In our time of gadgets, it is not so paranoid to suspect that someone may track you without permission or acknowledgment.
Who May Use a Tracking Device?
Typically, tracking is a prerogative of law enforcement agents who may or may not need a search warrant to place a tracking device on your car depending on the jurisdiction you’re in. However, the unwanted observer may also be your jealous spouse, lover, competitor, colleague, boss, or a private investigator. In that case, finding a device by your own means can be very complicated because its possible location may be inside the car.
A GPS receiver equipped with Sirf Star III chip © DeliDumrul/CC0 1.0
Possible Locations of a Tracking Device
If you suspect that you’re being tracked by someone you don’t know, a simple visual sweep of the underside of the car, especially its metal parts, may be enough to find the GPS device. Firstly, the person who installed the device probably had limited access to the car. Secondly, he or she had to be fast and unseen on a parking lot. Also, check the edges, bumpers, hoods and other external surfaces for suspicious equipment with the size of a pager.
If it is more likely that your unwanted observer is someone you know, or if it is a professional investigator with expensive equipment and experience, your only chance to find the GPS device may be a private company that specializes in so-called Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures (TSCM). Their services are costly, but they can do a sweep with equally expensive equipment and professionalism.
What to Do?
You should try finding the device by yourself with a thorough sweep of the vehicle (or consult the familiar mechanic whether he or she can do it for you). If you’re not successful, contact the private company that specializes in TSCM. And don’t forget to get a lawyer.