FBI Counter-Surveillance Instructions

Keep your belongings organized a certain way at home. Remember where you put everything. If FBI agents enters your home to plant surveillance equipment, they may move something. Remembering where your belongings normally go may tip you off to FBI surveillance.

Check your home or office for bugs, including hidden audio recorders and video cameras. The FBI does not plant bugs in the open or in obvious places. Agents can hide tiny video cameras in holes in the ceiling, smoke detectors, children's toys or a clock. Check your car for tracking devices.

Look behind you when you drive. Watch for vehicles that maintain a constant speed and never pass you. If such a vehicle is later replaced by another vehicle, also maintaining a constant speed, the FBI may be following you. Pull over to the side of the road, or stop in a parking lot, to force agents to choose a different surveillance strategy.

Watch for professional aggression. The FBI uses this tactic to anger, frustrate and distract you from its surveillance. When using this tactic, agents will cause traffic jams or drive erratically around you. In malls or other public places, several of them may periodically bump into you or block your path to annoy you.

Catch potential followers off guard when on foot by crossing the street unexpectedly or entering public buildings. Watch for followers and take note of people who make unusual expressions or try to avoid eye contact.

Protect your computer with antivirus and antispyware software. Encrypt your files and back them up in another safe location. If you need to delete a file, use a program designed to wipe it permanently from the computer.

Wear a disguise if you think someone is following you. Change your clothing style. Bulkier clothing makes you harder to identify. Change your hair color and style, or wear a wig. Alter your mannerisms, pace and posture.