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Contents

Introduction 3

Computer Monitoring 5
Basic Computer Monitoring Skills 5

Advanced Computer Monitoring Skills 7

Audio Surveillance 10
Telephone Monitoring 11

Area / Room Audio Monitoring 16

III. Video Surveillance 18

Overt Video Surveillance 20

Covert Video Surveillance 20

Webcam (as spy cam) 21

IV. Tracking Systems 23

Cellphone Tracking 24

Chemical Tests 25

Conclusion 26

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Introduction
We live in a culture where all sorts of devices are continually watching us,
recording us, and storing us. When we enter banks or airports, go over bridges,
use cash machines, or even stroll through urban centers, we’re often being
videotaped. When we make phone calls, we’re reminded that the call may be
recorded for quality assurance purposes.

Our computer activity is tracked in a number of ways: by the inner workings of

the machine (even the act of deletion leaves a trace); by an Internet service
provider that tracks your total online usage; by all of the websites that you
know log your visits and transactions you make; and quite possibly many other
websites that you don’t know are doing the same.

At every moment in every online computer there are “spyware” applications at

war with anti-virus applications. Your email address has been harvested and sold
on a virtual black market that has added it to its spam factory. Every network
exchange including email and instant messaging is potentially monitored by
your employer. (And, if you happen to be on the FBI’s list for any reason, you
can bet your computer is being watched, and maybe your phone and your car
and your house as well).
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We live in a society where surveillance is a fact of life. Sometimes we don’t take
notice. Other times it’s just second nature. Some of us make use of various
surveillance techniques ourselves, whether we are monitoring a crying baby
down the hall, keeping tabs on the family dog from a remote location, or
providing some added security for the prized sports car in your driveway. And,
of course, the sacred institution of marriage offers a wonderful opportunity for
a wide spectrum of surveillance and counter-surveillance measures.

Whatever the situation, often we think that we don’t have the technical knowledge,
the money, or simply the power to use them. But that’s not necessarily the
case. Many of the spying technologies out there are much easier to understand
than you might think - and they are only getter easier. Not only that, the quality
of these devices is getting better (for example, digital cameras can capture
images of a person 3,000 feet away with as much resolution as one taken by
an older analog camera at 30 feet away). Much of this stuff can be found for
dirt cheap.

Surveillance has its uses, and you have the ability to use it. But whether you’re
taking the first steps toward a new hobby, or what seems like the final steps
toward resolving a desperate situation, a responsible spy always works within
confines of the law, and respects the rights of others. If you’re not sure what’s
legal and what’s not where you live, it’s best to find out first.

Now it’s time to arm yourself with some simple yet potent surveillance tools
and techniques. Soon, you’ll be able to revel in your newfound powers of
perspective.

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Computer Monitoring
Given that computers are still the relative new kid on the block with regard to
communication technologies, they are also the newest way to spy. There are
several advanced methods that you can use to monitor and track the activity
and communication of someone else online, but it’s also important not to forget
about the basics.

Basic Computer Monitoring Skills

History function

Web browsers contain some basic information about the user’s activity. First
there is the “History” function, which will yield a chronological list of recently
visited websites. You can use a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+H) to view the user’s
browsing history, or the History icon located on the horizontal menu at the
top of the screen (there is also a drop-down menu you can use to locate this
function). In Microsoft Internet Explorer, there is a blue clock icon with a green
arrow (pointing back in time) for the History function. In Mozilla Firefox, the
History is located in the drop-down menu under “Go.” In both, the keyboard
shortcut Ctrl+H will work, and there is also a “Search” function that allows you
to search for keywords among the web pages listed in the browsing history.

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Tracking “Cookies”

Another basic way to monitor computer use is by viewing what are called web
“cookies.” Cookies are used in an exchange between the browser (what you
see and interact with onscreen - the interface) and the browser (the thing
that “talks” to the browser and delivers what you see on the screen). Cookies
are little packets of textual information designed to verify certain websites
and maintain some information about your interaction with them, such as site
preferences and settings or the contents of an electronic shopping cart. You
can access these cookies through the drop-down menu at the top of the screen
under “Tools.” In Firefox, select “Options,” then select “Privacy” (the icon with
the padlock). At the lower left of that window, you can select “View Cookies.”
In Internet Explorer, from the Tools menu, select “Internet Options,” then the
tab that says “General” (if it is not already selected). In the middle of that
window, you’ll see “Temporary Internet Files.” Select “Settings” and then select
the “View Files” button. Like the browser History, this list is searchable.

Cache

Finally, all Internet enabled computers maintain

a “cache,” which is a temporary file store related
to all web pages visited by a user. It allows
pages to load faster when they are re-visited at
a later time. The cache can offer a good map of
a user’s recent activity, since often users leave
the files in there undeleted or simply do not
know it exists. In Internet Explorer, the cache
entries are found in the same list of files that
displays tracking cookies, and are accessed the
same way. In Firefox, these temporary files are
found in a different way: go to the address bar in
the Firefox web browser and type the following:
“about:cache.” You will see a menu that will link
to a list of the cache entries.

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It is possible to copy the cache or cookies by simply selecting the list of files
and copying some or all of them to a removable storage device (such as a USB
“memory stick” or a network drive that will store this file on the web). This will
allow you to view the list from another location at another time.

(NOTE: sometimes a website or ad is accessed unintentionally, as in the case

with “pop-up” windows, so keep this in mind if and when you find anything of
interest).

These basic techniques may provide solid information about where the user has
been online. In addition, don’t forget about the obvious: sometimes users leave
items in the Recycle Bin before they “empty” it, and sometimes users leave
passwords stored using their browser settings for quick access to email or other
websites. If the user relies on a “password manager” to remember login details
so they don’t have to enter it each time, this information is available in the same
menu: Tools > Options > Passwords tab. Also, the browsing history of users
is readily available for viewing, both in terms of web addresses (urls) listed in
the address bar drop-down menu, and an itemized list of search phrases, which
appears in under the “Go” menu of Firefox.

Advanced Computer Monitoring Skills

There are more advanced ways to keep tabs
on someone’s computer activity. If you’re
not having any luck searching traces of past
activity, there are ways to generate a record
of the process of a user’s activity. It is even
possible to remotely access that record and
be alerted to any activity immediately after
it occurs.

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Key Logging Software

The most common method for generating this information is by covertly

installing a software program, known as a “key logger.” This is software that will
basically “read” and record every single keystroke that the user makes on his
or her keyboard, and then save it to a plain text file to be reviewed at another
time and place. The recording is done all before the computer itself processes
the input. The result is not pretty, but this text file will contain all sorts of juicy
details, such as passwords and login details that only appear as hidden symbols
on the user’s screen.

Key loggers work at the level of basic computer operations, so it is necessary

that when the user inputs various keystrokes, the logger will output all of the
“codes” associated with the keystrokes of special characters (so, for example, it
will indicate that the user has pressed the Shift key to specify a capital letter).
Some key logging software has more advanced features, such as a function that
streamlines the keystroke log so that you are able to read it more coherently.
But as any master spy will tell you, there is a potential drawback in that some
of the vital details may be lost in translation, and sometimes it just pays to do
the extra deciphering work.

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The most important factor to consider when implementing key logging software
is that it will be absolutely and completely undetectable to the user who is being
watched. When someone installs software on a computer, it usually shows up
in a list of “programs” or “applications” that is easily accessible from the start
menu. Good key logging software is designed so that it will not show up here
as installed - which would, of course, defeat the whole point of the exercise.
Another way that users view what programs are operating AS they are working
at the machine is by opening the Task Manager. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete will
open the Task Manager. In MAC computers, it’s called the “Activity Monitor,” and
can be found through the Applications, then Utilities menu. Good key logging
software will also hide itself from detection here as well.

There are a couple ways for you to access this treasure trove of data after your
key logger has mined it for you. The first is through the same computer on
which the software is installed. You will be able to set up your own password
(usually a sequence of keystrokes) that will allow you to move back and forth
from the secret surveillance mode that watches and records another user, to an
administrator mode, in which you can read and review their input.

It is also possible with some software to

access the log data remotely. It sets up their
system so that a record of their activity is
instantly generated and sent to you via email,
all in good stealth, so to speak. This record
is delivered to you in the form of “activity
reports” that can include the user’s emails,
online chat and instant messages, and
websites viewed in addition to keystrokes.
You can set the interval at which you want to receive the reports. And, in the
rare event that the person you are spying is also spying in you, you will find out
right away when you start seeing your own emails sent back your way!

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Key logging software is available as both a free-ware and a commercial product,
and there is no lack of them. Most retail for around $100, and there is even a
slightly more expensive version that allows you to remotely install the software
if you do not have direct access to your target’s computer. Your best bet is to
hit the discussion groups and forums online to get an unvarnished and unbiased
opinion about what works and what doesn’t.

Key Logging Hardware

One more option with regard to key logging is using

hardware instead of software. There are small electronic
devices that attach directly to a keyboard and record
keystrokes without having any dependence on the
computer’s processes. It’s like a “tap” that is paying
attention to which keys are pressed and in what order.
This means no software installation at all. The key logging device stores the
keystrokes in its own memory, which in most cases can keep more keystrokes
than you will ever have time to trawl through.

The advantages of this method include fast and uncomplicated insertion and
removal of the device and the fact that, once removed, the data on the device
can be viewed easily on another computer. In addition, because the hardware is
only interested the physical keyboard, the device will work on any computer, no
matter what operating system it is (it only needs the computer to steal enough
power to operate).

Key logging hardware can be smaller than a triple A battery and can be concealed
in an “extra” length of cable that will attach the existing keyboard cable to the
port at the back of the computer. A drawback of this device - as with many
hardware devices - is its cost, which can be upward of $200. Amateur hobbyists,
however, will find a worthy challenge in building one from scratch, which, with
the right recipe, will cost under $20.

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Audio Surveillance
When you talk about audio (and location)
surveillance, there’s a few obvious things that
come to mind: phone taps, body wires, micro-
transmitters, tracking devices. Many of these
devices have been impressed on our popular
imagination through spy thrillers or detective
movies. The good news is that most of these
methods are available to us in some form. The not
so good news is that many of them are expensive
and, in their real-life form as commercial products,
are not all that practical or necessary for an
amateur spy.

There’s a few simple questions that any spy will need to consider before seizing
on any one particular spy tactic:

• Do you need to identify actual content of a conversation, or is it enough to

determine the identity of the people talking by hearing just a sampling of
voices? Or perhaps even a recorded log of inbound and outbound phone
numbers will suffice?

• Do you want to listen in to a conversation in "real time," as it occurs, or

are you able to entertain the (more convenient) option of recording calls
and listening to them later?

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 • Do you have direct access to the phone or location you would like to tap
into? Do you require a portable device that allows you to monitor multiple
locations?

• How much do you want to spend?

Short of building your own electronic devices - and there are plenty of hobbyist
manuals available to this end - you should expect to fork out anywhere between
$25 and $100 for some worthwhile equipment.

These questions can help guide you toward the simplest and most potent spy
arsenal for our own situation. Now let's see what's on offer...

Telephone Monitoring
A telephone tap is a device that connects directly
to a telephone that enables you to listen to phone
conversations and also record them. It got its
name of “phone tap” or “wire tap” from the fact
that the earliest models would be attached directly
to the phone wires of the user being monitored
and would draw a small amount of the electronic
signal carrying the conversation.

Today phone taps come in many forms, and they are still used by law enforcement
agents to gather information in a manner that, while controversial, is legal. This
process is referred to as “lawful interception,” and the privilege doesn’t exactly
extend to you and me. In some places, the act of installing a phone tap is illegal
in itself. These are things you should be aware of when you go the road of audio
surveillance. In any case, it’s all the more reason to make sure you get the job
done right, in undetectably sublime fashion!
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In the past, you would have to do a lot of work to reap the rewards of a tapped
phone. You would have to sit somewhere in the vicinity of the tapped line and
physically transcribe what you heard over your earphones. Today, when you tap
an analog phone, you can record the conversations without having to be there
when they occur. To maintain the tap, all you need to do is change the tape
on the recording device according to its duration. The best taps can signal the
recorder to kick into action only when the phone line is in use.

The ability to tap phones also has become much easier for cable companies
providing digital phone services. All they have to do is get their centralized
computer system to record the digital information that travels over their wires
(in the form of the 0’s and 1’s of binary digits) and store it on their computer
network. Even though your own powers of telephone surveillance are for the
most part limited to recording on your own phone line or one that you have
direct access to, digital technology has made life easier for you as well. It is
now possible to record both analog as well as digital phone calls by connecting
recording devices up to computers, which can convert the conversations into
digital format and save them as sound files. Here are the details...

Call Logging Services and Devices

Your covert operations might be as simple as purchasing a device that will log
and display all incoming calls to your phone line, also known as Caller ID. You
will need to subscribe to this service from your network provider (which you
should note will show up on your phone bill). In addition, you will either need
a phone that can display the incoming number or a Caller ID box. (The name
of the incoming caller is not provided with the service in certain countries,
including the U.S.). These are not simple devices to conceal. But depending on
where and how it is installed, the other phone-using members of the household
will not necessarily know it is there. Or if they do see it, perhaps their reaction
to its existence will be revealing in itself.

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If you are using a covert recording device to monitor your phone line, you
can use a touch tone recorder (roughly $100), which will “listen” to dialed
phone tones and display the numbers on the screen. Because this device has a
microphone built into it, you don’t need to connect it to the recorder. To make
use of this device, however, you will need to record the touch tones that are
dialed on the phone using a tape recorder or digital recording device, one that
is concealed near enough to the target phone. Computer technology, however,
might offer you better comprehensive options…

Call Recording Software

It is possible to have a calling log sent directly to your computer with the right
software set-up. The same software can be used to automatically record the
content of incoming calls. This method is quite simple - and quite common - for
those who are recording their own phone conversations for business purposes.
But it can be trickier, not to mention legally problematic, to use the same
method to record someone else’s conversation. For example, if you share a
computer with the target of your surveillance operations, then they will likely
be able to detect its presence.

Still, call software that logs incoming calls and records the conversation may
be your first port of call when it comes to audio surveillance, simply because
it both logs numbers and records content for you. It will cost you around $50
and can be downloaded from the Internet. There is more advanced software
dedicated to telephone services that will automatically record outgoing calls as
well, which will cost more in the range of $150.

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Conventional Phone Taps

Phone taps can be used for audio surveillance in a number of ways. They can
be used to transmit a conversation to a remote location, where someone else
can listen to it; they can tap a phone to record a conversation as it occurs (with
the option to manually or automatically record); or they can simultaneously
transmit and record the content of a call.

Some taps can be placed either directly in the ear

piece (“coil taps”) or somewhere on the telephone
line. For those that go on the line, there is also a
basic difference between “series” phone taps and
“parallel” phone taps. A series tap, which is the
more common, inserts the bugging device into the
existing wire, so the existing phone line must be
temporarily cut to install the device. The effect is
to intercept the signal flowing “downstream” from
the main exchange. That means a series tap must
go somewhere between the incoming telephone line
and the phone that is the target of your operation.

In a home residence, if all the phones are on the same line, then a series tap
will be able to target all of them provided it is placed “above” each of them
on the incoming line. If there are different lines, it will only target the phone
or phones that are downstream from the tap on that particular line. A parallel
phone tap is installed across the existing wires without having to cut them. Its
wires attach to the same terminal points that anchor the existing wires. This,
by contrast, can target every telephone on the line no matter where it is placed
on the line.

A series tap can transmit a conversation to a receiver approximately 100 to 500

feet away. They are typically “parasitic” devices, which means they can suck

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enough power directly from the phone line without the need for any batteries
or external power source. The range for a parallel tap transmission is greater,
with a range of between 200 and 1000 feet. It does require an external power
source. These phone taps are both readily available from a local hardware
or electronics shop, and retail for anywhere between $30 to several hundred
dollars depending on the recording and transmitting capabilities you are after.

Another form of tap that is worth consideration is called a “modular jack”

transmitter, and its beauty is in its ability to remain disguised in plain view.
It simply plugs into the existing phone jack and looks like nothing other than
an additional splitter. It can receive at a range over 1000 feet with a decent
receiver. You can order it online fully assembled for about $75.

A Most Unconventional Phone Tap

With regard to audio surveillance, I’ve saved the best for last, if “best” refers
to the most devious device on the market. It’s called the “Infinity Transmitter,”
and although the technology has been around for decades, the product has only
recently been released to the public.

Basically, if you install this transmitter on a target phone, you can then call the
number of the target phone from any location. Your call will remotely activate the
microphone on the target phone and begin transmitting whatever conversation
(or other audible activity) is occurring in the room back to you. In this sense,
it’s more of an audio transmitter than a phone tap. In effect, it transforms a
remote phone into a potent bug. And its potency resides in the fact that once
planted on the target phone, it can be activated from literally anywhere in the
world that can directly dial it.

The device has had a lot of hype in cult circles, with many questioning its
existence in the first place. It does exist, but perhaps not on the same all-

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powerful scale that some descriptions afford it. Some of the devices require the
target phone to be picked up, at least briefly, then put down again, so repeated
one-ringers can get suspicious. Also when the transmission is in process, some
units will render the phone line “busy,” and you can imagine that this will arouse
immediate suspicion when a determined caller informs the target that their line
has been busy for hours at a time when in reality it has not.

Newer models have apparently been designed so as not to require the initial
ring to activate the transmitter, but these are not easily available for purchase
online. In any case, an Infinity Transmitter will set you back at least $600-$800,
and buyers should be warned about the importance of establishing a reliable
vendor. Even if this thing is no longer a black market item, it’s still without a
doubt in the grey area.

Cellphone Monitoring

To say cellphones are an epidemic would

be an understatement. Everyone is either
using, about to use, or has just finished
using their cellphone for something. Every
time they use it, there are signals that are
sent through the air that, with the right
equipment, may be yours for the taking
- or at least yours for a peek before they
continue on their way.

For several hundred dollars, you can purchase a cellular scanner device that will
allow you to intercept cellphone transmissions. This requires that you are well
positioned to actually intercept this cross traffic, and also does not guarantee
that you will locate the transmission you desire. If you’re willing to up the ante
to around $3000, you can get a souped-up version of this device that allows

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you to pre-program up to 20 cellphone numbers that will be recognized and
intercepted automatically. Advanced cellular interceptors can also provide the
identity belonging to unknown cellphone numbers, hook up easily to recording
devices, and be used as regular cellphone.

Just in case you have just joined us, this method of audio surveillance, like
most of the methods outlined here, is not legal.

A final spy tactic involves a slightly different form of cellphone surveillance -

one that actually turns the phone itself into a listening bug. The Nokia 3310 Spy
Phone is a popular example. You can leave the phone somewhere and then dial
in to listen to the remote location (though admittedly it would seem a bit odd
for anyone to leave their cellphone anywhere other than their purse or back
pocket). You may even consider giving it as a gift to someone you’d like to keep
tabs on. Sneaky.

Area / Room Audio Monitoring

There are many inexpensive devices that will transmit audio from a remote
target location to you, as you remain nestled safely in your special spying spot.
They work in the same way as a baby monitoring device, but can be concealed
in much more cunning ways (though you can find instructions on how to “hack”
a baby monitor, which is a powerful audio transmitter, to quite effectively work
as a concealed spy gadget).

Wall Plug Transmitters

Audio transmitter bugs come in all shapes and sizes and can be planted just
about anywhere (a private investigator from San Francisco named Hal Lipset
gained fame in the 1960s after successfully concealing a listening bug in a
Martini olive!).

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Some of the least expensive and most effective transmitters are available to
you in the form a wall plugs and outlets. These devices are perfectly disguised
and will clearly convey all conversation and sound from a 20ft square room.
There are several variations as well, including plug adaptors and power strips
that all would need to be disassembled in order to be detected.

There is, for example, a wall outlet transmitter that can be installed directly into
the wall. Its advantage is that, because it is placed directly into the wall as a
standard outlet, it is able to have a 3-foot long antenna that can be concealed
by tacking it up inside the wall itself. This device has a substantially greater
range (over 1500ft), but of course is a bit trickier to install. In addition to
wall plugs and outlets, you can find other devices that will perform the same
function, such as a popular lamp audio transmitter that can be set to transmit
only when the light is turned on. Most of these devices retail between $60 and
$100.

It helps to bear in mind that if you are in the least bit technically inclined, you
may want to consider putting together some of these devices on your own (the
same might apply to you if you are on a super tight budget and have no other
option!). For example, an audio transmitter bug that will retail for $100 can be
assembled using electronics parts from a local store that cost under $5 in total.
With these bits, a few parts from a broken transistor radio, enough patience to
wind a wire around a bolt, and a battery source to power it all you’ve got enough
to get you going. Many schematics for assembly of such devices are available
online, but perhaps the most reliable book on the topic is Brad Graham and
Kathy McGowan’s 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius (McGraw Hill 2006).

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Video Surveillance
Sometimes you need to see it to believe it. It may take hours of listening
to audio recordings in order for your espionage efforts to bear fruit. But it
might only take one fleeting image to pinpoint a thief, an adulterer, or even a
disobedient dog if they are caught with video surveillance techniques.

Some general questions to consider before hatching your plan:

• Do you need constant video footage to monitor a specific location?

This can be more labor intensive if you are

using video tape rather than digital video
because you have to constantly change the
tape. In both cases, if you are not monitoring
in real time, recorded footage is easily time
and date stamped for quicker access.

• Does the camera need to be concealed?

In the case of security monitoring, the very presence of a camera can deter
any criminal activity - or even a fake camera, or even a sign that says that
there is a camera on the premises (but not a sign that says that there is a fake
camera!). In any case, you will obviously need to position this device so that it
is not easily deactivated or vandalized.

• Does the camera need to be portable? Wireless?

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Sometimes concealed cameras, such as one, say, hidden in a clock, are incredibly
effective surveillance devices. But you can't keep moving the clock around to
different rooms without it looking quite odd. In this case a wireless webcam
might be a better option, but it is of course more difficult to conceal. Because of
its cost, it is also not something you'd want to plant anywhere that there's a risk
of losing it. The important thing to remember is that with audio, all you need
to do is expose the microphone in the direction of the targeted sound source;
but with video, you will need to be more precise in how you aim the eye of the
camera.

Motion detection and night vision are other options you have with video
surveillance. It is possible to set video recording devices to record only when
motion is detected. And, for an added cost, you can purchase an infrared camera
that will help you see in the dark (by sensing radiation and turning that heat
into images on your screen.

Any video surveillance system will include the same basic components: a video
camera, a recorder / playback device, and a monitor. For wireless devices,
include a transmitter and receiver in this list, although some devices bundle
these functions into one unit. In the past, these systems were difficult and
costly to install. But they are continually getting smaller and less expensive;
and anyone who owns a personal computer likely already owns most of the
components necessary to implement one form of video spying.

Here is a sampling of some of the most popular and effective forms of video
surveillance and the devices that make it all happen...

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Overt Video Surveillance
To monitor a location over a continuous basis you can use a fixed camera that
transmits to a single monitor. This is the same type of Closed Circuit TV (or
CCTV) system used by security operations worldwide. Digital technology has
vastly improved the versatility of this method, as digital images can be taken at
a much higher resolution, and the footage is easier to study and store.

You can get a quality video surveillance

camera for $50-$120 that includes audio as
well, with color image and night vision at
the higher end of the scale. Installation is a
straightforward process. If the unit will be
exposed to the elements, make sure you are
purchasing a system that is weatherproof.
Double that price and you’ll find a remote
controlled camera that can swivel 360
degrees and see in the dark.

If you are after a cheap and easy security device, you may even want to consider
a dummy video camera, which uses motion detection to pan an area (and flash
a green LED light) in order to appear as if it is actively recording. You can find
one for under $30.

Covert Video Surveillance

If you need to conceal your video surveillance device, there is a huge range of
devices available, some of them so small that they can fit inside a single screw.
These items have a pinhole lens that is no bigger than several millimeters in
diameter, and a resolution of over 300 lines. But bear in mind that smaller is not
always better and it will almost always make things more expensive. A creative
plant is much more important to your snooping success.

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Concealed cameras can be fixed inside your home, such as in a clock or fire
alarm for example, or they can be portable, such as in a boom box radio.
Coupled with motion detection, they can be a potent part of your spy arsenal.
The concealed clock-radio camera, for instance, can be set to begin recording a
few seconds after motion is detected, then switch off if there is no longer any
motion. They can even be worn on your body, in a baseball cap or in a pair of
sunglasses for example, recording everything you look at. Hidden cameras that
are wireless typically transmit their video and audio back to a receiver that is
up to 100 feet away.

Depending on the type of camera you use, you will be able to connect it to
either your TV/VCR, camcorder, or computer for recording options. Some digital
cameras can have built in digital video recording (DVR) capability, so that your
footage can be easily transferred and stored to your computer.

Webcam (as spy cam)

Webcams are relatively inexpensive devices
that are used often in business situations
for video conferencing, and for personal use
in live video chat environments. They can
come with a microphone as part of the unit,
and some more advanced models include
zooming, tilting, and panning functions.

Most webcams are used to monitor their immediate surroundings. They can be
placed anywhere provided they can remain connected to their host computer
or, if wireless, within range of it. There is, however, a range of webcams that
are “network cameras,” which means they contain their own web servers and
connect directly to the Internet without the need for a computer on site. This
enables you to see what it sees from any computer anywhere in the world that
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is Internet connected, no matter where the camera is placed. These devices are
more expensive than regular models and might not suit you if you have to leave
the camera in potentially hostile territory.

With any webcam, images can be sent immediately to the owner via email in
the form of several still photos, or to a website that has been set up to stream
images. (Burglars have been caught in the act this way, and even despite
stealing the computer that was transmitting the images!) Again, if you are
covertly monitoring an environment, creative placement is the key. Even though
webcams are not typically built to be concealed, they are compact enough to
conceal. Wireless webcams, which are not too much more expensive, might
be even better toward this end. You may also want to consider using multiple
webcams in different locations, which can all quite easily be attached to the
same computer.

Most webcams are peculiar to either PC

or MAC computers, and there are far
more products available for PC owners.
Apple makes its own webcam, however,
for MAC users that is an excellent piece
of equipment even if a bit pricier at
$150. It automatically sets the focus
and exposure of the lens, and its built-
in microphone delivers superior quality
audio. In general, PC users can follow
the “above or below $50” rule when
choosing a webcam. Webcams under $50 usually have relatively low resolution
- too low to print a picture from. For over $50 you will find nearly double
the image resolution (at 640x480 pixel, or “VGA” quality). This resolution is
considered as standard, with anything above it placing too much drain on your
computer processor.

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When thinking about what webcam to get, you should consider frame rate, which
is the speed at which your webcam can process video. Not enough frames per
second (fps) will give you a choppy picture. Most video software will allow about
15fps, even if the cameras themselves are able to work at a higher frame rate.
Also, because this method of video surveillance is reliant on the Internet, you
will want to have a high-speed Internet service. Without broadband Internet,
this is not a good option.

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Tracking Systems
One of the most useful but often overlooked tactics for the amateur spy involves
tracking devices of various sorts, and it’s much cheaper than hiring a private
investigator. Older devices and more traditional tracking devices included
“bumper beepers.” These are small devices that can be placed under or inside
the car bumper belonging to your tracking target. They are only a few inches
long and wide, and attach to the bumper with strong magnets or double-sided
adhesive.

Their function is to assist you in following a vehicle that is under your watch.
They are radio transmitters that will give you certain information regarding
the bearing and relative speed of the vehicle being tracked. These things are
pricey too, $400 or so at the low end, and the more expensive units will be able
to give more information with regard to the specific location of the vehicle. A
familiar tool for private detectives, bumper beepers give you an idea of how
close to stay to the vehicle to avoid losing it, and how far away to stay to avoid
detection.

One benefit of this method is that since anti-

surveillance legislation is focused mainly
at the act of intercepting verbal or textual
communications, laws in most places do
not account for bumper beepers. They do,
however, require a degree of know-how to
be used effectively. More importantly, digital
technology and global positioning systems
(GPS) make this a more or less obsolete
option.

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Vehicle Tracking

Think of a bumper beeper that transmits the

time and location of your target directly to a
digital map view in real time. This is what you
get when tracking systems go digital. You attach
your tracker in a similar way, but instead of using
radio frequencies to transmit data back to you,
the GPS system beams detailed information up
to satellites in orbit that beam it back down to
you - either on a hand-held display (PDA device)
or computer. You monitor everything using a
website interface. Many of these devices interface
with the popular mapping website MapQuest.

If you cannot monitor your target in real time, one of the most powerful
advantages of this tracking system is the fact that you can get automated
reports that will give you a log of the target’s location over the course of a day
(or even several days). The cost of these systems is consistently falling, though
the most potent and complete systems are still at least a couple thousand
dollars. Luckily, there are several variations of this technology that can give you
options in the two, three, and hour hundred dollar range.

For example, instead of planting a tracker on the target vehicle, you might use
a “tracking stick” that you conceal somewhere on or in the target vehicle and
retrieve it in order to collect (download) the surveillance data. These sticks
are smaller than a candy bar, and can run for up to a week on a pair of AAA
batteries. Just plug it into your computer’s USB port, and you can retrieve the
data in several formats, including HTML, Microsoft Excel, or Google Earth’s own
KML format, which is custom built to handle 3D three-dimensional geo-spatial
data.

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Cellphone Tracking
Mobile cellphone tracking follows the same basic process as GPS, only that local
cellphone towers are used to record and convey the location of a certain user
(at a certain time etc). The technology allows this data to be similarly viewed
via an Internet connection from a remote position. Basically, you can monitor
anyone who has a cellphone based on where and when they are using it. But
there are a few conditions.

There are a number of service companies who can easily set up this method of
surveillance, but legally you must get approval from the owner of the cellphone
you want to monitor. If you are a father monitoring your child, this may not be an
issue (especially if you are the one who buys the phone!). It’s more of a problem,
however, when you need to spy. In the past, it was possible to circumvent this
approval process by “borrowing” the target phone and approving the tracking
operation yourself. This is of course against the rules. Today, these services are
issuing periodic reminders to the cellphone being tracked informing its user of
this fact. Nevertheless, it remains a much less expensive option for individuals
compared to GPS tracking, as there is no need for additional hardware.

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Chemical Tests
There are ways to track your target by not actually tracking where they are
but rather where they have been. Sometimes it is possible, that is, to track
the traces people leave behind. Those traces might not even belong to your
surveillance target, but quite possibly whomever your target was with, and this
might be all you need to know.

We’re talking about tracking sexual activity here, and there is a host of methods
that can help you detect such foul play.

Whether you’re wanting to check up on a spouse or a teenage son or daughter,

you might consider using a UV light (available online for under $15) to locate
stains that may be of a seminal or vaginal nature but are not normally visible to
the human eye. The next step is using a chemical test (you can get a 5-test kit
for under $30) to confirm or refute the presence of sexual fluids. You can get
both items packaged together for around $30 as well.

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Conclusion

There’s a common saying in the surveillance world that goes something like
this:

“Trust in God and monitor everybody else”

While it might not be necessary to be so unconditionally paranoid, there is no

harm in knowing what’s out there if you find the need for surveillance. Of
course, using the toys and techniques of the amateur spy can be an enjoyable
end in itself. Whatever the case may be, there is no denying that the world is
truly a different place when seen through the eyes of a spy.

Although there is no shortage of places to shop for spy equipment online, here
are a few sites worth mentioning:

SpyShops.com <http://www.spyshops.com> is a comprehensive spy supplies

shop based in Florida that specializes in GPS Trackers, Video Cameras, Private
Investigation, Secure Cellular Phones, DVR, Night Vision, Video Cameras, Bug
Sweeps, Voice Recorders, Counter-Surveillance, and Audio Surveillance.

Eyetek Surveillance <http://www.eyetek.co.uk> Really well resourced

UK-based spy and surveillance stockist. Eyetek carry a stock of spy cameras,
vehicle trackers and spy gadgets for demonstration on their premises and they
can often build a customised spy camera or audio device at short notice.

MySpyCameras <http://www.myspycameras.com/> for a huge range of

well-priced video devices.

SpySupplyStore <http://www.spysupplystore.com/> and Spy Chest

<www.spychest.com> are two other popular sources both with impressive
stock ranges.

If you're hot on the trail of some sexual dishonesty, go to the website for Check
Mate at <www.getcheckmate.com>.

We hope Spy Gadgets and Surveillance Made Easy has armed you with the
knowledge you need, and may each and every one of your spying missions be
a success. All the best with tracking and catching your cheating spouse!

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