Are you a TI? That is, a Targeted Individual?
A Targeted Individual is someone who is illegally or covertly harassed, abused, stalked or spied upon continuously by a group of people, an organized surveillance.
Being a Targeted Individual is more than a boyfriend, spouse or colleague who installs cell phone spyware or conducts cell phone surveillance. It is less about following and spying and more about harassment and psychological abuse, potentially physical harm as well. That being said, one of the first steps taken by may be mobile phone hack detection or mobile phone spyware detection.
Let me explain using a scenario that is becoming more and more common and compel clients to call .
Zach was a prominent real estate executive in a large metropolitan city. He was married with three teenage children. He was also on the boards of two of the largest philanthropic organizations in the city. It was his reputation that made him money in real estate and for the charities he supported.
Zach was also guilty of infidelity – twice. And even though he considered the trysts meaningless and he felt very guilty, he lived in fear that his wife and the community would find out about them. He had made every effort to leave that behavior in the past and never to repeat it.
In the middle of the afternoon one day, Zach received a text message from an unknown sender. It alluded to knowledge of his infidelity but had a joking tone so he thought some pal might just be playing a trick because there was no specific information about the women or locations or any other details.
But then the texts became frequent and more and more threatening. Zach realized he was being targeted. Then texts from other numbers and emails started showing up and notes were being left on his car in the parking garage. When an envelope was delivered with an unsigned letter to his office, he really started to panic. It was time to get help. Zach knew the police would want more evidence in order to conduct an investigation. After all, there had been no crime committed. So Zach decided to contact a discreet and confidential investigator for help.
A computer forensics investigator created an exact duplicate of the data on his computer and with data mining software was able to extract information for the digital forensics experts to trace back. Likewise, cell phone forensics tools were used for a complete mobile phone forensic analysis. Cell phone spying was not out of the question, nor was cellphone tracking because the bad guys timed communications to times when Zach would be with important clients and family – and would emotionally have a greater impact than if he was alone in his office.
Surveillance equipment, including hidden cameras were placed to watch his car and home for suspicious activity. A technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) sweep of his office for bug detection uncovered listening devices and spy surveillance equipment.
Electronic surveillance was successful in identifying one of the groups of people who were targeting Zach. After that, investigators were able to link together a group of four men who were gearing up to blackmail Zach. In order to get the authorities involved, Zach confided in his wife. In the end, Zach was spared the expense and pain of being blackmailed and publicly humiliated. The fear of exposure was also gone as he and his wife both knew the truth.
Being a Targeted Individual is frightening and can ultimately ruin lives. If you think you are being targeted, contact a professional investigator – the sooner, the better.
-Brenda McGinley, CEO, All in Investigations, All in Investigations
