That uneasy feeling, “does someone know more than they should?”, is often the starting point. Work calmly through these four steps. You can check most items yourself. Found something that doesn't add up? Don't act in haste: if you genuinely suspect surveillance, preserving evidence matters more than deleting quickly.
1 Router & home network
Your router is the front door of your digital home. Start here.
- Default router password changed (not the code on the sticker).
- Router firmware up to date (check the admin page or your provider's app).
- Reviewed the list of connected devices, do you recognise them all?
- WPA2 or WPA3 encryption enabled (no open or WEP network).
- Unknown port forwarding or “remote management” disabled.
- Guest network kept separate from your main network.
2 Phone & tablet
Spyware hides itself; watch behaviour, not a single app.
- Reviewed your list of installed apps, anything you didn't install yourself?
- Checked app permissions: which apps may use the microphone, camera and location?
- Operating system (iOS / Android) fully updated.
- Watch for signs: fast battery drain, overheating, high data usage when idle.
- No unknown profiles / MDM management (iPhone: Settings › General › VPN & Device Management).
- No jailbreak / rooting or unknown sideloaded apps.
- iPhone: ran Safety Check (Settings › Privacy & Security › Safety Check).
- Checked whether an AirTag or tracker is travelling with you (phone alerts or the official locator).
3 Online accounts & email
Often it isn't your phone someone reads, it's your account.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) on email, social media and banking.
- Passwords unique per account (use a password manager).
- Reviewed active sessions / signed-in devices and signed out unknown ones.
- No unknown forwarding rules or “auto-forward” in your email.
- No unknown recovery email or recovery phone number set.
- Location sharing (e.g. in messaging apps) reviewed, are you sharing your location unknowingly?
- Cloud backup (iCloud / Google) not linked to someone else's account.
4 Am I being watched or listened to?, self-check
For your physical surroundings: home, car, office or hotel room. This is the domain of TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures).
- Does the other person repeatedly know things discussed only at home or in the car?
- Unexplained new objects (smoke detector, USB charger, clock, power strip) you didn't place yourself?
- Tiny lenses or pinholes in unusual spots, aimed at a bed, desk or seating area?
- Devices that are warm or on for no reason, or faint hiss/beeps?
- In a divorce, conflict or stalking situation: has the other person had access to your space or vehicle?
- Car: an unexplained box or unit in a wheel arch, under the bumper or inside (possible GPS tracker)?
i Trusted resources & help
- Veilig internetten, secure your smartphone Dutch government initiative with practical steps to secure your phone.
- Veilig internetten, “I've been hacked, now what?” Step-by-step guidance when you suspect hacking or spyware.
- Dutch Data Protection Authority Privacy regulator: your rights regarding camera surveillance and personal data.
- Police, stalking: what the police can do Official guidance, plus how to file a report.
- Victim Support Netherlands Free support for stalking, threats and privacy violations.
- Offlimits Help and advice on online abuse and boundary-crossing behaviour.
- Veilig Thuis, 0800-2000 Free, day and night, for domestic abuse and stalking by people you know.
A suspicion, but no certainty?
A suspicion is not yet proof, and gathering proof is precise work. SAJ Recherche carries out professional spyware scans and TSCM sweeps (hidden cameras, listening devices, GPS trackers), legally sound and fully confidential.
SAJ Recherche B.V. · Amstelveenseweg 186, 1075 XR Amsterdam
Phone: +31 20 782 3222 · info@sajrecherche.com
sajrecherche.com · Licence POB 8779 (Ministry of Justice)