Individuals with a strong persistent belief they have been hacked and are being electronically monitored and stalked

By John Bandler

Technology, computers, and the internet means vast capabilities, including to victimize and surveil others.

All of our own technology, computer devices, and cloud accounts are important assets which can be compromised by cybercriminals. People have different risks, fears, and understandings of technology and cybersecurity. Since 1994 I have fielded various complaints from members of the public, changes in technology and my work in cybersecurity has presented a new twist on things.

1. The chief complaint and issue

Humans have always had fears, now technology provides new things to be fearful of, or a new twist on traditional fears. Sometimes those fears are warranted, sometimes not. Bad things happen with technology, including crimes committed by other people. But sometimes the fear or belief is not warranted.

Decades ago in the 1990s I was a state trooper and took my turn on the desk about once a week, which meant answering the phone and speaking to anyone who desired to call the State Police. Every now and then the caller had an unusual belief or complaint. One person believed the FBI had put a listening device in his tooth (he is not alone in a belief like this).

Today, ubiquitous smart phones, miniature computers and trackers, cellular service, Wi-Fi, and the internet means that surveillance is even easier. We don't have to imagine a device in our tooth, there are many other ways we could be monitored. But could be does not mean we are.

As a professional who works in cybersecurity and cybercrime investigations, I regularly get calls from people who believe they are being hacked and surveilled, that they are the victim of a dedicated and sophisticated electronic surveillance operation, which includes illegal eavesdropping, data breaches, and more. They fear they are the victim of cyber criminality of intense effort and sophistication.

These complaints may include:

  • Their smartphone is "hacked" (compromised, breached) and remains hacked even after a reset
  • Someone is watching and listening to everything they do, and to all their communications
  • Others are communicating about them, including on the dark web, although those communications cannot be located.

These are unsettling beliefs to have.

Data breaches do happen, there are persistent and sophisticated cyber attackers out there. For example, nation states have immense capabilities and would definitely devote time and resources to monitor worthy targets. Some stalkers are both obsessive and skilled.

But sometimes the circumstances make it very unlikely this person is truly the victim of the cyber-offenses they are convinced are happening.

2. A case worth taking? And the message to convey

I need to be truthful without causing offense. I need to be careful not to take cases that are unlikely to succeed, and I need to look after the person's interests, which sometimes means not taking the case because their money would be poorly spent.

Many things are possible, in theory, including with cyber attacks. Usually the most sophisticated cyber attacks are done by nation-states, or other groups or individuals with significant capabilities, time, and resources. When regular people fear they are the victim of these sophisticated attacks, it may not turn out to be true. When regular person A feels regular person B is committing these attacks, but Person B lacks a cyber background or sufficient motive, it is less likely to be true. Yet they are convinced and sure of it, even though specifics cannot be articulated nor verified.

An assessment needs to be made of what is likely, reasonable, and probable, before deciding to take a case, or accept money in order to perform work. There needs to be a reasonable view that work is needed, will be helpful, findings will be considered, and the client's money will be well spent and they will be happy when it is done.

These cases rarely satisfy that criteria, and are almost never cases worth taking.

During the conversation with the victim, I am able to discuss their beliefs, the basis for their beliefs, and potential avenues of investigation and cybersecurity. Throughout the conversation, and especially when it becomes clear this is not a case I should accept their money on, I have an opportunity to provide helpful information. But it is a challenge to provide helpful, accurate information that will be received well, especially given how persistent their beliefs are.

3. Mental health is first

My main takeaway is that mental health comes first. Whether they are hacked or not, surveilled or not, they are worried and it is causing significant stress and hardship. That seems to be the most important factor to remember and address. Mental health becomes before cybersecurity, and before cybercrime investigation.

Even if the person is indeed being hacked and surveilled, they need to find a way to properly deal with the fear they are experiencing, a way to remain calm.

If the person is not being hacked and surveilled, then mental health treatment is the key to understanding and unlocking why they persistently believe that they are. If facts, evidence, logic, and reason will not convince them of something, there needs to be another path to that, and that seems to be through mental health avenues.

4. Cybersecurity and investigation can be costly

Cybersecurity and investigation of claims of being hacked and surveilled can be costly, from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

Before embarking on this, it needs to be considered whether the facts and results will be valued and analyzed objectively.

If work will be done at great expense but the client will remain firm in their belief they are hacked, and disregard any findings as needed to maintain their preexisting belief, then that work was of little value.

While many people with persistent beliefs they are hacked and monitored need a deeper understanding of cybersecurity basics, it unrealistic to think that increased knowledge will help dissipate their belief. It is more likely their belief of being hacked will persist, while their understanding of the mechanisms of being hacked will evolve.

5. Beliefs are not always consistent with reality - society lives in many parallel universes

People, even "regular" people without mental health issues, believe a number of things which may be contradictory or untrue.

Then there are people who have a wide variety of mental issues, diagnosed and not, and that can affect their belief systems also.

There are entire groups of people who share a viewpoint on a particular issue, then another group whose viewpoints is in direct contradiction of that viewpoint. Both beliefs cannot both be true – someone is wrong. These contradictory viewpoints exist in many areas, including topics such as:

  • Sports events, such as whether the base runner was safe or out
  • Earth shape
    • Some people (“flat earthers”) believe the Earth is flat, and some studies indicate that could be as many as ten percent of the U.S. population
    • Others and most scientists believe the Earth is a sphere
  • 2020 election
    • Some people say the election was “stolen” and Trump won
    • Others says there were no significant irregularities and Biden won
  • Jan 6, 2021
    • Some people say this was a peaceful protest, justified against a "rigged" 2020 election
    • Some people say this was a riotous mob that trespassed and invaded the U.S. Capitol and fought for hours against police
  • Vaccines
    • Some say vaccines are part of a conspiracy, e.g., including to install microchips
    • Some say vaccines are generally unsafe, for whatever reason
    • Others say vaccines are tested and mostly safe and good for individuals and public health
  • 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting and whether it occurred
  • The Nazi Holocaust and whether it occurred
  • And so on.

We see it is entirely possible for someone to believe  fearfully they are hacked or surveilled when they are not, and also possible for someone to be totally oblivious to the fact that they are being hacked and surveilled.

6. Terms that may apply

Mental health professionals and others have done research into people who have the types of persistent beliefs I am referring to. Clearly, there are at least some people who persistently believe they are being hacked and surveilled, when in fact they are not. Helpful search terms to find this research include:

  • Gang stalking
  • Gang-stalking
  • Gangstalking
  • Group stalking
  • Targeted individual (TI)
  • Electronic harassment
  • Electromagnetic torture
  • Delusional beliefs
  • Delusional disorders
  • Delusion
  • Hallucination
  • Psychosis
  • Persecutory delusion
  • Schizophrenia.

We know some people suffer from these conditions and beliefs, since it has been studied and documented.

Still, we need to recognize that doesn't mean every believer suffers from these conditions, and people can be upset and insulted if it is implied that they suffer these conditions, or that their belief is false or they are imagining it.

7. Disclaimers

See all my usual disclaimers, and notably, I am not a mental health professional, nor an expert in beliefs nor false beliefs.

I'm not trying to tell anyone they were hacked or they weren't hacked.

I'm just writing based on my experience about this complicated issue involving people, psychology, beliefs, cybersecurity, and cybercrime.

8. Works relating to electronic stalking

These individuals have greater credentials in this area, and their work is helpful.

9. Additional links

This page is hosted at https://johnbandler.com/persistent-belief-hacked-electronically-stalked. Copyright John Bandler, all rights reserved.

Page posted 10/28/2025. Updated 10/29/2025