JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Maybe it was that time you snuck a peek at your boyfriend's phone. Maybe it was that time you logged onto your wife's email. They say trust is supposed to be the foundation of any good relationship, but most people admit they've had doubts about their loved one.
That's why some people are taking spying to the extreme, using hidden cameras, spyware, and even GPS to track their partner's every call, move, and keystroke.
We spoke with a wife and mother who's resorted to these tactics to find out what's going on with her husband when she's not around.
"My husband is a first-time dad, and when I come home things are different," she said. "I can't get a complete story."
That's why she's purchased home video cameras. She wants to know what's going on at home when she's at work.
"I'm pretty discreet. It lets me see what's going on when I'm not home."
She's also considering spying on her home computer with a new program called "E-Blaster." It's a remote monitoring software that promises to find out everything a person does on the internet. It tracks keystrokes and porn sites, then sends an email with a summary of all activity to the person who purchased the program.
The Spy Shop is a Southside fixture that's been frequented by spying spouses for years. Manager John Jordan says people come to him when they have to put their minds at ease.
"When in doubt, check 'em out," Jordan says.
Jordan also says some of his most popular spying programs are requested up to 20 times a week by spying spouses. He tells Action News one woman recently used a surveillance camera to catch her husband with another woman in bed. Because that camera sent a live feed over the internet, she walked in on them in the act.
You might be wondering if these devices are legal, so here's the deal. Hidden cameras are legal so long as you put them in your own home--and not somewhere private like the bathroom or bedroom. Computer spyware is legal as long as you install it on your home computer, not someone's personal PC. And GPS devices are only legal when used on your own vehicle.
As for the wife and mother we spoke with, she hopes all of this high-tech surveillance shows her that she's never had a reason to worry about her man. Evidence backing that up is what's going to give her peace of mind.
