Aside from the occasional stalker, there haven’t been too many times that I’ve found myself being followed. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be ready for the situation and be prepared to recognize if somebody is following you. There are several methods you can use to determine if you are in fact being followed.

That being said, you should also know that there will be times when it will be more likely that you are being followed. So if any of the following scenarios apply to you, then yes, that guy with the sunglasses and ball cap is most likely tailing you.

Have you recently:

• Taken photos of somebody with the intent of using said photos in a blackmail scheme?
• Come into an enormous sum of money (in cash form)?
• Had an affair?
• Set your partners up to take the fall while you get away (with the cash)?
• Cut somebody off in traffic that really just took it way too personal?
• Sold classified secrets to a rogue state?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these statements, then it’s quite possible that you are being followed. If you answered no, that doesn’t mean you are in the clear - you should still consider employing the following maneuvers and tactics to determine if you are in fact being followed.

How To Determine If You Are Being Followed While Driving

1. If the suspected car is a Ford Crown Victoria - then stop right here, because you are being followed.

2. If it’s not a Crown Vic, then we’re going to have to do a little detective work and observe the suspected car following you using your mirrors as you make 3 or 4 turns.

3. If after multiple turns the suspect vehicle is still behind you, signal one direction and abruptly turn the opposite direction.

4. If the car is still following you, it’s now probably safe to assume that they are following you.

How To Determine If You Are Being Followed While On Foot

1. First, you don’t want your tail to know that you are onto them, if in fact they are tailing you. So avoid turning around to look at them. To observe and gain details about them (height, weight, clothing, etc…) try to use reflective surfaces like shop windows and doors. Even better is if you own a pair of ’spy glasses’ that have the mirrors on the outside edge so that you can see behind you. These can be obtained through various brands of cereal or sometimes in a surveillance store. If you answered yes to any of the questions in the previous list, than these might be a good investment for you.

2. Begin walking in an erratic path - like the driving scenario - by making a few turns or crossing the street (not at a crosswalk).

3. Head into a store and see if they follow you.

4. While you are trying to determine if you are being tailed, remain in public places and avoid such pitfalls as dark alleys or abandoned warehouses.

5. If you’ve altered your path consistently and observed the person following you for some time, then it’s probably safe to assume that they might be following you.

6. If you do turn around and they quickly raise a newspaper as though they are reading - this is a dead giveaway of a tail.

Once you’ve determined that you are being tailed you can begin evasive maneuvers to lose your tail. Luckily for you dear reader, I have quite a bit of experience in following and being followed which I will be sharing in a future article. So in the meantime - practice these techniques as they might one day help you to determine if you are being followed.