Suspect a cheater? Playing detective could land you in jail
I’m sad to say cheating is a pretty common occurrence. In one survey that just landed in my inbox, more than one in three of 5,000 participants admitted to cheating on their partner. Over 40% have been cheated on. Whatever happened to commitment?
Let’s shine a light on cheating in the U.S., what sleuthing methods can get you into trouble and how to tell if your sweetie is tapping your phone or worse. I am getting so many questions about this. It’s crazy!
The United States of snooping
The survey (commissioned by an online casino site, of all things) looked at the most common techniques Americans use to spy on a suspected cheater. The methods, uh, kinda work. Almost 13% of those surveyed said their snooping led to proof of infidelity.
It’s not just ladies playing Sherlock Holmes. One in 10 men admitted to stalking a partner to confirm cheating.
- When it comes to state-specific cheating data, Alaska holds the title of the biggest snoopers. Over half of Alaskans surveyed (54.5%) admitted they digitally spy on their partners. Many of them (45.5%) also track their location online.
- Vermont followed close behind, with 44.4% of respondents admitting to snooping.
- Rhode Island came in third at 43.8%. Many Rhode Islanders (37.5%) also said they decided to stay with their partner despite their cheating ways.
Looking to move to a state that doesn’t spy on suspected cheaters? North Dakota is your best bet. Zero respondents from the state said they played detective on a partner. Utah and West Virginia also had a relatively low snooper count.
The price of catching a cheater
Wondering how most people catch a cheater red-handed? Here are the top five spying methods:
- Tracked location online (Find My iPhone or other online method) – 21.8%
- Checked their social media accounts – 18.2%
- Checked mobile records or bills – 16.6%
- Checking their pockets and going through their things – 16.5%
- Tracked location physically – 9.8%
Installing spyware on a partner’s phone came in at No. 9, with 2.3% of respondents claiming to have done it. Word to the wise: Just because others do it doesn’t mean you should.
Placing spyware on someone else’s phone could lead to massive legal trouble — even prison time, depending on where you live. The apps are major privacy violators.
If you get caught, you could be looking at a jail sentence of over a year and some pretty hefty fines. Not worth it!
I’m no cheetah, you lion
Even if you’re the most faithful partner on the planet, you should know the signs of spyware lurking on your phone.
- Look for unknown apps on your device. If you see something you didn’t install yourself, do some digging. Search the name online for starters.
- Check your battery life. If it’s all of a sudden draining like crazy, there might be something fishy running in the background.
- Monitor your mobile data and check for spikes in usage.
- Keep an eye on performance issues like slowness and overheating.
- Check your phone’s settings, especially the permissions section. If there’s spyware on your phone, chances are good they’ve been altered.
👣 Now, what if you suspect a cheater? You should absolutely have an honest conversation. No luck there? There are ways that cheating leaves breadcrumbs online. I wrote about that for the New York Post.
If you know someone who thinks they’re being spied on, share this article with them. They’ll thank you for that later.
Tags: Cheating, conversation, detective, infidelity, privacy, signs, snooping, spying, spyware
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