Spying can help you uncover the deepest and darkest secrets of the people around you, whether they are strangers or your older sister. If you want to be a true spy, then you must know how to stay under the radar, as well as learn many clever secrets from this job. You can spy on people by hiding in the right places or even blending in with your surroundings. If you want to know how to spy on people in any situation, read the steps below to get started.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Mastering the Basics
Step 1. Always act casually
Whether you're spying on someone at home or at the mall, the most important thing is to stay as fresh as lettuce. If you don a ridiculous costume, act very nervous, or make it obvious that you are spying on someone by tripping, wearing colorful accessories, or generally attracting attention, then you will be discovered within seconds. If you want to spy on people, you need to know how to act in a relaxed manner, as if you are just thinking about your own business rather than coming up with a plan to find out what a person is doing.
- Part of being casual comes from your body language. Don't stand up too high and stoop enough to look relaxed, don't move too nervously, and keep your eyes straight ahead rather than down. If you appear very nervous, people will instantly notice you.
- Don't act like you're loitering, looking around, or looking for something. Doing so will make why you are there very obvious. Just act relaxed, as if you are taking your time while waiting for someone, enjoying a spring day, or if you are simply immersed in your own thoughts.
- If the person you're spying on sees you, act like it's no big deal. Greet her or nod and smile in case you don't know her. If you run away or seem nervous, that will definitely hint that something is up.
Step 2. Make an excuse in case they find out
This is an important part of being a master spy. Although if you are good at what you do, they will never discover you. Still, you need to prepare for whatever might come your way, and unfortunately, one of those things is getting caught. Therefore, before you embark on your next spy mission, you need to make up a possible story to explain why you were spying or you will be caught red-handed. Here are some ideas:
- If you are at home spying on a parent or brother, come up with an idea to explain why you are hiding in the closet, on the edge of the door, or sneaking into their room. Maybe you've missed an earring (bonus points if you're wearing one) or maybe something else. Maybe you're in the basement because you're folding laundry. Find a reason that explains whatever you do and why you are there.
- If you spy on someone in public, come up with a reason for being in the same place. If the person catches you spying on them in a supermarket, tell them that you are there to buy your mother a present. If he catches you at the movies, buy two tickets and tell him you were expecting a friend who never came. The more normal and boring your excuse sounds, the better.
Step 3. Walk briskly
This is another thing you should do if you are a true spy. If you're spying on someone, you can't wear work boots or high heels. Choose footwear that has rubber soles and is light and quiet, such as lightweight sandals or boots with synthetic soles, which usually do not make any sound. Try on the footwear before using it for a spy mission. If you are at home, going barefoot will be the most suitable alternative.
In addition to footwear, you should also try not to make too much noise when walking. Tread lightly, walking on tiptoe and trying to make as little noise as possible
Step 4. Learn from the experts
You can learn a lot by reading books and watching movies about professional spies spying on them in their everyday lives. You can get some great ideas about which techniques work best and which ones to avoid. Here are some great sources of inspiration:
- Harriet the spy
- Nancy drew
- The Hardy Boys
- Any James Bond movie
- The Bourne Trilogy
- Alias
- Rear window
- Paranoia
Step 5. Practice before your first mission
Once you have a goal in mind and have an espionage plan on your docket, it's best to practice a bit before you hit the field. You can practice with one of your friends instead of your target to see if they can discover you. You can spy on your mom instead of your sister for a while to see if it works. If they discover you, ask them what you can improve so they don't do it next time.
It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses as a spy and adjust to your first mission based on what you learned in the practice session
Step 6. Learn to mix
The key to being a spy is to blend in with your surroundings as much as possible. This doesn't mean that you should camouflage yourself like Peeta did in "The Hunger Games," but rather that you should make sure to be as discreet as possible in any setting. Don't do anything that sets you apart from other people. If you are in a football game, wear a team jersey like everyone else, as you will stand out much more if you wear black clothes. Choose clothes that make you fit in with your surroundings instead of buying a flashy spy outfit that puts you in the limelight of everyone.
- It is important not only to see yourself as everyone else but also to do the same as them. If you're in a bookstore, act like you're looking for a book or are engrossed in one. If you're at an ice cream parlor, act like you're enjoying your own ice cream cone.
- If you spy at home, wear your usual clothes so that your relatives or neighbors do not suspect anything of you. If you can minimize the sound your clothes make, that would be very helpful, but on top of that, don't mimic yourself too much.
Step 7. Always carry a notebook and pen
Harriet the spy knew what she was doing. If you really want to spy on someone and discover all the secrets of your loved ones and strangers around you, then it is very necessary to carry a notebook with you. You should write down everything you hear and see. It may not make a lot of sense to you or it may not seem very important, but then you might realize that you were about to discover a great piece of the puzzle.
- Write down the date, time, and everything that person does.
- To make the notebook go unnoticed, write “MATH” or the name of a subject in large letters on the cover. Who would want to open it?
- Disguise your writing as much as possible. If someone finds your notebook you'll want to make sure they can't trace it back to you, Write in small letters if you normally do it with large ones, make your writing lean in a different direction, use punctuation marks if you don't normally, etc.
- Do not refer to the person you are spying on by their real name. Use a codename.
- You can carry a small pocket notebook if you think a notebook will be too obvious.
Step 8. You can also get a spy buddy
While you can spy on someone on your own, having a partner can help you gather important information that you might not have discovered on your own. Your partner can help you try new techniques, it can be useful if you have a radio and also be of great help in case the person you are spying on knows you but not him. However, the most important thing is that your partner is someone you can really trust. You don't want to get someone to screw up your plans.
Having a partner can be helpful because you can pose as a door-to-door salesman, as a lost citizen, or as anyone else who can attract the attention of the subject who is being spied on while you do your detective work
Part 2 of 3: Spying on People at Home
Step 1. Sneak around the corners
Sticking to the wall when something happens around the corner is a great way to spy on people in your home. Make sure you stick well to the wall so that you can stay hidden, and carefully direct one ear toward the fountain. You can also crouch in the corner and listen in that position, but then it will be a bit more difficult to come up with an excuse in case you get caught.
If you hear the person approaching, selflessly go up the stairs to pass them having an idea of what you are going to do. It's better to do it this way than to put yourself out there by rushing down the stairs
Step 2. Pretend you're doing something nearby
This is another great way to spy on someone in your home. You can be in the next room, listen to all the interesting gossip that the person tells. If you want to spy on your sister in the basement, go to the next room and start folding the clothes. If you want to spy on your dad in the garage, act like you're raking the leaves outside. Of course, the quieter the activity you do, the better.
Don't do something completely unusual that you would never normally do (like washing dishes when you haven't done it in months) or you will raise more suspicion
Step 3. Pretend you listen to music
If you are a child, then your parents are most likely used to seeing you with headphones on, dancing to music all the time. If this is what you normally do, or if you want to make this a habit so that others think it is normal, then it can be a great way to get people to reveal their private information while in the same room as you because they will not believe that you are listening.
- While this may not always work, if you are always walking around the house with your headphones on, laughing at yourself and pretending that you are in your own world, people will get used to thinking that you are not really there and might say something in a way. unnoticed around you because they will think that you will not listen.
- Anyway, you should play some music, such as classical or jazz music, in case they discover you. Just play at a low volume.
Step 4. Listen to the conversations on the phone
Listening on the other line while your parents or siblings are talking on the house phone is another great way to spy on them. The important thing here is to anticipate the conversation before it occurs, so that you have already picked up the phone by the time the person prepares to make the call. If you pick up the phone after her, she'll be able to hear you.
- If your mom or your brother receives a call and you want to be on the line, then pick up the phone first, tell them to answer and once they do, hang up the phone and pick it up again, that way it will appear that you have lowered the handset.
- It is very important not to breathe too hard when spying on the phone. You can even hold the phone close to your ear but slightly away from your mouth to minimize suspicion.
Step 5. Avoid breathing heavily
If you want to spy on someone at home, then you should try to breathe as smoothly as possible. If you do it too hard, your brother or other family member will instantly discover you. Practice your slow, shallow breathing, exhaling through your nose if possible so that you don't attract anyone's attention.
You should also learn to hold back a sneeze or suppress a cough. You don't want your allergies to give you away
Step 6. Get a webcam with motion detection
A motion-sensing webcam can be a great asset to a spy's computer. If you set it to turn on every time someone enters the room, it will automatically start recording the person in there and you can see exactly what they have done. This is a great way to spy on people in your home. If you have a laptop, you can even leave it in different places "by accident" so that you have a better chance of recording people.
Step 7. Listen quietly by pressing a glass against the wall
If you place a glass against the wall with the base pointing towards your ear and the open part towards the wall, you can slightly amplify the sound produced in the next room. This can help you master the art of spying and listen to everything the people in the next room are saying, whether or not they want to keep things a secret.
Part 3 of 3: Spying on People in Public
Step 1. Go unnoticed
If you are going to spy on someone in a public place, the best thing to do is to completely blend in with the surroundings. If the person knows you and you want to stay hidden, then you can wear sunglasses, but only if it doesn't make you look completely obvious. To fit in with the crowd, just wear the same as other people and do the same as them. You can also change your hairstyle or do something different to look different, as long as it doesn't draw more attention to you.
For example, wearing an elaborate fake beard or black clothes in the height of summer will only make you stand out from the crowd
Step 2. Don't make sudden movements
Move quickly enough to appear to be walking on purpose, but at the same time slowly so that you don't seem too rushed. If you follow someone's trail, never run, obviously run at your target pace or you'll be out of breath. If you really want to be inconspicuous, then you must be stealthy and calm, even when your target is far away.
While the most important thing is to keep an eye on your target, you must also be aware of your surroundings. You will expose yourself if you collide with someone, hit something or trip
Step 3. Learn to lip-read
Lip reading is a skill that can help you go far. If you master it, you can observe people in the distance and find out what they are talking about. Of course, you should watch the person's mouth and stay hidden, but you can do this if you are discreet or if you find a great place to hide along with a good pair of binoculars. You can take lip reading courses online to learn how to master this handy and stealthy tool. For example, here are some things you should know:
- When a person pronounces vowels, their mouth will take on a "round" shape.
- When you make sounds similar to “z”, your tongue will come out of your mouth and your lips will have a rounded shape.
- You can practice the pronunciation of the words with your own mouth to get a better idea of the movements.
- Once you get better at reading the mouth and lips, you can start looking at the rest of the face for context.
- Until you have fully mastered lip reading, you can record a person's conversation (if you can see their face) and then play the recording later while trying to decipher what they were saying.
Step 4. Get some binoculars
Binoculars are another necessary accessory if you are really engaged in spying. The important thing is that you use them carefully and with great care. You can use them from home to spy on your neighbors. It may be more difficult for them to notice you if you are in a dark room with nothing to reflect light, compared to if you are in public.
While you can see a lot of movies where people use binoculars while hiding behind a bush, that's actually a very quick way to get discovered. If you really want to use them to spy on someone outside, you need to make sure you are at a very far distance
Step 5. Don't carry a lot of weight
If you're going to be in public, you don't want to carry a camera, a giant backpack, eighty spy gadgets, and a huge notebook along with a set of pens. You should only wear what is absolutely necessary to spy on someone and look like you're wearing even less. If you carry a lot of accessories and it will take you some time to organize everything, the only thing you will achieve is to attract more attention. Find a way to pack everything you need in a small backpack or hide it in your coat. If you give the impression that you are wearing almost nothing, people will think that you are not doing anything strange.
Step 6. Use a mirror
If you are in public and you want to spy on the person behind you, take out a mirror and even some makeup as well and pretend that you only see your face. Then tilt the mirror in a direction that allows you to see the person behind you. You can also hide it in a book or other object while holding it in front of you, just to make sure no one can see it.
If you're going to pretend you're grooming yourself, keep in mind that you won't be able to do it forever. If you do it for too long, you could get too much attention
Step 7. Use a secret recording device
You can go online and find covert objects that are actually recording devices, such as a spy pen. If you get any of these items, you could place it where the two people will be chatting, leave it on, and come back later so you can replay the conversation for yourself. You can also use a conventional tape recorder, but you must hide it well, perhaps in the base of a bag that you accidentally left in the place where the people you will be spying will be.
If you are going to use a conventional recorder with a tape, remember that over time the tape will run out and when doing so it will emit a characteristic sound. Use it to record only for short periods of time
Step 8. Lock all your devices
If you are a true spy, you need to make sure that people cannot find out who you are or know anything about you. Lock your phone, your computer, or any other device you have so that if you accidentally forget one of them, the others can't get access. You could even set it to sound an alarm if someone other than you touches them. This can help you know who is trying to spy on you and will keep all your secrets safe.
Advice
- Be careful when walking on gravel because it will make noise.
- Do not tell your friends that you are a spy unless they belong to your group.
- Make sure you have all the equipment that you and your party members need.
- If you want to be quiet, make sure you don't wear anything baggy or flat, especially pants. They will make a lot of noise when you walk or crawl. Wear tight pants or shorts to prevent this from happening.
- Stay low. People you spy on won't be able to see you if you stay low and out of their sight.
- If you don't have another person or group, be sure to bring a cell phone with you, so if you need help, you can ask for it. Also make sure your phone is on vibrate mode so that if someone texts or calls you, the person you're spying on won't hear it.
- Always have your phone in silent or vibrated mode. Make sure it doesn't turn off while spying on someone, as they will hear it and notice you.
- Be careful with the snow, as your tracks will be very easy to follow.
- Always stay in a group so you have support and security.
- Wear casual clothes.
- Be discret.
Warnings
- Prepare for anything, especially when spying on a stranger. You may be aware of what is happening.
- Set your phone to vibrate mode before spying on someone; otherwise, it could turn off and alert others to your presence.
- Do not think that you can carry out an entire mission by yourself, as you need to plan first.
- Do not cast shadows on your body or the other person may realize that you are spying on them.
- Don't try to do "tricks" such as wall running, sprinting across rooftops, or doing a base jump. Those movements are loud and people will notice your presence. That's something only ninjas do.
- Spying on others can be illegal depending on the laws where you live.
- Don't bring crunchy sandwiches
- Acceptable foods may be bland snacks that do not need refrigeration.