Tapping a Phone Line

Covert phone tapping is often accomplished in cooperation with the telephone company...

Covert phone tapping is often accomplished in cooperation with the telephone company, who can easily tap into telephone conversations to assist with law enforcement agencies. It is, however, possible to tap a phone line without going through the telephone company. This is done by creating a direct electrical connection in the phone line near the house. The drawback to an electrical connection is that this can cause a drain in the phone’s power, which can create noise on the phone line.

An induction coil, an electrical device that produces high voltage pulses, can also be used for phone tapping. The coil is placed under a phone base or on the back of the phone handset. The induction coil picks up signals and does not cause a drain in the phone’s power.

Phone recordings can be helpful in collecting and reviewing critical information. When done in a covert fashion, however, care must be taken to ensure the conversation is recorded legally. It not, the person recording the telephone conversation can face fines and jail time. In addition, phone recordings that are illegally created are inadmissible as evidence in the court of law.