Signs Your Phone Is Tapped?

Hello, Everyone. This is a bit embarrassing because I'm the skeptical type who usually chuckles when the average Joe believes they're being monitored or followed around. But something strange has been happening and I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts since I don't really know who else to ask about this and figured the members here could give me some ideas.

I've been hearing a series of 'taps' and high frequency (yet soft) beeps on my home phone when talking on the phone. My cell phone seems to be unaffected.

Are these tap and beep tones indicative of someone listening in on my conversations?

Just a bit of personal background that may help on top of the tones: I'm one of the most boring and reclusive people on the planet- by no means in the public eye or someone you'd think would attract attention (so that would lead me to believe these are just tones showing a call was connected- although this is all fairly new). On the other hand, my husband is a member of the NRA and I am involved in a pro-life group. So I'm not sure if we ended up on some 'right wing' watch list?

By all means- all views, both confirming or skeptical, are more than welcome. I would just like to get to the bottom of this regardless of what the truth is.

Thanks so much to whoever can help or provide knowledge on this. Again, this is a little embarrassing and I'd hate to come across as the paranoid type but the tones are very disconcerting.

[edit on 5/11/2009 by AshleyD]

reply to post by AshleyD


First thing to do is try another phone in the line and see if you get the same thing....

Also, are you using a cordless phone?

Thanks, Booda. I'll try that and see what happens. All of the phones in the house are portable phones. We don't have any regular stationary phones. Then the ones I mostly use are the one whose bases are in the kitchen and my desk. I rarely use the others. Haven't really noticed if the beeps and taps stop depending on the phones I use but I suppose it's possible portable phones may make that normal?

I'm just curious why it all started over the last couple of weeks. Never noticed it before. But thanks for your observation. I'll run some tests and see what happens.

Another thing to consider is who it is you ar etalking to when this happens. I have a very good friend who works for a major cell phone company, and everytime I talk to him, I hear the clicks and beeps.

Low and behold, this phone company admits that they monitor all calls on employee lines.

I would probably chalk it up to radio interference on the cordless phones, or a by-product of switching equipment further down the line. If your line was being tapped, you more than likely would have no indication. I would agree that you should try another phone on the same line. Call your house from somewhere else in town and see if you still hear it. We would need to know a lot about what type of phone your using, as far as the frequency (900MHz, 2.4GHz, etc) and wether you are using any other wireless devices in the house, like wifi on your PC or anything like that. I would definitley lean more towards interference than eavesdropping, unless the snooping was being done by morons. Granted, TPTB are morons, but they have some pretty decent spooks in the game. They are very adept at making sure you don't know they are listening. They have the best equipment our money can buy.

I also use cordless phones at home and often hear static. I dont know where your from and how your phones/broadband work but where I am I have my phone line and broadband going through a telephone line.....we have to filter these with microsfilters for every connection going into the house.....

I recently filtered my sky boxes and this took the static out and gave me a better connection...as for the tapping sound it could be an internal fault with the phone itself...

Also, cordless phones obviously transmit wirelessly and if your using wireless internet at home maybe the frequency is interfering....check what frequency your phone is working at and also if you are using wirleess for internet, check your router settings to see what channel its using....often changing the channel will improve both phone and internet....

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic


Thanks, CP.

I have been keeping track of it and it seems it mostly happens when I talk to my husband or mother (but it does happen at other times, too). It just mostly happens with them.

And that does unnerve me a bit to know you hear taps and beeps and that means the calls are monitored. But that information does help so thanks for sharing.

I'm just not sure who it would be who is listening in on us because, again, I truly am boring and don't want to come across as one of those types who are filled with self importance or some sort of cool rebel type. So I am curious to know who or why if this is the case. It could turn out that I am totally wrong and it's something mundane like a bad connection or tones that signify the networks are connecting us or what not.

But thanks a ton for your input. It's really appreciated.

To Booda and KS:

We have a network of GE portable phones. It says '5.8 GHz' on each individual phone. We have satellite internet and I believe it is the same 'package' for the phones. In other words, we get internet and phones from SBC Global.

Not sure if that info helps at all but that's what I know about it.

And yes, we have a fairly large house so when I walk around, I will get static if I get too far from the base of the phone I'm using but I do understand that is normal for portable phones and the further you get away from the base. So I'm not terribly worried about that- just the beeps and taps.

Thanks so much for your help.

When I was in the Army I was an 18C commo guy. If you are using a cordless phone there could be electrical interference or out side interference. Switch the channels if it’s a cordless. If you are talking to just a friends or family on a personal line *IE not at work* and you continue to hear these things it is suspect.

However, if your phone is being tapped you would only hear a soft click when you first pick up the phone and begin your conversation, not through the whole conversation. Unless, you have somehow managed to attract the attention of a 3 world spy agency who uses answering machines to tap phones.


Most likely you’re alright if it persist then just watch what you say!!!!.

reply to post by AshleyD

I'm one of the most boring]/b] and reclusive people on the planet- by no means in the public eye or someone you'd think would attract attention (so that would lead me to believe these are just tones showing a call was connected- although this is all fairly new). On the other hand, my husband is a member of the NRA and I am involved in a pro-life group.

Well, I would not say that you are boring. We have all seen your intro video on MATS

And you know, you are now a DHS terrorist suspect. NRA & pro-life = bad bad bad

[edit on 5/11/2009 by greeneyedleo]

Legal Civilian Wiretaps or Wiretaps on older Series 6 Switched POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) still in use in many outlying rural areas that don't offer digital services such as DSL and VOIP provide a beep or click every 10 seconds to denote a Wiretap. This disclaimer is shown usually in the front section of your Branch Exchange Carrier's phone-book that you receive.

Anywhere that has newer Switches that provide digital services can be more difficult to detect anything other than a legally obtained Civilian Wiretap. FBI wiretaps for instance, or anyone obtaining a wiretap directly at the NCOC in Norfolk, VA where all US Carriers Class 1 Regional Centers connect to after the National Security Decision Directives of former president Reagan are not detectable by any known means and do not give off noise of any kind.

As long as you are in a system with digital exchanges, you can be tapped completely silently, with no hint to you.

I would only expect pops and clicks on an old style analog system, where they used to have to actually attach physical devices to your line, even then, as long as it's well connected, you should only ever hear a pop/click if you happen to be on the line at the time of installation, although these kind of devices can cause hums and other issues.

Most tapping is not voice tapping, it is a pen register, where they just take note of all the numbers than call, and that you call.

Ashley,

Knowing a little bit about the telecommunications industry, I'm going to suggest a few things to you.

Tapping, or low or high frequency beeping, or outside intereference (cadence) can be caused by a variety of things. The least of them is usually wiretapping.

In your case, it's exacerbated by the fact that you're using satellite as your dmarcation point or POP, point of presence. Satellite digital communications can be problematic by themselves simply from an over abundance of cloud cover.

That said, typically speaking Cell phones in too close proximity to the receiving base (and even more so those that use typical SMS messaging on a regular basis) can throw a curveball at the phone itself. Often just moving cellular phones further away from the base station can help a lot.

Also, another thing to consider is that you said you have an entire network of cordless phones all on the same line I imagine?

If it's all on the same phone line (number) you should be aware that each device puts a "load" (or resistance) on the line. Some more sensitive equipment (and even phones) can be very flaky when there is too much of a load on the line. Try removing a couple of the devices and see if the problem stops. By the way, that's to say that if each one of them plugs into a separate rj-11 phone jack.

Also, the battery could be dying lol




AB1

Can you borrow an old corded phone from someone just plugged into the main socket. Then you will know for sure if it's the cordless phones.

Do you have a computer modem plugged into the telephone socket, is this causing interference?

Has anyone gone and physically looked at the phone socket and where the line comes into your home?

In the UK to tap a phone an agency or the police have to obtain a warrant from a judge and they need evidence or very good cause to do this.
Quite often they use illegal crude physical taps near your home to tap the line initially, to save getting a warrant. These taps do put noise on the line.

If it continues you can report it as a fault to your phone provider?

Let us know how you get on!

reply to post by AshleyD


I thought I was being tapped once, I tried to ring my friends and sometimes all I could here was static and beeping. It happened to my house phone as well. Not sure if I was being Tapped but deffinately something weird!

reply to post by AshleyD


A series of beeps, tapping noises, or your phone sounds like you and your fellow phone speaker are in a vacuum (hollow sound), are all indicators that your phone is in fact being tapped.

Seeing that you mentioned your husband being in the National Rifle Association as well as you being a Pro-Life advocate does in fact put you on a watchlist.

Seeing as my phone has been tapped since I was six years old, my stepfather being a Marine during Vietnam, taught me how to recognize any type of phone tap and for what reason I was being tapped.

By the way, if your cell phone is being tapped, you will hear a constant and annoying echo (your voice echo's back to you).

It's all based on the keywords you choose to use.

AshleyD, you're being here on ATS as well as being a Moderator is most likely cause for concern seeing as ATS'ers talk about all topics from U.F.O.'s, conspiracies within government, and any of the other controversial topics here as well.

All of this places you in the slot as a potential target to be watched.


[edit on 11-5-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
Well, I would not say that you are boring. We have all seen your intro video on MATS

That should give people a clue as to how I am- totally harmless. lol

And you know, you are now a DHS terrorist suspect.

NRA & pro-life = bad bad bad

To be honest, I was worried about that which was why I mentioned it in the OP to give some insight to the situation. But even then, I'd be such a 'small fry' that one would think they'd go after the bigger fish. I've never even done something minor like bounce a check and don't even have a single traffic ticket on my record, nevertheless any criminal history. So I'd think someone would take one look at my 'file,' laugh, and then say, 'Next!' lol

So, yes. I don't want anyone to think I'm going off the deep end of paranoia over here. I was just worried that if something was going on, that would be the only thing I could possibly think of that would attract attention. But even then, there are hundreds of thousands of people more outspoken and active than me so I didn't want to get too excited over this or make a huge deal if it really was nothing. lol



Lightchild, not sure if I could borrow one but I could definitely go out and buy a new wall-mounted phone and give it a test.

To answer your questions, I'm pretty unsavy when it comes to technical issues so I'm not sure how to answer your question about the phone sockets but I can certainly ask my husband.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


Thanks, SKL. This thread is moving faster than I thought it would. lol

Anyways, I'm familiar with the echo sound you are referring to- it almost sounds like your in a big metal room with a reverberation.

But that is not something I'm experiencing now, fortunately- just the taps and beeps. But I definitely know what you're referring to. I just always figured that was significant of a bad connection or phone. Thanks for your input.

reply to post by AshleyD


No problem AshleyD. Here are a few ATS threads on the topic.

How can you tell if your phone is tapped?

How to tell if your phone is tapped

Can A Cell Phone Be Tapped?

As a Moderator, don't forget to use the ATS Google Search.

ATS'ers take care of their own.

VOIP News - Wiretapping - 17 Signs You're Being Tapped

[edit on 11-5-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]