When is Using a Hidden Camera Illegal?
A general breakdown regarding when it is okay to use hidden recording equipment, when you could be breaking the law, and what makes a hidden camera illegal.
Private investigators for celebrities, and when someone is trying to ruin your name
We’ve had hundreds of cases where we’ve been hired as private investigators for celebrities. Clients have included everyone from A-list movie stars, to rock and roll legends, billionaires, to big name rap artists, elite athletes, and Fortune 500 CEOs. We have provided services for and against many “one-named celebrities.” The cases have run the gamut…
Bugged athletes & private investigation for celebrities
The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics got plenty of negative media attention for unfinished hotels, questions of human rights in relation to Russian policies, and questionable judging. Here’s one you may not have heard about: Russian skater Julia Lipnitskaia had her dressing room bugged, possibly by competition, but in this case, more likely by the Russian media.…
Chinatown, court-admissible evidence, illegal shortcuts, wiretapping & liability
The other night I caught a bit of the classic movie Chinatown on television. Watching this again after so many years, I found myself amused at how the main protagonist, private investigator J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) collects evidence. Through the course of the film, he answers to no one, and does whatever he feels like…
Hidden recording devices & stalkers
Nicole Muscara, a mom living in upstate New York, went to change the settings on her alarm clock one night, only to find the buttons that should have been on the back were no longer there. The clock wasn’t broken. It simply was not the one she had won at a party back in high…
How hidden surveillance equipment works
The movie Minority Report takes place in the year 2054. Surveillance cameras are not only everywhere, they’re legal and the fact that you’re constantly under surveillance is accepted by the populace. There’s a great scene where Tom Cruise’s character walks into The Gap, cameras scan his retinas, and he is then offered personalized shopping suggestions,…
The reality of bugged homes
It’s disturbing to think that you are being recorded while in the comfort of our own home. This sort of thing happens. We see these sorts of cases every month and we’re seeing more and more bugged homes specifically. From 1969 to 1988 the “find” rate of bugs and cameras was about 4%. Today the…
The theft of intellectual property, DuPont & bug sweeps
Most industry giants rely on patented and protected information for their edge, and corporate espionage is always present within the ranks of major players. A recent conviction highlights just how serious the consequences can be for the theft of intellectual property and trade secrets – for the victims and the spies. Recently, information was stolen…
Hidden cameras & microphones: Today & tomorrow
Recently, police found more than 10 hidden cameras in the apartment of a young woman. One of the most common and easily disguised devices looks just like a smoke detector. She had found one of these with the help of a friend, and then called the police. The officers found 10 other cameras in her…
The Case of the Hidden Camera in the Bedroom
When female clients come to us for bug sweeps, about 80% of the time they suspect a hidden camera in the bedroom. Private investigator and former Federal agent Thomas Martin discusses one such case where devices were found.