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starman · Feb 11, 2009, 08:12 AM

I have a friend of a friend whose husband bugged her car with a GPS device that tracks where she goes, and then he somehow downloads all the info to his laptop (I'm assuming via wifi). She's taken it places to see if she can get it removed but nobody can find it. Is there some way to detect where this thing is? I assume it has to be hooked up to the battery somehow.

Big Mac · Feb 11, 2009, 08:30 AM

A real stalker type, eh? That sounds really serious. It would make sense that it would be attached to the battery. Does she have a firearm? He would be put away for a very long time if she could prove that allegation. I come across very paranoid people on a semi-regular basis, and up to this point none of them have thought they were having their movements tracked by GPS. This is the first I've ever heard of such an allegation.

Aside from her particular situation, it would be pretty cool if there were Sci-fi style GPS sticky transmitters that one could just throw under a car and then track.

starman · Feb 11, 2009, 08:37 AM

This is no allegation. He's showed her the GPS data on his laptop. It's on her car for sure.

Laminar · Feb 11, 2009, 08:38 AM

It could just be a cell phone with GPS capabilities hard-wired into the car for power. It's easy enough to track them online. It could be assumed, though, that whatever it is gets power from the car, since a battery-operated device would only last a few days. Without knowing too much about cars in general, it would be hard to look under the hood or dash and see something out of place. They do make devices that can pick up any sort of radio transmission, though.

edit: Also, knowing the program he showed her the GPS data with could be a big clue as to how he's doing it.

Big Mac · Feb 11, 2009, 08:44 AM

Has she filed stalking charges? She should do that and get a restraining order that forbids that type of activity, while she's looking for the bug.

Laminar · Feb 11, 2009, 09:10 AM

And this is a car that wouldn't have OnStar, or some kind of built-in tracking, right?

Dakar V · Feb 11, 2009, 09:12 AM

Is it possible he's tracking her with her own phone?

Laminar · Feb 11, 2009, 09:29 AM

Entirely.

Maflynn · Feb 11, 2009, 09:38 AM

sell the car, go to court for a restraining order and file for divorce

Eug · Feb 11, 2009, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

sell the car, go to court for a restraining order and file for divorce

Sounds like a good plan... except if he's tracking the cell phone, selling the car won't help.

Captain Obvious · Feb 11, 2009, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

He would be put away for a very long time if she could prove that allegation.

What country do you live in?
That car is most likely considered to be jointly owned since they are still married. He isn't doing anything illegal since its his car too.

If she has a problem with this then she should get divorced.

starman · Feb 11, 2009, 10:02 AM

THey're in the middle of getting a divorce. I can't say this helps much.

Big Mac · Feb 11, 2009, 10:04 AM

I thought it was already an ex-husband, Captain, but yeah. . .

ShortcutToMoncton · Feb 11, 2009, 10:10 AM

You need to pull a movie-style switch... put it on the neighbour's car or something! Awesome!

greg

OreoCookie · Feb 11, 2009, 10:14 AM

I wouldn't necessarily want to get rid of the bug, I'd want to get rid of the husband! Plus, as others have pointed out, he may not be doing something illegal at this point (it's his property, too). Still, I'm fairly certain this will have an impact during the divorce procedures. Document it!

Dork. · Feb 11, 2009, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

Is it possible he's tracking her with her own phone?

Isn't it possible to set your phone to not use GPS for location purposes unless you call 911? If the phone is being tracked, maybe it's as simple as disabling that "feature".

Dakar V · Feb 11, 2009, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Dork.

Isn't it possible to set your phone to not use GPS for location purposes unless you call 911? If the phone is being tracked, maybe it's as simple as disabling that "feature".

Do you expect the average woman to be this savvy?

Dakar V · Feb 11, 2009, 10:19 AM

She should leave her phone in a stationary place for a couple days and see if the husband freaks out.

Maflynn · Feb 11, 2009, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Eug

Sounds like a good plan... except if he's tracking the cell phone, selling the car won't help.

Dump the phone then and get a new phone and cell plan but don't give him the phone #

Either way, what he's doing is down right scary and she shouldn't take this situation too lightly.

Laminar · Feb 11, 2009, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

She should leave her phone in a stationary place for a couple days and see if the husband freaks out.

Drop the phone off at his buddy's place every day before work.

IceEnclosure · Feb 11, 2009, 11:01 AM

Why so quick to judge? She could be a trifling lying cheating spouse out to run amuck amongs the young male set in the surrounding areas. I've seen her kind before.

barely kidding

angelmb · Feb 11, 2009, 11:05 AM

What about RFID chips in tires?, albeit I guess the range is so limited to make any sense.

Captain Obvious · 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

Still, I'm fairly certain this will have an impact during the divorce procedures. Document it!

Not really if all he is doing is keeping track. Its no worse than a woman hiring a private investigator to watch her husband because she thinks he is being unfaithful or for some other reason. There may be cause. For all you know the woman could be at fault for the estrangement that led to this situation. If she was getting some on the side and this is how he found out all these white knights would be singing a different tune.
I see no mention in the OP that says he was doing it to be controlling.

goMac · Feb 11, 2009, 12:39 PM

If it has any wireless capability, shouldn't there be a way of sniffing that out?

OreoCookie · Feb 11, 2009, 01:04 PM

I didn't mean to imply that the `poor wife' is the good guy here nor the opposite. We know nothing about the circumstances. Yet, I still think everyone has a right to defend him/herself against infringements of privacy (be it a PI or GPS tracking) -- even if the other half was doing something wrong.

Laminar · Feb 11, 2009, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by goMac

If it has any wireless capability, shouldn't there be a way of sniffing that out?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Laminar

They do make devices that can pick up any sort of radio transmission, though.

starman · Feb 11, 2009, 01:48 PM

To make a loooooooong story short, he's far from an angel. Her problem is being too weak to divorce him 10 years ago. Trust me, he's taken full advantage of her weakness in ways that are far beyond the scope of this thread.

cjrivera · Feb 11, 2009, 02:00 PM

Find the bug, put it on his car, and make him think she's stalking him.

goMac · Feb 11, 2009, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Laminar

Yes.

Sorry. Long week. (About the worst week evar.)

Originally Posted by cjrivera

Find the bug, put it on his car, and make him think she's stalking him.

This would be hilarious.

goMac · Feb 11, 2009, 08:53 PM

You know, I wonder if she'd have more luck taking her car to a place that sells this equipment... (The OP didn't say what kinds of shops she's taking it to.)

alligator · Feb 11, 2009, 09:01 PM

I was at Target the other day, and they sell a GPS tracking device in the automotive section. This device was small, and most likely battery powered. On a typical car, it could be almost anywhere. The only way to really remove it would be to disassemble the car or use some type of device that sniffs for the RF signals emitted from the tracking device. In short, it would be easier to sell the car, buy a new one, and be done with the whole mess.

elyzabennet · Feb 11, 2009, 09:54 PM

Even if the husband can't be prosecuted for putting a tracking device on her car, she should still report this to the police. Once she's filed a complaint, there is a record. And if he does other things it can go to show a pattern and she could get a restraining order. Stalking her like this is disturbing and could easily escalate. If she goes to the police, at least she'll have documented proof that he has been bothering her. And I'm sure her attorney, and the judge, handling the divorce would be very interested in this information.

DeathToWindows · Feb 11, 2009, 10:01 PM

There is a bunch of hardware out there that can do this - I've seen some pretty cute versions for tracking packages and such. That being said, you've got one hell of a search task - these are usually fairly small.

I'd look inside the wheel wells, inside any compartments in the trunk - anywhere it could be stuck without getting cooked (figure, its unlikely to have wound up in the engine compartment or under tons of metal - you'd need to be able to link up with the satellite for it to work at all).

Admittedly, the track-the-phone approach would be a lot easier - for that, deactivate the feature / switch phones.

Laminar · Feb 11, 2009, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by alligator

I was at Target the other day, and they sell a GPS tracking device in the automotive section. This device was small, and most likely battery powered. On a typical car, it could be almost anywhere. The only way to really remove it would be to disassemble the car or use some type of device that sniffs for the RF signals emitted from the tracking device. In short, it would be easier to sell the car, buy a new one, and be done with the whole mess.

Oh yeah, I remember seeing that on the TVs as I was drooling over the LCDs. It's a GPS device that can be set to email or text you whenever the car reaches certain areas.

waxcrash · Feb 11, 2009, 11:31 PM

I do know that they make GPS jammers for cars that plug into your cigarette lighter. It creates about a 4 meter 'bubble' around your car and jams any GPS signal. Whether they are legal where you live is another question.

Shaddim · Feb 12, 2009, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

Is it possible he's tracking her with her own phone?

This was my first thought as well.

Stogieman · Feb 12, 2009, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

Do you expect the average woman to be this savvy?

She doesn't have to be. I'm sure Starman can figure it out for her.

ghporter · Feb 12, 2009, 09:12 PM

This is not what you'd call "benign behavior." Her attorney needs to get a restraining order NOW, along with an order to the soon-to-be ex to reveal where the tracker is and surrender any and all materials and data obtained with it. Plus he needs a court order to stay at least 100 yards away from her, her car, her home, her place of business, for the foreseeable future. He's not just "stalking" her, he's demonstrating dangerous behavior.