Did you know around 15 to 20 percent of married couples cheat? In the past, it was believed that men were more likely to be unfaithful to their spouse. However, current research indicates that both men and women are nearly equally likely to be unfaithful in their relationship. If you are suspicious of your spouse cheating on you, the best way to confirm your suspicions is to hire a licensed private investigator. Before you hire a PI, you may want to know some common signs of a cheater. By collecting some information on your own, you can save some time and money. Keep reading to learn some tips to help you identify signs of a cheating spouse.
Follow the Law
When trying to figure out if your spouse is cheating on you, it’s crucial that you remember to follow all laws, including laws about an individual’s privacy. It’s recommended that you seek legal advice to ensure that you do not violate your spouse’s privacy rights. Indeed, if you break the law and your marriage ends, your ex-wife or husband can take you to court for a lawsuit.
The Internet is full of ways to catch a cheating spouse, but most of these ideas are probably illegal to do. As a spouse, you cannot put a tracking device on your spouse’s vehicle, install keylogger software on their computer, or hack their phone, social media accounts, email accounts, or any other personal account. This may reveal their infidelity, but if it’s illegally obtained, you may find yourself seeking a lawyer for being sued.
Check Your Spouse’s Phone
In today’s digital age, the majority of people keep a great deal of their lives on their phones. This may explain why people turn to their spouse’s phone to do some snooping. In general, most cheaters will take measures to secure their phone from being accessed by others.
Consider these red flags:
- Your spouse changed their phone’s PIN number that they previously shared with you.
- Your spouse sleeps with their phone under their pillow.
- Your spouse takes some phone calls in a private room.
Even when you can’t access their phone, most phones display a caller’s information and text notifications. You can write down unfamiliar phone numbers and email addresses that show up on their phone. There are apps that let you track your spouse’s phone without their consent, but this can lead to issues.
View Their Computer’s Browser History
If you have access to a shared computer, you can check your spouse’s browser activity without breaking the law. This gives you a better idea of the sites they visit, such as dating sites or private social media accounts that you didn’t know about. Some cheating partners are aware of the possibility that they are being watched, so they delete their browser history on a regular basis. You can try to look at their Internet history at a later time. However, if they always clear their browser history, there is a strong possibility they are hiding something from you, good or bad.
Keep a Record
No matter what you find, it’s a good idea to keep a record of your spouse’s unusual behavior. You can write your findings in a private journal or note app. Keep track of their unexpected long trips and big withdrawals of money via ATMs or credit cards. If they go to the grocery store for one item, but come back four hours later, this is something to take note of. The majority of cheaters prefer to use cash to finance their affairs because it’s more discreet than using a card.
By having detailed records of the when, where, and how of their suspicious activity, it will help a private investigator confirm whether your spouse is cheating on you. When confronted, cheaters tend to deny or twist the truth. Indeed, you will be able to reference your records to compare with what they tell you.
Be Ready for What You Discover
Once you go down the rabbit hole, it’s important to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for whatever you discover. You may discover that your spouse is cheating on you or it may be other scenarios, such as drug or alcohol addiction, severe depression, gambling, or issues with friends or family. In some cases, your spouse is not doing anything nefarious, but rather is trying to plan a big surprise for you and is trying to keep it a secret. The key point here is to try to remain calm and not jump to conclusions without clear evidence of cheating.
If your spouse is cheating on you, they are probably going to try their best to hide it from you. After you have tried using these tips above, but still do not have concrete evidence of their unfaithfulness, it’s recommended that you contact a licensed private investigator. At PATRIOT Backgrounds and Investigations, our team of experts have the skills, experience, and resources to confirm whether or not your suspicions are true. Since PIs follow all laws, any evidence that is collected can be used as evidence in court as needed.
