Can someone listen in on your telephone conversation with a baby monitor? If so, how do you stop it?

Question

The neighbors just had their second child. I know they have baby monitors because as a kind neighbor we asked what they needed for a baby gift. They already had monitors.

Lately, when I am on our phone--all of the sudden it will turn into an echo as if I am talking in a tunnel and I can hear my voice faintly repeating seconds after I say what I have spoken. Then when I mention to the person on the phone that I wonder if it is the neighbor's baby monitor, the echo stops.

First, I don't know why they would deliberately listend, but if so, how can this be stopped? They are nice, but maybe nosey?

Answer 1

unless your neighbor is really weird or has some reason to spy on you, they aren't doing it on purpose.....you would probably have to research and do a lot of electrical things to "make" the monitors listen in on another conversation.....sometimes you do get weird snippets of conversation on the monitors, but I can't imagine any one doing it on purpose

Answer 2

ask them to change the channel on their baby monitor, or get a phone that changes its channels all the time.

Answer 3

talk on a corded phone. or email.

Answer 4

That is odd.

If they had baby monitors, why would you give them additional ones?   I'm curious.

It could be that the baby monitor is somehow interfering with your telephone...signals are probably being crossed.  

If I were you, I would politely mention this to your neighbors.  You could say: "I've been having trouble with my phone lately.  I wondered if you guys noticed anything with yours".   Then you could discreetly tell them that you think it is the baby monitor.  It isn't like you're accusing them of anything when you say it that way.

You don't want to offend them but you also have the right to know what the deal is.  They might not be aware of this problem so you have to be careful that you don't imply or accuse.  If it turns out that they have in fact been listening to your phone calls with the monitor, you need to tell them that you do not appreciate having your privacy invaded like that.

Answer 5

If you're having a conversation that you don't want anyone else to hear, you need to use a corded phone.  With a cordless phone or a cell phone, you're always broadcasting to a certain extent.  

About 10 or 15 years ago I had a job where I came in contact with a group of police officers.  They would always be picking up people's conversations on their police scanners.  And they would listen ... if someone is broadcasting it is not illegal to listen in.  I recall one talking about his neighbor's s*x life.  Another one got to listen in on a local pastor calling a 1-900 s*x line on his cell phone.

A tip ... cell phones broadcast a lot further than cordless ones.

You really are not within your rights to talk to your neighbor about this.  For one, you have no idea if they're listening in.  For another, it's natural for someone to listen for a minute if they come across a conversation like that by accident.  When you say something about someone listening in, it probably snaps the other person out of listening mode, they feel guilty and turn it off.