CELL PHONE TAPPING

Suppose someone is following you, someone out there is watching your every move, and nothing you do or say is hidden from that person. You would say, these are the symptoms of a paranoid mind. But what if your blown-out-of-proportion suspicions are, in fact, true? What if someone indeed is listening to your every conversation and keeping tabs on you? In this gizmos era, when everything is possible with a click of button, cell phone begging has become a child's play - a play where you are the pawn.

Forget the CIA or the KGB, mobile phone tapping is being done by common people to keep a watch on their cheating spouse, to monitor a babysitter's performance and to find out what people say behind their back. There are loads of spyware available on the Internet, each having taller claims than the other. And the scariest part is, all these claims are probably true. If you suspect that you are being targeted by someone, then you should be equipped with signs of phone tapping.

Software for Tapping Phone

These software are all too real, and most of them are illegally sold from the United Kingdom, Thailand, Israel, Taiwan etc. and could charge you around $15 to $1000. ClubMz' e-spy, FlexiSpy, Cell Spy Software etc. are some of the popular spyware which have aggravated the problems of e-stalking. These software can be downloaded with minimum efforts and could listen into every conversation of the target. There are three major types of phone tapping software available in the market:

Spy Phone - This software is useful for recording all incoming and outgoing messages. You can also gather information about the call flow and listen in to both incoming and outgoing calls. This software easily converts the phone which is being tapped into a listening device. It costs around $420.

Business Spy Phone - It's a program which is adept in recording all incoming and outgoing calls and messages. It also sends the recorded data to an email chosen by the person who is tapping the phone. Moreover, it enables that person to use the camera of the tapped phone anytime and anywhere. This software can locate the whereabouts of the person under surveillance through GPS. It costs around $610. Only Nokia phones can be targeted by this software.

Platinum Spy Phone - The latest technology in spyware, it incorporates the best of features of the first two software. Plus, it can also send a SMS to the phone which is being tapped. This software can easily make e-stalking a piece of cake for anyone.

If someone wants to install these spy software on your cell phone, then he has to have your phone for sometime, long enough to go to the website of spyware and enter the code for downloading. Once, it's downloaded, it enables the functions mentioned below silently without the knowledge of the victim.

• It allows phone tracking through GPS application of the cell phone.
• It gives entire call log information to the e-stalker.
• The stalker gets text messages, every time your cell phone is active so that he could eavesdrop in every conversation.
• It has the provision to silently record all the text messages (both outgoing and incoming).
• When the cell phone is not in use or switched off, then also it can overhear everything being said in the vicinity of the cell phone by turning the cell phone in to a remote listening device.

Your Suspicions Might Be True

If you are a high profile person or anyone who has some information that could benefit others, then you should be on your guard from untoward incidents like phone tapping. My intention is not to scare you, but to prevent you from facing the perils of phone tapping. It's best to be alert, than sorry. There are some indications which you would normally shrug off. But if you think that your adversary or a suspecting spouse wants to keep a tab on you, then you should be on the lookout of these indications.

• If people know about your whereabouts without you telling them about it.
• If your confidential information is no longer a secret even with your foolproof planning.
• If you cannot find your phone for a while and suddenly you find it in an area which is already searched by you.

Technical Signs

• If your cell phone is unusually warm, without having used it much, then it could be a sign that your phone is being used as a listening device without your knowledge.
• When talking on the phone, you hear strange disturbances like static noise, scratching, clicking sounds, then it could mean your cell phone is being tapped.
• Tapping a cell phone reduces its battery charge. So, check if even after sufficiently charging your phone, your cell phone's battery is down.
• If your cell phone suddenly lights up, then it could be an indication of tapping.
• If you are talking on a tapped cell phone, you can hear clicks or beep sounds at unexpected times.
• If you bring any other electronic device closer to your cell phone, and the functions of the electronic gadget become distorted, then it implies that the cell phone is tapped.

Tapping Solutions

• Have password in your cell phone, which won't be a big help but it's a start.
• Have a good spyware protection software that would detect spyware in your cell phone.
• Don't allow anyone whom you are suspicious of near your phone.
• If you have reason to suspect a cell phone tap on you, and you are in a secret meeting or having a conversation which is quite confidential, then pull out the battery from your phone to prevent GPS tracker to locate you.
• Try to use new and prepaid cell phones if you want to share sensitive information with someone.
• Get a cell phone scrambler that will help you escape from the clutches of illegal tapping.

Cell phone tapping can turn into a nightmare for an individual if he happens to divulge his financial data and social security number on the phone. Since there has been an upsurge in identity thefts and cyber crimes, it is better not to give your personal information anywhere or to anybody.