[1]

Hidden microphone in air vent

Using an ordinary flashlight you
can locate eavesdropping devices
in any vehicle with a simple
physical inspection.
Bug Off!... Do-It-Yourself Manual
for Bug Detection
By Skipp Porteous
Using ordinary
equipment, you can
locate eavesdropping
devices.

Can you imagine...
What people are learning about your personal life or business if they've tapped your phone,
bugged your home, car, or office, or are secretly watching you on a hidden video camera?

Are you going through a divorce?

Do people seem to know your secrets or personal

business?

Does someone always know where you go in your car?

Are you scheduling highly confidential meetings?

Is confidential information about your business leaking

out?

Does your phone often ring once and then stop?

Do you have an overly suspicious spouse or significant

other?

Do others know about your conversations even when

you talk from the privacy of your vehicle?

Do you think you might be under video surveillance?

[2]
If you answered yes
to any of these questions, your
home, office, vehicle or
computer may be "bugged," or
otherwise compromised. Don't
order a "bug detector" or
"phone tap detector" off the
Internet. This equipment is
mostly junk. Even the good
equipment is useless unless
you are trained to use it.
A little-known secret
Any honest TSCM (Technical
Surveillance Counter-
Measures) expert will tell you
that most wiretaps and bugs in
homes or small offices are
found with visual inspection,
not with high-tech expensive
equipment.
In this manual Im going to
show you how you can locate
clandestine listening devices
without any special, high-tech
equipment. The key is to know
what to look for. When you
finish reading this manual,
youll know what to look for,
and youll be ready to check
out your own home, vehicle,
or small office for bugs,
wiretaps and hidden cameras.
When I conduct an electronic
sweep in the New York Metro
area, I typically charge up to
$600 an hour, and most
sweeps take two to six hours!
While I employ advanced
electronic equipment, the most
important part of any
assignment consists of a very
thorough visual/physical
search.
You, too, will be able to
conduct your own sweeps,
saving you hundreds, and
even thousands of dollars.
This manual will not teach you
how to install wiretaps or
bugs, as this is against the law
in every jurisdiction in the
United States. And, if you
have reason to think that any
kind of law enforcement
agency has you under
electronic surveillance, your
best bet is to purchase a pre-
paid cell phone. Use it for a
month, then toss it out and get
another one.
Why? Law enforcement
agencies wiretap a landline
telephone at the phone
companys central office, not
in a home or office. There is
no way that you or I, or
anyone else can detect it. They
will even tap the pay phones
in your neighborhood, or
anywhere else that youre
known to hang out. If you
have cell phone service, they
have the authority and
equipment to tap your cell
phone too.
Buy a prepaid cell phone with
cash so that there is no paper
trail to you. If you find
yourself in this position, this
manual will not help you, and
neither will any legitimate
TSCM person.
We constantly receive
inquiries from people who
think that their cell phone is
tapped. Ill go into that later,
but the chances are that your
cell phone is not tapped.
Wiretaps, bugs, and
video cameras
There is a difference between
wiretaps and bugs. A wiretap
is a device attached to the
telephone or telephone line
that either records both sides
of a conversation, or transmits
the conversation to a listening
post, where it is usually
recorded. A wiretap always
involves a telephone, and may
or may not have a
microphone. A wiretap either
picks up the conversation
directly from the phone line,
uses the self-contained
microphone in the telephone,
or uses a special microphone
that is installed in the phone.
In this booklet you will learn
how to locate wiretaps on the
telephone line, or in the
telephone set.
A bug is a listening device
placed in a room, vehicle, etc.
A microphone is always one of
its components. The
microphones in these devices
[3]
can be very small. A simple
example of a bug is a tape
recorder, utilizing a built-in
microphone or an external
microphone. A bug can record
the conversation in the room
or vehicle itself, or can
transmit the conversation to
another location, where it can
be recorded or simply listened
to.
In Bug Off! you will learn
how to locate bugs whether
placed in a room, vehicle, or
some other location.
Color video cameras can be as
small as a dime, but you
usually dont see the camera
itself. If anything, all you see
is the lens, or the hole it sees
through. The hole can be as
small as 1/16
th
of an inch. A 9-
volt battery is often larger than
the wireless camera! While
some cameras can easily be
found, others are so cleverly
hidden that they can only be
found after a careful search.
They are typically found in
clock radios, lamps, plants,
smoke detectors, books,
stuffed animals, etc.
Although video cameras can
be hard-wired, they usually are
wireless. In some places that
Ive swept, there were large
potted plants. It was evident
that something was peculiar
about the plants, as they had a
black wire coming out of the
back. It wasnt hard to find the
video camera hidden among
Video cameras can be tiny,
but you usually dont see the
camera itself. If anything, all
you see is the lens, or the
hole it sees through. The hole
can be as small as 1/16
th
of an
inch. A 9-volt battery is often
larger than the wireless
camera. Some cameras are so
cleverly hidden that they can
only be found after a careful
search.
HIDDEN CAMERAS!
Coffee cup
with hidden
camera
[4]
the leaves. I followed the wire
and found a hidden long-play
VCR that recorded everything
that transpired in the room.
Hard-wired cameras are more
difficult to install, since the
wires need to be hidden. The
wires usually lead to a monitor
somewhere and a video
recorder. Hard-wired cameras
are powered by the house
current.
Wireless video cameras are
often harder to find. They can
be put in almost anything and
placed quickly.
In this booklet you will learn
how to locate hidden video
cameras, regardless of where
they are placed.
Power Source
Everything electronic has a
power source. Bugging
devices and wiretaps are no
exception. Wiretaps
(remember, wiretaps happen in
the phone or in the phone line)
sometimes use the direct
current that is already in the
phone line, and sometimes
they use a battery as the power
source.
Bugs (in a room or vehicle),
too, have to have a power
source. They use either battery
power, or the house wiring, or
the vehicle wiring.
Knowing that bugs and
wiretaps need a power source
is very important, because you
can sometimes find the power
source before you find the
listening device. Often, such
as in a 9-volt battery, the
battery is larger than the bug.
When looking for a bug,
always keep power sources in
mind.
I once received a call from the
Jersey City Police Department
to do a sweep of the Mayors
car. I popped the hood and
trained my flashlight on the
car battery. I saw alligator
clips attached to the battery
terminals.
Alligator clips, in case you
dont know, are metal clips,
usually copper, that have teeth
and a wire leading from them
(see below). When attached to
a cars battery, some extra
device is being powered.
I followed the wires on the
Mayors car and found that
they led to a siren behind the
grill. In cars, bugs are
sometimes wired directly to
the battery with alligator clips,
or wired to the fuse box, either
under the hood or under the
dash.
Later, Ill give you step-by-
step instructions on how to
conduct a sweep of a house,
apartment, office, room, or
vehicle.
How bugs and
wiretaps are placed
Has your home or business
been broken into and nothing
was taken? If so, its possible
that the intruder placed a bug
or wiretapped your phone.
Even when something is
stolen, the burglary may
have covered up another
devious purpose.
If youre going through a
divorce, and your soon-to-be
ex-husband kindly offers to
take your car for servicing,
watch out! One client reported
this to me, along with the fact
that her husband knew
information that she told only
to her closest friends.
She called me to say that she
thought that her cell phone
was tapped. Well, cell phones
can be tapped by law
enforcement with a subpoena
to the cell phone carrier, or
with equipment costing around
$75K.
So, I doubted very much that
her husband tapped her cell
phone. I asked her in what
location she talked on her cell
phone. She said, I always
drive around in my car while
talking on the cell phone.
I asked if her husband had
access to her car. She told me
that he had recently offered to
take it for servicing! Your car
[5]
is probably bugged, I told
her. And it was.
Some electronic
eavesdropping equipment is so
simple that it can be placed in
seconds. Ill give you two
examples. You can go to Radio
Shack or www.pigear.com and
purchase a digital voice-
activated recorder that makes
recordings of up to 18 hours.
These can be dropped in a
plant, behind some furniture,
or other ordinary places. Then,
the next time, say, your ex
comes to pick up the kids for
his visitation rights, he can
quickly pick it up. Since its
voice-activated, and doesnt
record unless it hears sound,
everything that was said
within range since he left it is
recorded.
Cell phones used as bugs are
really hot now. On many cell
phone models one can disable
the ringer feature. When you
call the phone, the microphone
turns on, but the phone doesnt
ring. If someone secretly
places one of these, he can call
anytime, from
anywhere, and listen
in.
With a little Velcro
strip, a cell phone can
quickly be placed
under a conference
table, desk, or coffee
table.
While many off-the-
shelf models can
perform like this,
specially equipped
cell phones for
eavesdropping
purposes can be ordered
on the Internet. Among the
features of these phones are
super-sensitive microphones.
When doing a sweep, be sure
to look for digital recorders
(they can be as small as a pack
of gum), and unaccounted cell
phones, in rooms and vehicles.
In homes, most bugging is
pretty simplistic. Often, its
conducted with an inexpensive
voice-activated digital
recorder from Radio Shack. I
know a woman who bought
six of them and placed them
around her house to
catch her husbands hanky-
panky while she was away.
Radio Shack also has phone
recording devices ranging
from $18 to $30 that can be
attached to a phone line and
recorder to record both sides
of the conversation on any
phone in the house thats on
the same line.
Look for phone splitters,
which is used with the Radio
Shack recording devices. If
you see one of these, you
should always follow the
Voice-
activated
digital recorder
Equipment needed:

Good Flashlight

A Mirror with Handle

Flatblade Screwdriver

Magnifying Glass
Also Useful:

Hidden Camera
Detector

Butt Set
[6]
wires to see if they lead to a
recorder. Also note, if you
find a splitter, and didnt
purchase and install it
yourself, it could have a
built-in transmitter thats
eavesdropping on your
telephone calls.
Plug adaptors (photo on next
page) can also have built-in
transmitters. If you dont need
it, pull it out. If you need it,
but didnt buy it, replace it.
Most common electronic
surveillance equipment can be
quickly placed in your home,
office, or vehicle without any
telltale signs.
A Brooklyn rabbi always
knew the latest gossip on his
neighbors. He parlayed this
into a thriving counseling/
advice business. One day
someone from his building
went to the basement. He
found the rabbi sitting on a
wooden crate jotting notes on
a pad. Between his ear and
shoulder he cradled a butt
set, with alligator clips
attached to one of his
neighbors phone lines.
How people learn
information about you
There are a number of ways
that people can learn
information about you.
Probably number one
(surprise!) on the list is gossip.
Almost everyone has one
These Devices from Radio Shack
are used with recorders
that record both sides of
a phone conversation. When
used with a splitter
(center), they can be
attached to the phone
interface where the phone
line comes into the wall,
or at any point in the
phone line by splicing
into the line. To find
these, follow all the
phone lines, including
under dressers, beds, etc.
WATCH FOR!!!!
You can
make a butt
set from an old
handset.
[7]
friend that they feel that they
can trust. Of course, that
friend, in turn, has a friend
that they can trust. Pretty soon,
something confidential you
uttered to your closest friend is
shared with her closest friend
(which may not be you), and
on and on.
Be very careful who
you share confidential
information with, if
anyone.
I did a sweep in upstate New
York. My clients maid caught
someone going through the
trash behind the house. Many
people think that once they
throw something in the trash,
its gone forever. Not so!
Private investigators garner
valuable information about
people through dumpster
dives. Notes, receipts, credit
card bills, drug paraphernalia,
condoms, etc., are often found
in peoples trash. This is why
you should shred or burn
confidential information
before tossing it out.
Sometimes people swear to
me that their cell phone is
bugged, because something
they said on their cell phone
was found out by someone
else. One way that this can
happen is through lip-reading.
Thats right, lip-reading. There
are several ways that this can
be done. A lip-reader can
hear what you say on your
cell phone from 12 feet away
by observing your mouth, and
even further when using
binoculars. A person who
wants to find out what youre
saying on your cell phone
when out in public simply has
to videotape you. This can be
done from quite a distance.
Then all they have to do is
show the video to a lip-reader
to get the translation.
Along this same line, people
can simply overhear you when
in public. You might be talking
to a person next to you, or
having a conversation on your
cell phone. Recently, while in
the supermarket I heard a man
talking on his cell phone.
Standing near him, I learned
where hed be that night, with
whom, what time, and quite a
bit about their sex life.
Finally, and why you bought
this booklet, theres electronic
eavesdropping.
Plug adaptor with radio transmitter
A Note on Computers
The purpose of this booklet is
to locate physical
eavesdropping objects, devices
that you can see. There are
programs that can reside on
your computers hard-drive
that only a computer
technician can detect.
Never open an attachment to
an email from a person that
you do not know. Spyware is
placed on your computer when
you open an attachment. If
you receive email and click on
an attachment and nothing
apparently happens, you may
have allowed spyware to be
placed on your computer.
Be aware of physical key
loggers like those shown
above. Unlike spyware, they
are something that you can
see. Key loggers record every
keystroke that you make,
including passwords, email,
etc. They take a couple of
different forms. One, attached
between your computer and
the cord going to your
keyboard is pictured above.
While the one pictured is blue,
it could also be black or white.
(Filters on computer cables
look very similar, but you can
differentiate them because
they cannot be detached.)
There is a second type that
plugs into any USB port on
your computer (see above).
With key loggers, the person
installing them has to retrieve
them and plug them into their
computer, and then they can
see everything you typed.
[8]
Outside
Determine if the phone cable
coming to the junction box on
the outside of your house
comes directly from the
telephone pole, or from an
underground conduit. If it
comes from an underground
conduit, then you must locate
the telephone junction box in
your neighborhood.
In rural areas the phone line to
your house likely comes
directly from the telephone
pole. In urban areas there is
probably a junction box close
to your house.
Typical junction boxes are
pictured below. Some modern
ones are round. They can be
opened with a flat-bladed
screwdriver. (It is not illegal to
check your telephone line for
wiretaps.)
Inside youll find rows
of terminals with red
and green or yellow
and black wires
attached to the
terminals. Youre
looking for your
telephone line.
Occasionally, the
terminals are labeled
with the corresponding phone
numbers. If theyre not, using
your butt set (purchased from
Radio Shack, Home Depot,
the Internet, or your
homemade butt set), attach the
alligator clips to each pair of
wires (green and red). If you
hear a dial tone, dial
1-800-444-4444. A
computerized voice will tell
you the number that youre
calling from. Do this until you
find your phone number. (No
dial tone indicates that the
terminal is not in service. If
you hear conversation on
a line, disconnect quickly.)
(Dont do this exercise in the
rain. Phone wires carry only
about 48 volts of direct
current, but that still can
produce quite a kick.)
When you find your line, mark
it for the future. If there are
other pairs of wires attached to
the terminal on your line, and
they go to another terminal,
your phone is tapped. Follow
the wires to the other terminal.
Then clip your butt set to the
terminal and dial
800-444-444. Now youll
SWEEPING A HOUSE
Whether sweeping a house, small ofce, or
vehicle, always be consistent and methodical.
Junction Boxes
Neighborhood and house
junction boxes are pictured
to the right. You can open
them with a screwdriver. (It is
not illegal to check your
telephone line for wiretaps).
Spy
Finder
Hidden Camera
Finder at
Work
[9]
know the number of the
person who tapped your
phone!
Look carefully at your
terminal. Compare it to the
other terminals in the junction
box. See if there is anything
unusual about yours, or if
anything is attached to your
line.
Second, go to the phone
junction box on the outside of
the house. This is also a very
easy place to tap your phone.
If you open the phone junction
box, youll see the main cable
coming into the junction box
from the telephone pole
distributing box, or the
neighborhood junction box.
There will be a ground wire
leaving the box to a water pipe
or other suitable ground. This
wire will likely go into the
ground and may be attached to
a visible pipe driven into the
ground. There are also red and
green, and yellow and black
wires going into the house.
Landlines, including cordless
phones, use these wires once
they go into the house, at the
telephone interface, which is
described later.
There are two things to look
for. First, look for colored
(they may be enclosed in a
gray or black cable) wires
going into the ground, a
bush, or to your neighbors
house. The colored wires
should be going into the
house and nowhere else.
Also, look for anything
attached to any of the colored
wires in the junction box.
What youre looking for is a
transmitter. If the transmitter
happens to be powered by the
phone line there will be no
battery attached. The
transmitter could be quite
small, and wrapped in black,
or other-colored tape. A
transmitter will contain small
circuit board, diodes and
other parts that may be
unfamiliar to you.
Enlarged for viewing
Again, this is a popular place
to tap a phone. Some
eavesdroppers will actually
bury a recorder in the ground
below the junction box, or
place it under the porch or
deck. Be sure there are no
colored wires going
anywhere besides into your
house.
Note: A person could also go
to your junction box at
night, clip a butt set to your
phone line and eavesdrop on
your phone conversations in
the dark.
If you live in an apartment, go
to the basement and locate the
phone closet. Youll find a
telephone junction box there.
Most are unlocked. (If locked,
call the phone company and
ask them to come and check
your line for static. Then go
to the phone room with the
service person and have him
check your line.) Using your
butt set, follow the instructions
above regarding the
neighborhood junction box.
Basement
Next, go into your basement,
or wherever the telephone
interface is in your house. This
is just opposite the wall where
the telephone junction box is
on the outside. There is
usually a small plastic box
(white or beige) with a cable
that contains at least one pair
of red and green and at least
one pair of black and yellow
wires coming in from outside.
The next step is very
important, and a little tricky.
One-by-one, follow all the
wire pairs coming out of the
interface. They may go
directly to one phone, or
several extensions in the
house. The number of wires
will depend upon how many
phone lines you have, and how
many extensions.
If a wire goes up into a wall,
or some other inaccessible
place, dont worry about it.
[10]
What you are looking for are
bugs or wiretaps that are easy
to place.
Always be on the lookout for
a bug spliced to a phone line.
These transmitters are
usually wrapped in
electricians tape, so as you
examine the phone lines
coming from the telephone
interface, look for fat
sections of the phone wire,
covered with black, or
another color, electricians
tape.
This is why you need to
follow each wire with your
fingers. If you simply eye the
wires, a clever wiretapper will
splice a recorder or transmitter
several feet down the wire and
hide that part of the wire under
something.
As you follow the paired
wires, be sure that they go to
a telephone, or just end with
nothing attached to them. Of
course, paired wires with
nothing attached to them are
possible places for future wire
taps, so you should keep an
eye on these.
If you find a pair of wires
going to a recorder, bingo!
The recorder may be battery
operated, or be plugged into
the house current.
As a second line of defense,
locate all the outlets in the
basement. There are two
important things to check on
the outlets. First, if there is
anything plugged into them,
follow the cords. You should
know whats on the other end
of every plug.
Sometimes you may miss a
recorder attached to your
phone line when trying to
follow all the wires. But,
youll still catch it when
following all the cords that are
plugged into outlets.
Remember, if a person uses a
battery operated recorder, hell
have to have access once in a
while to change the batteries.
Therefore, sometimes running
the recorder off the house
current is more convenient.
Also, while checking the
outlets, you may find a
recorder that is not attached to
a phone line. The first bug I
ever found was like this. I
found a plug in an outlet, and
traced the cord to a small
wooden box fastened to the
basement ceiling. The wooden
box had a door and a latch and
padlock. Fortunately, it was
unlocked. I opened the door
and found a tape recorder
inside. A wire went from the
top of the box and through a
hole in the basement ceiling. I
knew I was below the living
room, so I went upstairs, and
slid the couch away from the
wall. I discovered a small
microphone under the couch,
with a cord going to the
wooden box in the basement.
Examine the telephones
themselves by taking the cover
off. Some phone covers snap
off, but most have about four
screws on the bottom that will
have to be removed. If there
are any alligator clips in the
phone, such as black-plastic-
enclosed clips as in the photo
on page 13, know that your
phone is tapped. There should
be no alligator clips or
electrical tape on any wires.
All the wires should have a
permanent look. There should
be no loose wires or sloppy
wiring.
In any room where
eavesdropping is a concern,
take the face plate off all the
outlets.
If you have a home office in
the basement, or any kind of
room where you fear
eavesdroppers, take the face
plate off the outlets in that
room.
On the next page is a typical
wall outlet. There is often
electricians tape around the
box containing the outlet. This
is normal. But youll notice
that there is nothing else in
there. On the Internet one may
purchase wall outlets that
contain a miniature
microphone, transmitter, and
antenna.
[11]
Typical wall outlet (dark lines are
shadows)
Train your flashlight carefully,
looking at all sides of the
outlet. If you see anything
attached to it, even a thin wire
(the antenna), you may have
located a bug. A mismatching
outlet would be a strong clue
that something is amiss.
Unless you know what youre
doings, suspicious outlets
should be replaced by an
electrician.
There are several other
electrical devices that could
house a transmitter. They
include power strips and plug
adapters to expand your outlet
for insertion of two or three
plugs. If you find any of these
attached to an outlet, and you
didnt purchase it, or dont
know where it came from,
replace it with one that you
purchased.
Ground Floor
Now, go upstairs. Carefully
follow all the phone wires as
you did in the basement.
Know where every wire
comes from and where it goes.
Check all the outlets. Inside,
start in one corner, and work
around the room. Know what
is plugged into every outlet
Look carefully for:

Baby monitors (can

transmit a half-mile)

Recorders

Unaccounted-for cell
phones

Transmitters hidden in
ordinary objects

Video cameras hidden

in ordinary objects
Phone recorder from pigear.com
Upstairs
After thoroughly inspecting
the ground floor, do the same
upstairs, if you have one. Be
sure to check all the outlets
and trace any phone wires.
Remember, bugs are usually
placed in areas where you
have conversations, whether
on the phone or otherwise. So,
youre probably safe not
searching hallways, stairways,
etc.
Attic
In the attic, look for antennas,
recorders, and receivers. Also,
check any phone wires with
spliced-in recorders and
transmitters.
An antenna could simply be a
vertical wire, or a TV-type
antenna. An antenna in the
attic will transmit
conversations for several
miles.
Sometimes radio receivers and
recorders are placed in the
attic, using it as a listening
post. If you find something
suspicious, trace the wire/
cable to its source. If you find
a radio, turn it on; you might
hear a transmission from some
other part of your house.
Garage
If you have a garage, you
might find receivers and
recorders there. Radio
receivers may have a recorder
attached. If you locate a
suspicious radio receiver in
the garage or attic, it means
that you may have missed a
bug hidden somewhere in your
house. Also check for phone
wires attached to a recorder or
transmitter.
[12]
Video Cameras and
Transmitters
Video cameras and
transmitters are small enough
to be hidden in almost any
object, from smoke detectors
to Teddy Bears. One question
that you have to ask yourself:
Where did the item come
from?
One small office received a
Fedex envelope for an
employee that had just started
his vacation. It was thrown on
his desk to await his return.
Inside was a (bug) small
microphone and transmitter.
For several days, it picked up
the conversation in the office
and transmitted it to an
unknown listening post.
When doing a sweep, I always
check calculators, clocks, and
anything with a battery or that
is plugged into the wall. Did
you receive a calculator as a
gift? A plant? A lamp? The
FBI frequently uses a lamp
with a built-in hidden camera.
If youre going through a
divorce and your child comes
home from a visit with your
estranged spouse with a new
Teddy Bear, the plump toy
may have a voice-operated
digital recorder or transmitter
hidden inside. Thoroughly
squeeze the Teddy Bear and
youll find it.
Without a Hidden Camera
Finder, its very difficult to
locate a camera that is very
well hidden. This is where the
magnifying glass comes in.
Routinely inspect surfaces,
books, and objects, looking for
a tiny hole. If you find a small
hole, shine a flashlight in the
hole to observe a reflection
from a camera lens.
Note: Unless you were away
for an extended period of time,
probably no one had the time
to complete a complicated
installation.
If you want more efficiency in
locating hidden cameras,
wired or wireless, you should
order a Spy Finder Hidden
Camera Detector from
www.pigear.com, for $89.
(This is the only suggestion in
this booklet for purchasing
special equipment.)
Spy Finder Hidden Camera Detector
Originally developed for the
government, the Spy Finder
Hidden Camera Detector
works on a simple principle.
The red-glass view finder is
surrounded by six flashing
LED lights. When one looks
through the view finder at a
hidden camera, they see the
cameras lens flashing back at
them. As it reflects the
cameras glass lens, it works
on wireless and hard-wired
cameras.
The Spy Finder Hidden
Camera Detector will also
locate hidden cameras that
hidden behind the plastic face
on a clock radio. This kind of
placement of hidden cameras
is very common. Of course, if
someone recently gave you a
clock radio, you should
suspect that it contains a
hidden camera.
If you happen to have a video
camera with the Night Shot,
turn on the Night Shot feature
and look through the
viewfinder. The infrared in the
Night Shot will see right
through the dark red plastic
common on the face of clock
radios.
If youre directly in front of a
hidden camera lens, and you
shine an ordinary flashlight at
it, youll see the reflection
from the flashlight. If you
dont want to spring for the
Spy Finder Hidden Camera
Detector, use this method in
your search. Remember
though, you have to be
directly in front of the camera.
[13]
Sweeping small offices
A small office sweep is similar
to doing a sweep in a house.
One of the main differences is
that an office probably will
have more electronic
equipment, such as telephones,
calculators, outlets, and other
small electronic equipment.
You should especially be
careful of gifts youve recently
received. I said recently
because of what I wrote earlier
in this booklet: that all bugs
must have a power source. The
power either comes from the
wiring in the building, or
batteries (in the case of phone
taps, the phone line). Batteries
do not last forever, so either
someone has to get in to
change them, or theyll just go
dead.
If you received a gift
calculator just recently, you
should be suspicious of the
gift.
You can take the back cover
off a calculator to see if there
is a transmitter that looks
similar to the photos of
transmitters in this manual. (If
youre suspicious a calculator
or other electronic device that
you received as a gift, simply
remove the batteries.)
You should be wary of any
gifts you receive that youre
likely to use in the office, even
plants. A transmitter can be
placed in almost anything.
As with the telephone
interface on the outside of
a house, what youre
looking for here are
recorders and
transmitters. Remember,
electronic eavesdropping
equipment needs a power
source, either the
buildings current,
batteries, or the power in
the phone wires..
PHONE CLOSETS

Inside a wire-
tapped phone



[14]
While this manual doesnt tell
you how to tell electronically
if a telephone is tapped, you
still can know with a
reasonable amount of certainty
whether your phone is safe.
Employing the same method
described for tracing phone
wires in a home, youll want
to do the same in an office.
This will likely be more
difficult in a small office than
in a house, as there may be
more phones. Also, you should
start your search in the phone
closet.
The phone closet will vary
from office to office. It may
literally be in a closet, or in a
room dedicated to phone and
computer equipment. At first,
looking at the phone panel
may be overwhelming. Dont
let it frighten you. Youre
looking for transmitters and
recorders.
Again, just like with the
telephone interface on the
outside of a house, what
youre looking for here are
recorders and transmitters.
Remember, electronic
eavesdropping equipment
needs a power source, either
the buildings current, batteries,
or the power in the DC-
powered phone wires.
First, look at all the electrical
outlets in the phone closet.
Trace every plug in an outlet
back to it source. Be sure that
there are no plugged-in
recorders. Ive found cassette
recorders in phone closets, but
they were on Play, not on
Record. They were playing
music when the phones were
on hold.
Next, look for recorders and
transmitters on the phone lines
themselves. These will be
powered either by batteries or
the phone lines themselves.
This step may be time-
consuming, but worth it.
Remember, batteries are
sometimes larger than bugs or
taps.
A 9 Volt battery is larger than most
hidden transmitters.
Systematically, follow every
wire. If a wire goes into the
ceiling or wall, follow it as far
as you can. Uses your
flashlight if needed.
When following wires, look
for fat taped wires...a small
bulge in a phone wire.
Carefully examine any that
you find, as they could contain
transmitters powered by the
phone lines direct current.
Examine the telephones
themselves by taking the cover
off. Some phone covers snap
off, but most have about four
screws on the bottom that will
have to be removed. If there
are any alligator clips in the
phone, such as black-plastic-
enclosed clips as in the photo
on the previous page, know
that your phone is tapped.

There should be no alligator
clips or electrical tape on any
wires.
All the wires in a telephone
should have a permanent look.
There should be no loose
wires or sloppy wiring.
Offices often have more than
one phone that are identical in
outward appearance. If there
are two or more phones, take
the covers off all of them and
place them next to each other.
All the phones should look
identical on the inside.
If one phone has extra parts,
the phone is probably tapped.
[15]
The most popular
bugging device in a
conference room is a
planted cell phone.
A cell phone can be dropped
in a plant, behind books, or
fastened to the bottom of the
conference table with Velcro.
Then all the eavesdropper has
to do is call the cell phone (the
ringer has been turned off) and
listen in. Once the cell phone
has been placed, he can call
from anywhere in the world.
Another thing to watch
out for is small, voice-
activated recorders.
These can also be placed
easily. In this case, though, the
eavesdropper will have to
come back to retrieve it.
Watch, too, for transmitters
hidden in various objects and
places, including outlets.
As in the rest of the office,
search the conference room
thoroughly. Look behind
everything and under
everything, including the
conference table and chairs.
Voice-activated digital recorder hidden
under a conference table.
Conference Room

The conference room is a prime target for eavesdroppers.
[16]
When sweeping a car, I always
start by popping the hood and
check the battery terminals.
Todays vehicles can be
daunting. Sometimes its even
difficult to find the battery. If
you can locate the battery,
look for alligator clips on the
battery terminals. If you find
them, trace the wire to its
source.
Next, sit in the drivers seat.
Have a mirror, magnifying
glass, and flashlight handy.
First, peer into all the air vents
with your flashlight, even the
ones on the passenger side.
Look very carefully, for a
hidden microphone which may
be placed further back than in
the photo below. If you see
something suspicious, use the
magnifying glass to get a
better look.
Look in every nook and
cranny on the dash and the
console between the
seats. Be sure to look
above too. Check
under the visors, and
the map light, and
interior light. Turn
the map light and
interior light on.
Sometimes if theres
a bug itll be revealed
just by turning on the light.
I swept a new SUV in Staten
Island. My client, who was
going through a nasty divorce,
said that her husband always
seemed to know what she said
on her cell phone. As I
previously mentioned in the
section called How Bugs are
Placed, I found that she made
all her calls from her car. I
suspected her car was bugged.
When employing sophisticated
electronic equipment on a
sweep, if a transmitter is not
on, no signal can be picked up.
The best way to find it is
with a physical search.
I searched that vehicle
tenaciously for two hours. I
even searched the cargo area
in the back, which is usually
futile, because an
eavesdropper wants to listen to
the drivers conversation, not
the kids fighting in the back.
As I sat in the drivers seat
thinking about what to do
next, I glanced up at the map
light above the rearview
mirror. I noticed that the
screws holding the map light
were slightly damaged,
HOW TO SWEEP A VEHICLE
Besides recorders and transmitters, youre
also looking for GPS units.
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arcu enim conubia leo nulla ac nibh, eget.
Hidden Microphone in Air Vent
Microphones have to be almost
exposed to be effective. You can
nd them with a careful visual
search. Miicrophones always lead
to a recorder or a transmitter
(including a cell phone).
EXTREME MAGAZINE
1234 Main Street
Anytown, State 54321

Real-time
GPS unit the size
of a pack of
cigarettes
[17]
indicating that they had been
removed. I realized that the
light bulb would not have to
be changed in a new vehicle.
With a Phillips screwdriver I
removed the cover of the map
light.
Bingo!
I found a microphone, about
the size of the one in the air
vent below, and a circuit board
about the size of a postage
stamp. Two wires were
attached to the circuit board.
One went through the window
molding to the fuse box for
power. The other wire went up
to the roof of the car. I pulled
on the wire that went into the
roof. At the other end was a
Motorola cell phone.
On the cell phone we found all
the numbers that the husband
had called from as he traveled
around the country (he owned
a drug store chain). What he
did was call the hidden cell
phone (the ringer was turned
off), but the call turned on the
microphone hidden in the map
light. He could then eavesdrop
on his wifes side of the
conversation.
Remember, an eavesdropper
most likely wants to listen to
the conversation of the person
driving the vehicle, either
while on a cell phone, or
talking to a person in the
passengers seat. Usually, its a
waste of time to search the
back of the car.
Next, using your mirror and
flashlight, search under the
dashboard and seats. With a
little practice, youll find that
by training the flashlight on
the mirror youll be able to see
exactly where you want to
look.
Under the dash youre looking
for microphones, tiny
transmitters, sloppy or out-of-
place wiring, or GPS units
(see next section). I mention
the wiring because factory
wiring in a car will be neat and
orderly. A person placing a
listening device in a car will
likely not be as careful. Look
for wires with black
electricians tape, which may
be a sign that the wiring was
done after the car left the
factory.
Try to find the cable going
from the cars antenna to the
radio. Look for an additional
wire attached to the antenna. If
you find another wire, follow
it to its source. (This may be
why your car radio has been
acting funny).
Look under the drivers and
passengers seat with the
flashlight and mirror. Be
watchful for small recorders
and cell phones.
GPS Devices
Finally, youll want to inspect
the car for hidden GPS
devices. GPS means global
positioning satellites. A GPS
unit receives signals from
fixed satellites hovering over
the earth. Each satellite
continually sends a signal with
its exact position. When a GPS
unit receives signals from
several satellites, a program in
the unit can determine exactly
where it is by longitude and
latitude.
There are two different kinds
of GPS units. The first is a
real time GPS. A real time
unit broadcasts the position,
and even speed, of the car
every few seconds or minutes
to the computer of the person
installing it. The transmissions
are made through cell phone
technology in the unit.
The second type of GPS unit
is passive. It records the
exact position of the car
internally. To get the
information, the person
placing the GPS unit in the car
must retrieve it. Then he can
attach it to his computer to
learn exactly when and where
the car has been.
Both types of GPS units show
either where the car currently
is, or the path of where its
been on a map.
[18]
GPS units range in size from
the size of a pack of cigarettes
to as small as the size of a
pack of gum.

Small GPS Unit
To be effective, the GPS unit
must be in touch with
satellites. As metal effectively
blocks radio transmissions, the
units must be put under glass
or plastic, not metal. In other
words, a GPS unit wouldnt be
effective under the hood or in
the trunk.

Example of GPS with antenna for
satellite reception
However, they can be placed
under a seat, since there is
some allowance through the
windows to receive signals
from satellites.
One popular spot for the
placement of GPS units is
under the fabric in the rear
window, or placed under the
rear window through the
trunk.
Also, many cars have plastic
bumpers. GPS units can be
placed inside bumpers,
fenders, and other plastic
parts.
Some GPS units have
powerful magnets. These units
can be placed on the frame or
other metal part underneath
the car.
Ideally, the best way to inspect
a car for GPS units is to put it
on a lift. I recently had a client
who had me sweep her house
after her mechanic found a
GPS unit under her car.

GPS Unit in weatherproof case
Of course, putting the car on a
lift may not be practical. This
is where the mirror comes in
handy. At United States
embassies in foreign countries,
security guards inspect all
vehicles entering the grounds
with a large mirror on wheels
and a long handle. Theyre
looking for explosive devices,
of course, but that would be a
good way to search for GPS
units too.
You will have to get down on
your hands and knees to
inspect under a car. Using the
flashlight/mirror trick, look in
all areas underneath the car.
Besides looking under the car,
you will have to search behind
the grill, inside the bumpers,
under the rear window, under
the seats, and under the dash.
Can a cell phone be
tapped?
Yes. Should you be worried?
Probably not.
On the Internet there are some
misleading articles about
roving bugs. Below, Ive
reprinted a post that I
originally wrote for my blog.
The big news in the
eavesdropping world is so-
called "roving bugs." As a
result, we've gotten calls from
people who think their cell
phone is bugged. Before you
call us, let me first tell you
that your cell phone is very,
very likely not bugged.
An article appearing in CNET
News.com has generated the
buzz. Many bloggers picked
up the story. Many of these
bloggers subscribe to
numerous conspiracy
theories.
The article said, "The FBI
appears to have begun using
a novel form of electronic
[19]
surveillance in criminal
investigations: remotely
activating a mobile phone's
microphone and using it to
eavesdrop on nearby
conversations.
"The technique is called a
"roving bug," and was
approved by top U.S.
Department of Justice officials
for use against members of a
New York organized crime
family who were wary of
conventional surveillance
techniques such as tailing a
suspect or wiretapping him.
"The FBI is apparently using a
novel surveillance technique
on alleged Mafioso: activating
his cell phone's microphone
and then just listening."
It's my opinion that a cell
phone cannot be turned on
remotely if the power is off.
Even if it could, the
microphone isn't sensitive
enough to pick up
conversation more than a few
feet away.
I think the story is really
based on a judge's decision
to allow roving phone taps. In
other words, say the FBI gets
permission to tap a mobster's
phone. Well, he's not going to
be in his home all the time.
He travels. So, the newest
thing in taps, is tapping every
phone where the mobster
might be, including
payphones in his
neighborhood. That's a roving
tap, or roving bug.
Blackberry Cell Phone with Bluetooth
capability
But, if you still think that a
program can be downloaded
to your cell phone to turn it on
and eavesdrop on you, there
are several things you can do.
1. Pull the battery out.
2. Get a prepaid cell phone.
3. Put your cell phone in a
clam shell-type eyeglass
case. You'll still be able to
hear it ring, but it will muffle
the microphone enough so
that an eavesdropper won't
be able to hear.
But ask yourself, are you
really important enough for
the FBI to place a roving
bug on your phone?
Law enforcement can get a
court order to tap your cell
phone through the service
providers equipment. They
also have equipment costing
about $75,000 that can pick up
your cell phone signal if they
are close enough to you. This
equipment is sold only to law
enforcement.
If you use Bluetooth
technology on your cell phone,
eavesdroppers can listen to
your conversation if they are a
few feet away. But, the way
many people talk on their cell
phones an eavesdropper could
hear them a few feet away
without any equipment.
So, its very likely that your
cell phone is not tapped. You
should be more concerned
about where you talk on your
cell phone.
Good hunting!
[20]
About the Author

Photo by Hannah Kanew
Skipp Porteous, TSCM Expert
Skipp Porteous, a licensed
Private Investigator, is
Sherlock Investigations Inc.'s
TSCM expert. Besides years
of hands-on experience (he
found his first hidden listening
device when he was a teen), he
received formal training in
TSCM at the World Institute
for Security Enhancement.
Skipp holds a Technician-class
Amateur Radio license (call
sign KC2PYP), issued by the
Federal Communications
Commission, and formerly
held a First Class Commercial
Radio license.
His TSCM clients include
Politicians, Law Enforcement,
the Entertainment and Fashion
Industries, Attorneys,
Accountants, Manufacturing,
the Publishing World, and
Private Citizens.
The instructions in this manual
are for low threat situations,
where incredibly sophisticated
means are not used to eavesdrop.
If you are in a high threat
situation, or if you are still unsure
about what you are doing, contact
Sherlock Investigations, Inc.
Sherlock Investigation's
Technical Surveillance
Counter-Measures Sweep
includes the following:

Total RF (radio
frequency) spectrum
sweep - 200 Hz to 12
GHz

Carrier current sweep -

20 KHz to 400 KHz

Infrared transmission
sweep

Laser beam
transmission sweep

Microwave (X-Band)
transmission sweep

Cell phone bug sweep

Microphone sweep

Radio transmitter sweep

Video transmitter sweep

Hidden video camera

sweep

Audio recorder sweep

Acoustic leakage
inspection

Phone taps (includes

recorders and
transmitters) sweep

Vehicle: active and

passive GPS sweep
Considering what people may
be finding out about you or
your business, the rates for a
TSCM sweep are inexpensive.
No job is too large or too
small.
NOTE: Sherlock
Investigations specializes in the New
York, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Massachusetts area, but can make
arrangements to go anywhere in the
continental U.S.
Our rates are competitive. Fees are
based upon the size of the area being
swept, the level of threat, and the
distance from our office. Normally, there
is a two-hour minimum for vehicles, and
a four-hour minimum for offices, houses
or apartments. We may impose a travel
fee outside of Manhattan.
Please note: In high-security situations,
frequent sweeps are of extreme
importance. We can offer you a special
flat-rate price for 6 or more sweeps a
year. Please call us for details.
NOTE: (1) DO NOT call from a phone or
area that you think may be under electronic
surveillance. Do not email Sherlock
Investigations from a computer that you
think might be compromised. (2) If you
have reason to think that any kind of law
enforcement agency has you under
surveillance, go somewhere else. Sherlock
Investigations cannot help you.
(3) Sherlock Investigations does not install
bugs or wiretaps. Please do not ask.
Copyright 2008 by Skipp Porteous