CRIME Stoppers Victoria has launched a podcast that reveals how everyday technology is being weaponised for emotional, financial, and elder abuse.
The Bug Hunter: Uncovering the Hidden Threats in Family Violence explains how social media, parental control location technology and cameras are tracking victims.
The podcast features Stephen Wilson, Chief Executive of Protective Group and one of Australia’s leading experts in risk management and victim safety.
With a 37-year career spanning Victoria Police, national investigations and high-level security, Mr Wilson said during Covid-19 one of the most googled terms, was how to track your partner.
“Everyone has a right to remain connected to family and friends…Social media is designed for good, but if it falls into the wrong hands, it is used for evil,” he reported on the podcast.
“We see a lot of elder abuse, 30,000 people in a decade. As people are living longer there’s pressure on them around wills and inheritances.
“Tremor is the new word for the gut feeling that tells you something is wrong. A lot of this is dispelled by those around them as mental health issues such as paranoia …but quite often there is something happening. When a victim survivor feels heard they are more likely to seek help.
“On almost a daily basis we find something [a tracking device]. For women who are in refuge, or do not want their partners or former partner to know where they are, quite often they can slip up and take a photo in a new school uniform and then the perpetrator can see that.
“The control does not necessarily start after separation; it was always there. This is clearly a gender issue.”
The podcast is a call to action that urges bystanders to listen, believe and act, and it also encourages anyone who feels they may be being watched to seek help.
To listen, scan the QR code on this page.
To report crime information to Crime Stoppers Victoria, visit http://crimestoppersvic.com.au/report-a-crime/ or call 1800 333 000.