If you are worried that you may be a victim of tech-abuse Mary’s House Services can help.
Mary’s House has enlisted a father and son security team to run security sweeps of houses, cars and electronic devices for victims of domestic and family violence.
Stephen and Tristan Wilson, from Protective Group, also give advice on how to protect yourselves in the future.
‘This type of abuse is spiralling,’ said the CEO of Mary’s House Services, Yvette Vignando. ‘Most of our clients have experienced it.’
This controlling behaviour can be anything from sending abusive texts to secretly installing cameras, tracking devices or spyware. Spyware on a phone or computer means a perpetrator can monitor every call, email, text message and even a victim’s internet browser history. In some cases perpetrators have accessed cameras and taken photos without a victim realising.
‘Perpetrators are using technology to monitor, then control their victims and their movements,’ explains Yvette. ‘It is an insidious form of coercive control.’
The first thing Mary’s House Services will do once a client has been appointed a case worker is work out a safety plan. If there are serious concerns about tech-abuse they will refer the client to Protective Group.
The security firm will then carry out a tech sweep using scanning equipment to check for hidden cameras, listening devices and trackers. They will check the house, car and then computers, phone and gaming consoles.
Tech-abuse is not only increasing, it is also changing rapidly and becoming very sophisticated.
Protective Group’s recent examples include: AirTags sewn into the lining of a backpack, drones flown over a victim’s skylight, a smart fridge used to send abusive messages, multiple cameras hidden in an ex-partner’s garden and most recently a tracking and listening device installed into a child’s calculator.
Research shows that there is a strong correlation between this type of abuse and the perpetrators who escalate the violence.
‘Women who are stalked or monitored like this are the most at risk of increased violence, so it is vital that we prevent abusers using technology to track them down,’ said Yvette.
‘This is particularly important for women going into a refuge.’
Once Stephen and Tristan have identified the abuse and disrupted it, they work to educate both caseworkers and victims on how to avoid future problems.
Often it is the simplest things, such as using an etag, Medicare card, Uber account or supermarket rewards card, that can put survivors at risk.
‘Basically, anything that can alert an abuser to where a victim is at any particular moment is an issue,’ explained Stephen.
Even pet microchips can be used by abusers to monitor and stalk a victim.
Stephen said the most vital first step is to change all your passwords to strong passwords.
He added it was important to think outside the square and avoid using anything the perpetrator has shared knowledge about, such as birth dates, children, pet or maiden names.
If you have a car, go back to the manufacturer to reset the GPS, advises Stephen.
Banks are much more aware of vulnerable women in these situations now and should help you cancel joint accounts.
Be vigilant when using social media, for example, make sure friends don’t share your posts and be careful that the background of a photo doesn’t accidentally reveal where you are.
For extra guidance there is an online safety checklist on the eSafety Commissioner website.
‘The list of things that clients have to change to keep themselves safe will probably feel overwhelming,’ said Yvette, ‘but our caseworkers and Protective Group are here to support them.’
For the eSafety checklist go to: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/domestic-family-violence/online-safety-checklist
