When a suspicious spouse wants to find out if their partner is having an affair, one of the first things they need to determine is the method and/or methods they will use to get the evidence they need to confirm their worst fears. Here is a list of the top five ways spouses were caught cheating last year. The data used in this list was collected from numerous news sources online dedicated to infidelity, relationships, marriage and divorce statistics, and related blogs.
Top 5 Ways Spouses Were Caught Cheating In 2009
1) Cell Phone. Believe it or not, it's estimated that almost 30% of spouses were caught via their cell phone. Think Tiger Woods with this one. Suspicious spouses just had to grab their partner's cell phone to catch them red handed. It's hard to deny an affair, when there are numerous text messages to the other person. As cell phones become more feature rich, people continue to use them as their primary method of both voice and text based communication. Unfortunately for cheating spouses, they often forget to delete their records, which leaves an easy trail of their transgressions. When this happens, it's only just a matter of time until they are caught.
2) PC Spy Software. Using spy software that is installed on their partner's PC, is the second most popular way a spouse was caught cheating. Today's PC spy software records chat conversations, emails, takes screen shots, and a few of them even have options where you can monitor their PC live. Most of the research I've read indicates that spouses were caught cheating via the contents of the chat conversations and browsing history. One thing to point out though, is that it might be against the law to install any type of software without the owner's consent, even if it's your spouse!
3) Spy Phone Software. A surprising number of spouses were caught cheating by specialized spy software that was installed directly on their partner's cell phone. This surprised me a bit because this type of software is relatively new, so it's quite shocking to see this method make the headlines as one of the most popular ways a spouse caught their partner cheating. The way this type of software works, is that a suspicious spouse installs it on their partner's cell phone. The software will then secretly record all incoming and outgoing text messages, call logs, and even track their every move via GPS. Some of the more advanced versions of this software even give you the ability to listen in on live calls and remotely activate the cell phone's microphone.
4) Stealth GPS Trackers. GPS tracking devices have surged in popularity in recent years. It's no surprise that this has quietly become a popular way for spouses to catch their cheating partners. A simple search on Google, uncovers hundreds of companies selling very small GPS tracking devices, which can easily be placed on or inside their partner's car. Once the GPS unit is activated, their every movement is tracked, giving the suspicious spouse visibility into the location of their partner. This will enable them to find out if their spouse really is "at the office" or someplace else.
5) Private Investigator. Despite all the technology available to people, some decide to track down their cheating spouse the old fashion way. The practice of hiring a private investigator is becoming less common, but it's still a popular and effective way to get the evidence required for a spouse to prove their partner is having an affair.
Although there is a plethora of ways to catch a cheating spouse, the above five ways were by far the most often used last year. It will be interesting to see what tactics are used in 2010, as more people are using cell phones and social media to communicate and meet up. Perhaps we'll see roughly the same methods or maybe something entirely new? Only time will tell.