Methods of Surveillance

In this section we will explore several methods of surveillance that will hopefully help you uncover suspected infidelity. Please bear in mind that this is a rough overview of the techniques employed by professional investigators, for the sake of brevity, and it should give you some idea of what is involved and how you can apply these methods to your particular situation. As we mentioned in the Legalities section, always check with an attorney prior to conducting your own investigation as the information we provide here does not necessarily condone it's actual use by SadAffair.com

In the home: Probably the biggest area that you should focus infidelity surveillance is in the home (especially if you live with your significant other). Your suspect lives there and spends most of their time there, so you know their schedule and habits. Firstly, the computer is probably the biggest tool of infidelity today (if it were 25 years ago, it would have been a bar). From his/her computer, they can browse chat rooms, internet dating sites, social networking sites, chat services, and much more. To start cheating, all they have to do is turn on the computer and start shopping for a new lover.

Second to the computer is the cell phone. From that device, your cheater can respond to texts and check love emails from the comfort of the home you both live in.

Third, while you are away, he/she may be entertaining others in the same bed that you sleep in every night! How would you know?

If you suspect that your significant other is spending an excessive amount of time on the computer, and they are being secretive about it, then you might want to consider utilizing some computer monitoring software/hardware to determine exactly what they are doing on the computer. In terms of the phone, if you can get a hold of it, you may be able to review who they've been texting and/or telephone calls that have been made/received. You can take these numbers and do a Google search to try and find out who they belong to.

If your significant other is unemployed, or has a different schedule than you, where they could be at your house entertaining others, then setting up some hidden surveillance cameras may be a good option to learn about what's going in there in your absence. There are also programs that turn your computer camera into a surveillance tool.

More discussion about these tools can be found in the Surveillance Equipment section.

If you don't live with the suspected cheater, then your options are going to be limited to outside the residence.

In the car: If someone is going to cheat, they are going to have to use the car to meet their new lover (unless they lost their license from a DUI conviction and now have to take the bus). In the traditional sense, you could do mobile surveillance where you follow your significant others car to see where they go and who they meet, but this requires using at least two people with two unidentifiable cars, communications equipment, and a lot of skill. One person can attempt to do surveillance, but it is very tricky and not an efficient use of time.

Thanks to modern technology, you can accomplish almost the same results by using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to track your suspected cheater's car. By placing a hidden GPS logging system in their car, it will track the vehicle's movement that can be later retrieved by you. By analyzing this data, you can see where they went and when. Then, with this information in hand, you can compare the suspected cheater's story to the data and see if there is any deception. If you notice a pattern in the GPS data, with a recurring location and time, then you can use an unidentifiable vehicle and go to the addresses in question and see what transpires.

A good unidentifiable vehicle would be an average American car that is plain in color (white or black). Can you recall how many white Ford Escorts were behind you today? Now, do you think you would remember a red Maserati pulling up next to you? The key is not to use a car that he/she has ever associated you with. Perhaps a rental?

At the bar/nightclub: Let's take this one step further and say that through your GPS, or computer, surveillance, you've determined that your significant other is frequenting a bar or nightclub during a certain time. You would want to arrive there, in your unidentifiable car, and observe the entrance to see if he/she is entering and/or leaving with anyone. You may also want to utilize a friend or co-worker, that your suspected cheater has never met, to go inside and see what is transpiring. Under no circumstances should you leave the car and go inside because it could be an unsafe situation for you if caught. It may be very tempting to go and "bust him/her in the act" but it is very common for people to act irrationally in the heat of the moment and someone could end up getting hurt (or hauled off to jail). Collect your evidence and confront him/her at a better time where it's safe and alcohol is not a factor.

On the street: Conducting street surveillance is even more difficult in comparison to vehicle surveillance. This is true because you are more identifiable than a generic car and the probability is higher that you will be identified. In addition, it is best to use multiple people with radio communication just to follow a single person. The odds that your team won't be identified are better and if one person is caught, there are others that can fill in his/her place. This type of surveillance is best handled by the professionals.

You can track their whereabouts by using phone apps that will secretly track their movements and log them for you to review. This works best if you have a shared phone that you both use. It's best to check the legalities of this practice.

There are also some "push to talk" phones/walkie talkies that have GPS built into them. With the right service plan, you can track the phone's location online.

What you are looking for when utilizing any of these surveillance methods is patterns over time. If you want to get really analytical about it, you can plot the locations/times on a spreadsheet and that might help you see the big picture. Just be patient and know that your suspected cheater may only frequent his/her lover's location once or twice a week (or month). Over time, you will be able to see exactly what they are up to.

At work: Many relationships start at work and it's no supprise considering that most people spend at least 40+ hours of their life there each week (and with the opposite sex). Unless you are really good friends of some of his/her co-workers, then finding out what goes on at work is going to be hard. It might be possible to do surveillance from an unidentifiable vehicle to see where he/she goes during lunch and after work, but you run the risk of trespassing if parked on private property waiting for them. It might be best to resort to using GPS to see what they are up to when work is over. Also, try and find out who their friends are at work so you can verify their stories when they say, "It's girls night out." Or, "I'm just hanging out with the guys from work."

Exercising: The gym is also a great place for singles (and cheaters) to go and meet. You might want to send in one of your friends who he/she has never met to do surveillance, or you could do surveillance from outside in a vehicle.
Just me mindful that even though he/she may be talking with the opposite sex, that it itself does not constitute cheating and you will have to build the case more, if there is one at all, before confronting him/her.