With an assortment of spy equipment, both consumers and surveillance professionals can capture cell phone conversations, home/office video, text messages, and Internet activity. Some of the most common spying tools include cameras, listening devices, voice recorders, car trackers, and spy software.
Spy Cameras
Spy cameras represent some of the most diverse surveillance equipment on the market. Whether they are hidden or disguised as everyday items, these cameras are designed to be unseen by the casual observer. Spy cameras are used in numerous situations: by parents to monitor their childcare providers, by homeowners to detect burglaries and vandalism, by managers to discourage employee theft and misconduct, and by security personnel to respond to criminal activity. Camera-based spying tools come in wireless, wired, color, night vision, and web-based models.
Listening Devices
Since many spy cameras provide only video output, listening devices can be essential spy gear for accurate audio capture and storage. Options include portable sound amplifiers, parabolic dish devices, wireless microphones, and wall mics. These spying tools can be used in combination with voice recorders to keep permanent records of anything that is overheard.
Voice Recorders
Voice recorders are key components of spy gear collections. These machines range from manual, tape-based units to voice-activated, digital recorders. Voice recorders can track in-person conversations or be attached to home phones, office phones, and cell phones for remote surveillance.
Cell Phone Spying
Each year thousands of consumer cell phones and smartphones are involved with fraud, deception, and immoral activities. Cell phone taps permit calls to be forwarded to a recording service and then stored online for future retrieval through a secure website. Several companies also sell software that can intercept text messages and cell phone calls. This spy gear helps prove sensitive issues, such as cheating spouses or lying children.
GPS Car Tracking
One rapidly growing category of spy equipment is GPS car tracking. Covert vehicle trackers are utilized by insurance companies, law enforcement, fleet managers, and consumers worried about stolen vehicles. Passive units store information locally, which must then be downloaded to a computer. These car tracking systems record details such as speed, directions, times, and driving behaviors. With an active car tracker, the owner attaches the unit to the vehicle and waits for signals routed through a satellite system. These types of spy gear provide real-time tracking through a website account or mobile phone alerts.
Spy Software
Thanks to the digital age, a person’s activities can be monitored through software without the surveillance operator being physically present. Spy software, also known as spyware, can be installed on a person’s computer, laptop, or smartphone. The software records details such as website visits, keystrokes, text message activity, phone calls, instant messages, and email.
The most effective approach to spying tools combines several pieces of spy equipment for a stronger level of proof.