methods to gain a competitive advantage over the competition. Such unethical methods may include bugging your office premises or company vehicles and illegally listening to your conversations.
Therefore, if a competitor repeatedly outbids you on big projects or steals new product launch ideas, then hiring a reliable bug sweeping service may be the right option for you. With this approach, you can effectively conceal trade secrets and information about business expansion and new marketing campaigns from competitors.
3. You Are Being Followed on the Road
Old school stalkers or ex-partners may still try to follow you around in their vehicle to learn about the places you visit or people you meet. If you have such suspicions, then be aware of the surrounding traffic while driving on the road. If you notice that you’re often followed by one or other vehicles, then consider contacting local authorities with sufficient evidence to report illegal surveillance.
Moreover, it’s a worrying sign if you often notice vehicles with the logo of a service provider parked near your home or workplace even when no workers seem to be working in the nearby area. Chances are that it may be a vehicle of a genuine service provider; however, be extra cautious if this repeatedly occurs.
4. Someone Broke into the Premises but Didn’t Steal Anything
Australia ranks 7th in the world when it comes to burglaries. However, burglars tend to target homes when homeowners or tenants aren’t home and steal precious items. But if someone breaks into the premises in your absence and doesn’t steal anything, even when they had the time and opportunity to do so, then they might have a different goal in mind. What if they entered the premises to install a device such as a mic or spy-cam rather than stealing from you?
In such circumstances, you should consider carefully looking around to determine if an unknown device is hidden somewhere. Such devices can be in the form of a table clock, desk plants, DVD cases, pens, or even books. In such cases, it is recommended that you carry out a thorough inspection to identify any suspicious items that don’t belong to you.
5. You Notice Signal Interference with Your Phone
When your home, vehicle or workplace is bugged, then your phone can help you detect the hidden device. During phone calls, you may hear a strange noise which is caused due to signal interference. Moreover, your car radio or television may also notify you about covert devices the same way.
It may indicate that your home, office or vehicle are bugged and someone is trying to listen into your conversations. In this case, you may opt to undertake a comprehensive bug sweep to mitigate and eliminate any risk that your privacy has been compromised.
6. The Data Usage of Your Phone Suddenly Went Up
Nowadays, the easiest way to spy on someone is to hack their smartphone or digital devices through spyware software. Consequently, these hackers get access to your personal photos, business data files, and other data stored in your smartphone or computer.
While some diligent users invest in an effective Firewall to protect their devices, many people ignore cybersecurity. However, there are a few ways to determine whether your device’s security is compromised.
If your phone data consumption suddenly increased without any change in your online habits, then it may indicate the presence of a spyware application. It’s because spyware uses mobile data to transfer information from your system to the hacker’s device. Furthermore, you may notice certain apps frequently running in the background such as the camera despite closing them through settings.
7. Battery Life Deteriorates Without Any Reason
Another tell-tale sign of spyware is when your device battery starts draining unusually fast. This can occur mainly because the spyware runs in the background without your knowledge, stealing data in the process. Further, your phone may get overheated quite often, even when it is kept idle and you aren’t using it.
8. Your Device’s Performance Suddenly Deteriorates
If someone is spying on you with the help of spyware, then it’s likely that your device would slow down and its performance would decrease. You may try to speed it up by clearing cache, getting rid of junk files, and installing apps to boost the performance, but these remedial actions may not deliver the desired results.
So, aside from scanning your home and office for bugs, you should also check your devices to protect your privacy.
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