How do you tell if your phone is tapped?

[FreedomDeb]

Hi! Came across this site doing a search on phone tapping. I am trying to find out how to tell if my phone is tapped without having to use special equipment to do so. I have good reason to believe this is a possibility, thus the question here.

Whenever my phone rings, before it actually rings, it does a very slight, momentary partial ring. The phone I used to have did a momentary "whirring" type sound prior to ringing. Whenever I go to dial my phone, as soon as I turn it on (a tone cordless), it sounds as if it is doing a one second pulse connection prior to dial tone. Does anyone know what this is? And if it is a wiretap, how do i get rid of it?

Any help you can give would be appreciated. Thanks!

[gatex]

"...I am trying to find out how to tell if my phone is tapped without having to use special equipment ..."

Call a friend, say "the bomb is set to go off at (some time the next day)," and hang up. If you get visitors, you will know your phone was tapped.

[krogers58]

Ok, I'll bite,If your phone is tapped, you can really have some fun with those that are tapping your phone, and get them to stop tapping it at the same time. What a wonderful opportunity to bring some excitement to your life, as well as the local federales. You could use this tap to plant disinformation with whoever is tapping, and the only limit to how much fun you can have, is your imagination. Meanwhile, go buy one of those pay per use disposable cell-phones.

[norraad]

Is Art Bell he retarded son of Ma Bell{"that dull witted bitch"}?

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

call 411 and ask for osama bin laden somewhere in afghanistan

[lawdude]

You know, you are lucky. You are so busy looking for the bad guys who are trying to 'get you' that you don't have time to be paranoid.

[mercy]

My second line that I use exclusively for internet connections acts like it's tapped. Not so much any more, but I used to not have a dial tone about half the time.

I'd pick up the phone or try and make an internet connection and ..... nothing there, but the line sounded open.

I went through all the procedures suggested by the phone co. to no avail. I had them out to the house twice. The phone co. could never do anything about the problem but the service techs where strangley sullen and almost hostile.

I even bought a new modem. No good. I got a new puter with another modem. No good. I started talking into the dead phone whenever this happened. I could tell the line was open. The phone sounded like there was someone at the other end. You know, those little hollow electronic, barely audible clicks and buzzes. I would tell the $*%)!*@&#$%$*@&@#$! jack booted thugs on the other end whenever my phone wouldn't work what sort of farm animal they probably were presently cohabiting with. I also explained to them they were wasting the taxpayers money as I was only a tax paying, conservative voting, keyboard commando. It took awhile but the phone rarely has the no dial tone problem anymore. Either they gave up or got better equipment.

[Nachum]

Why not play x-rated tapes into your phone?

After about 5 minutes, listen for heavy breathing...

[Jolly Green]

Looking at the problem from a purely technical perspective, I would seriously doubt that the behavior of the phone(s) you describe would indicate that a tap is present. The internet has caused phone companies to update virtually every "switch" in the world. These switches are all digital and could easily copy each and every word on a particular line without any mechanical/physical connection to the phone line itself. Since these switches are actually computers, it is more than likely accomplished with a computer program than any actual wiring which would produce a "load" on the circuit. This also implies that it will be impossible for any gadgets/people to detect a tap for you.

It is a fascinating topic, however, and I'm interested to hear what more knowledgable FReepers have to say on the topic. You might want to repost this on Monday or Tuesday, as you will probably have a broader and different audience than during this holiday weekend.

[mercy]

LOL

[tpaine]

FR moderators may help you rid yourself of some personal abuse problems you are encountering on this thread, Deb. These are some of the posting guidelines:

"Please: NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts."

If you feel these are being violated by certain people here, click on the 'abuse' box below such a post.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

For 200 bucks, you could find out for sure.

link

[thinking]

I worked in the "industry" for some time, and I can say that you would never know that your phone was tapped....!!

[good_ash]

Soltuion: Get a cell phone. Of course, I'm sure that will develop strange behavior of its own in time.

[Lessismore]

One of the requirements on equipment used by Law Enforcement to intercept communications is that it not change the behaviour or operation of the phone in any way that would be detectable by the caller.

[eno_]

Modern law enforcement "taps" are not detectable. They copy the digital information at the telephone company's switch, and there is no electrical characteristic you could look for in your circuit.

A sneaky neighbor who has illegally run an extension of your phone line to a place they can listen in - that is another matter. If the "tap" is as simple as an extra phone, you can measure the change in impedence taking an extra phone off-hook would cause. This requires a $20 multimeter from Radio Shack and a little know-how. Or you could carefully visually inspect your line all the way back to the utility pole.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

I guess you realized that this is not the place to ask such a question. Most here are intensely preoccupied with W's activities and GOP's number of congressional seats - apparently, there is this superstition that the more 'seats' the GOP has in Congress, the better off the country - don't ask me how or why.

In any case, a good, solid, gov't tap should not impact or affect the operation of your phone. It's probably your local company or the equipment you are using. Did you call the phone co. and discuss this with them?

[Vigilantcitizen]

Hate to be the one to tell you and everybody else this, I wished I didn't know myself.

But, not only the Feds, but many local police can listen in on your phone line, cordless or hardwire, without ever touching a single wire.

Ever seen a phone line tester/locator and how it works?

[Barnacle]

Yea, I went through the tin foil hat stage too. But, after a year I decided it was high time to find a way to wash my hair. So, I covered my entire house with foil.

Of course, I can't stay inside my house all of the time. So, for just $599, I’m fully protected and going in style with my anti-psychotronic armor suit.

It may be just a coincidence, but one of the benefits is that people no longer bother me with needless chitchat and, kids stopped hitting balls into my backyard. And, when they do, they won’t come get them. So, I have quite a collection.

Life has been so much better since I got my new suit. I’m impervious to psychotronic control. So, those pesky “human descendants of alien reptiles who want to create a global fascist state” (also known as HDOARWWTCAGFS’s) flee when I arrive. Now, I get the whole grocery store to myself. There’s never a wait at the checkout. In fact there’s never anyone to check me out.

This is me in the garden.

[lavaroise]

Usually tapping is done when you get a phone call and no one answers. The person on the other end is trying to find out which line goes hot when you pick up the phone and then taps it later on. That is the only way to know without going through the lines with a volt meter to check abnormal power drops. You could also use a volt-amp meter (probably amps are better) on your phone line. Usualy when they start to tap there might be a power drop to notice. But they have materials to avoid that to happen too. THen there is the checking for electronic transmissions through the airwaves too. I dunno how else to do it, I am not an expert.