We find hidden cameras, listening devices, car trackers & more
How Do I Know If My House or Car is Bugged
It's distressing when it suddenly occurs to you, “My house is bugged!” When you believe that your home may be electronically bugged, it’s difficult to feel safe and at ease. A bugging or recording device allows eavesdroppers to learn intimate details about your life and even to use those details to their own advantage.
Do I Need A Bug Sweep Service?
You say to yourself someone might be watching or listening in, there’s a strange, lingering atmosphere that something isn’t right.
Trust your gut. Someone might tell you you’re being unreasonable, having to think that your car or home is bugged with recording devices. But that unnerving feeling you have is a very useful tool. And finding a hidden audio bug is no joke.
In this article, we’ll break down the basics of how to tell if your house and car are bugged with recording devices or GPS trackers.
Why Me?
People in high-risk positions are prone to wiretapping and bug problems, most of whom get an occasional heads-up about potential eavesdropping.
But regular people have other stuff on their mind. Most of us mind our own business. We’re just trying to enjoy a music concert in another town while renting an Airbnb.
Even so, you might fear that the Airbnb host won’t respect your privacy. After all, we’re not short on disturbing stories from guests who have discovered hidden cameras in their rooms, like a man who found two cameras in his Airbnb rental or a family who discovered they were being live-streamed in their accommodation in Ireland. The multi-million dollar company is still actively trying to solve this problem and permanently bans hosts and flags residences that break these privacy rules.
That being said, you can never be too careful. This is why, in this guide, we’ll address two important questions: how to tell if your house is bugged, and how to tell if your car is bugged. We’ll talk about wiretapping and listening devices and how to scan, find, and get rid of them.
How to Tell If Your House Is Bugged
Hidden cameras have been used ever since the 1940s, with audio surveillance preceding them, so imagine how tiny, practical, durable, and effective these devices are today.
But as nosy people use the technology to poke around in other people’s business, we also have the knowledge and technology to find these bugs and prevent eavesdropping.
For a more detailed look on hidden cameras and audio recorders, please read our guide on hidden cameras and complete guide to hidden audio recorders.
What Are Listening Bugs and Wiretaps?
Let’s get just two things straight.
Wiretapping devices are listening devices that are attached to telephones. They tap telephone lines and they can record one or both sides of the conversation.
It’s important to note that wiretaps only work on telephones and can also transmit the conversations to a listening post. Some devices even have auto recording features. Scary stuff.
Bugs, on the other hand, are listening devices that can be easily hidden inside rooms, cars, and people’s clothing as well. The bug uses a simple microphone, usually very small, that can listen, record, and transmit conversations.
Some bugs transfer their signal to external sources, as they need mini stations to pick up the transmissions from your house via spying equipment. So, if you begin to notice strange vehicles with dark-tinted windows parked outside your home, beware. They could also be disguised as postman’s service or pizza delivery vehicles, so be extra careful.
Some video cameras can be used as hidden bugs as well. But, no need to panic, it can be easy to tell if your house is bugged, you’ll just need the proper devices for it.
One more important thing to note - GPS tracking devices. GPS devices track a vehicle’s location, and can also track real-time, depending on the model.
If you think that your vehicle might be rigged with a GPS tracking device, check out our article on how to find a hidden GPS tracker on your car.
Don’t worry. Bugs and tracking devices may be small and almost undetectable, but there’s nothing a little spring cleaning won’t fix. First, we’ll start with detection and sweeps.
Possible Instances, Locations, and Places for Hidden Audio Bugs in Your Home
First, take a good look at the house. Check to see if anything is out of place, or if there’s a strange buzzing sound. Make sure to turn off all electronic devices, even your refrigerator, to have the silence you need to check properly.
Most people who know how to use audio bugs are professionals, so check every nook and cranny. Most importantly, phone bugs almost always have a power source, so check carefully.
Popular locations include around telephones and underneath lamps, sofas, and other pieces of furniture that are not moved often. Radios, televisions, and telephones are popular targets for bugs.
Here are some additional tips:
Pay attention to the furniture imprints. Chairs, couches, and tables flatten carpets and rugs so you’ll know. And be sure to use the walls as a measure, so you can compare if the furniture was close or far from them.
Check discolored walls for any suspicious pinhole mics or hidden cameras around the area.
The sockets, outlets, and light switches are a constant target. Check them and unscrew them. Some may be slightly off from their previous position.
Grains of wood or white powder indicate that furniture or objects have been moved close to walls. Drywall shavings are a giveaway that someone has been drilling, likely to plant bugs. Be on the lookout for cracked or chipped walls.
ALWAYS look a gift horse in the mouth. There might be a bug inside. Unexplainable new objects in your rented hotel room is a cause for suspicion. As we said, trojan horses are real, and gifts from your ex, salesmen, suspicious delivery men, or competitors who like to give away pens, clocks, lamps, complimentary iPods and other items, can potentially be bugged.
Strange Noises and Buzzing Sounds
You can tell that you’re bugged with a listening device if you notice strange buzzing sounds, volume changes on your phone, high-pitched squeals, and beeps that can indicate there’s something fishy going on.
You can also use an FM radio to scour the area for bugs, but this requires a trained ear and constant monitoring and walking around the house. This is probably the least effective method to scan for bugs and trackers.
If you want to be 100% sure that your house and care are not bugged, reliable instruments like bug detectors with a broad radio frequency range are efficient and cost-effective. They are easy to use and they get the job done.
The most common bugs usually go from 8 MHz to 10 GHz in range. Our SpyGuy sweeping devices go from 20MHz and all the way to 6 GHz, enough to locate most bugs. So why hire expensive professionals and spend hundreds of dollars when you can just solve your bug problem yourself?
Using White Noise Generators to Tell If Your House Is Bugged With Recorders
Using white noise generators is a very interesting method to thwart the eavesdropping plans of whoever is trying to plant a bug on you and listen to your conversations.
The AJ-3 Audio Jammer generates ‘white noise’ that makes hidden microphones record nothing but static. It renders your voice completely unrecordable, protects your conversations, and it’s very quiet - so nobody will notice you’re using it.
Final Thoughts on Hidden Audio Bugs, Listening Devices, and Wiretaps
When you finally find a bug or a listening device, don’t try to destroy or disable it. Without being noticed, quickly inform the police. If you’re in a rental, inform the host only after you leave the place, just to be safe.
It is illegal to install eavesdropping devices in the UK. Simply locate the device, and report it to the authorities.
Ask for help from a counter surveillance expert such as ourselves. We have the knowledge and skill to solve this problem even if you find the bug yourself. Discovering the culprit might be harder.
Be sure to contact us at BugSweepingUK, thoughts, opinions, or sharing your experiences.