Paranoid or just stressed....?

[S and R 8]

Hi all,

My wife thinks someone is listening into our phone conversations as she has noticed there are strange clicking sounds when she calls. Also, she mentioned her phone rang, my number showered up and there was no one on the line. I am certain it wasnt me calling as I was at work. Anyway, does phone tapping occur in this process? I suspect she's just stressed about the elusive NOA2. Your thoughts? Does someone know? I may have to tone down a bit if this is so.....

[Wishin-n-hopin 15]

I have no concrete evidence to say one way or the other that your calls are being monitored, but while I was waiting for my NOA2, my fiance and I noticed strange clicking noises on the phone when we were talking, as well. There were even times when it actually sounded like someone would pick up the phone. There were ohter times when he would call me and it would show up as some strange agency (Tele...something...I can't remember exactly) on the caller ID along with a phone number from the USA. We found that extremely odd, since he was calling me from Scotland, and his number ALWAYS comes up as "unknown". So...we were also convinced that our calls were being monitored. Strangely, right after I received the approval (NOA2), it all stopped. We haven't had a "clicking" noise or any interference on the phone for almost a month. Weird, huh?? I guess for the sake of national security, USCIS/Dept. of Homeland Security can do whatever they want to do...so I don't think we should be surprised if our calls are monitored. Matthew and I always had a good laugh about it though, because I'm sure that if someone was listening in, they heard ALL kinds of things...silly, goofy and even sometimes a bit romantic. We always figured that we were providing some good entertainment for whoever was listening....LOL

Edited August 12, 2011 by Wishin-n-hopin

[Akaitay 2]

I wouldn't be surprised if calls were being tapped into by the government nor would I let it bother me. It is quite funny though to think someone is listening to your convo. Either way there Is nothing to be paranoid about, continue chatting away. If they are listening oh well, they are just doing there job. I also heard about them hacking into Facebook profiles as well... Hehe.

[Terca 6]

I don't think they have the resources to monitor so many calls, maybe it's just the fact that its long distance. Sometimes i call my husband and weird unkown people pick up and vice versa lol go figure

[Virginian61 1]

US > Australia ?? Paranoid!

[Barbara J 115]

US > Australia ?? Paranoid!

:thumbs::thumbs:

[Wishin-n-hopin 15]

I wasn't worried about our calls being monitored....we have nothing to hide. But...it does seem very odd that just a few days before I got my approval (NOA2) all the clicking noises stopped. Even tonight, when we spoke on the phone, I purposely listened for anything....NOTHING...clear as a bell. All of our calls have been "click" free for nearly a month. I do know that Homeland Security was given permission to monitor phone calls after 9/11...and as far as not having enough equipment or resources to monitor so many calls....well...we live in the "computer age" and I would say that it is very much possible.

Regardless....just keep talking and enjoy your time on the phone. As I said before...if someone listens in, they will very likely be entertained, because my fiance makes me laugh all the time. He has an awesome sense of humor and I can honestly say that in 4 years, there has not been one day that we haven't laughed. He is my very best friend in the whole world and I am incredibly blessed!

[Josie-Be-Happy 11]

I wasn't worried about our calls being monitored....we have nothing to hide. But...it does seem very odd that just a few days before I got my approval (NOA2) all the clicking noises stopped. Even tonight, when we spoke on the phone, I purposely listened for anything....NOTHING...clear as a bell. All of our calls have been "click" free for nearly a month. I do know that Homeland Security was given permission to monitor phone calls after 9/11...and as far as not having enough equipment or resources to monitor so many calls....well...we live in the "computer age" and I would say that it is very much possible.

Regardless....just keep talking and enjoy your time on the phone. As I said before...if someone listens in, they will very likely be entertained, because my fiance makes me laugh all the time. He has an awesome sense of humor and I can honestly say that in 4 years, there has not been one day that we haven't laughed. He is my very best friend in the whole world and I am incredibly blessed!

I find phone tapping to be unusual. But with the government these days, you never know if they do random checks. I wouldn't mind if they tapped my calls. More proof to show that we are in bona fide relationship/marriage.

[Dana-Mića 51]

It might just be nerves. I get other people picking up so I spoke to a couple of people who said they had the same problem and that it's the phone company connecting calls

[M in CA 9]

We never use the phone - just skype and yahoo messenger, but I have had too many droppped calls at pivotal moments to think it's random. Hubby assures me nobody can listen-in on skype, but I am not convinced. Sometimes I even preface converstional pieces like, "ok, so, for whoever is listening..." and I don't hink our conversations would even make sense, b/c we have SO many "inside jokes" and acronyms. I like the comment about how listeners would realize teh bona fide nature of marriage.

I am glad I am not alone in feeling "monitored".

[S and R 8]

I find phone tapping to be unusual. But with the government these days, you never know if they do random checks. I wouldn't mind if they tapped my calls. More proof to show that we are in bona fide relationship/marriage.

Thanks for the replies. To us its more of a concern than a worry - we exchange credit card details, PINS to bank accounts, itunes passwords and payment details (free music, movies....?), all sorts of private stuff. I'd be surprised if an Australian is involved in hanky-panky stuff - very easy life here, plenty of jobs, all the world's problems are "across the water, over there", multiculturalism works, hardly any crime, its a holiday every day here. No wonder only 2,000 E3 visas are used annually out of the 10,500 cap. I worry about relocating sometimes.

[Wishin-n-hopin 15]

Sometimes I even preface converstional pieces like, "ok, so, for whoever is listening..." and I don't hink our conversations would even make sense, b/c we have SO many "inside jokes" and acronyms. I like the comment about how listeners would realize teh bona fide nature of marriage.

I am glad I am not alone in feeling "monitored".

We used to do that to...sometimes we'd purposely "talk" to whoever might have been listening. We also have so many inside jokes that anyone who might have been listening probably thought we were crazy. heheheh

But...I also agree that "IF" calls really are monitored, by the time they were done listening to us for almost 5 months, there could be no question or doubt that our relationship was bona fide.

Additionally, the comment about being paranoid because both people are from the US and Australia....well...my only thought on that is this: my fiance is from the UK, a country that has long been an ally of the US, but also has terrorists who live there. So...just because it's a "friendly" country, doesn't mean that Homeland Security can sit back and close their eyes. That's why airport security is the way it is...EVERYONE is viewed as a possible terrorist....even cute little old ladies and adorable children. No country can afford to take any chances.