BlueSleuth-Lite BLE Tag Detector

Don’t be fooled by other devices claiming to easily detect BLE tags. Wideband receivers like those do not contain our proprietary algorithm that immediately identifies specific BLE tags through their advertising packets allowing location of hidden tags through realtime signal strength measurements. BlueSleuth-Lite is ideal for anyone’s personal security and any security pro including bodyguards, law enforcement and executive protection experts.

Backstory

Our digital world is tracking all of us in ways we cannot imagine, understand and least of all, control. But there is one technology disruptor where our digital privacy and physical safety are poised for a head-on collision. Personal bluetooth trackers have empowered all of us to find our keys or a lost pet but these same trackers have also armed criminals with a way to stalk, steal and threaten anyone’s privacy and safety. 

GPS trackers have been in use for many years. I know because my company has built many wireless security devices for prisons, wireless safety devices for railways, and wireless test devices for EV charger installations. We’ve also sold many GPS tracker detectors to law enforcement and private investigators but a new breed of miniature, anonymous and disposable tracker has appeared.

The Problem

Tiny BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) trackers are being used all over the world. Jealous partners, stalkers and a variety of criminals are deploying these trackers at an alarming rate to carry out their illegal acts with little to no risk of getting caught. How is this possible? In order to keep thieves in the dark, tracker manufacturers build in an artificial notification delay. This way, a bicycle thief, for instance, won’t know that they’ve stolen a bike containing a hidden tracker before the owner realizes it’s gone. This gives victims valuable time to notify authorities or retrieve the lost or stolen item before the criminal can discover and discard that hidden tracker. 

Unfortunately, this same delay can also be exploited by stalkers and thieves to track people and their belongings long before the victims are notified. These warning notifications typically appear anywhere between 8 to 24 hours after the tracker has already been hidden and some studies suggest even longer. This delayed warning can lead to all kinds of crimes and victimizations. To make matters worse, tags with audible chimes are being disabled and re-sold as ‘silent tags’ so victims cannot hear and locate hidden trackers. So if you don’t own a smartphone or don’t have it on you, you have no way of knowing you are being tracked. And the over 2.7 billion Android users worldwide cannot receive any stalking notifications unless they install and launch a specific app that has to run in the background all the time. It’s almost like the tags are stacked against us.

What We Do

In my company’s 50 years of business, we’ve developed, built and shipped thousands of wireless security products for big customers with deep pockets all from our headquarters in Metuchen, New Jersey. We have (2) fully automated CNC machines and expert machinists in our metal shop and have always designed and built all of our products in the USA. We intend to continue that tradition, but this product is different because it’s the most affordable detector we’ve ever created and it’s designed for anyone that values their privacy and security – WHICH IS ALL OF US. This product is called BlueSleuth-Lite and it immediately detects and notifies the user of all nearby personal trackers. This new concept is based upon an existing successful product called BlueSleuth – we’ve sold hundreds of BlueSleuth bluetooth skimmer locators to law enforcement task forces, ATM security teams, Weights and Measures inspectors and owners/managers operating fuel stations plagued by hidden bluetooth card skimmers. The following news segment video features our BlueSleuth and highlights our company goal to make the world safer and more secure for everyone…

Technical Details

In order to achieve a full year of battery life, personal trackers send out infrequent BLE pings lasting only milliseconds making them impossible to detect without advanced algorithms, calibrated antennas and dedicated receivers. We’ve taken years of R&D that we already poured into our expensive solutions and miniaturized them all into an affordable, palm-sized solution that can attach to any keyring.

BlueSleuth-Lite is pocket-sized and is small enough to fit in your palm and even attach to a keyring so it’s always available. The unit features charging through both USB-Mini and an advanced Qi wireless charging system for convenience (charging pad included). An internal Lithium-Ion battery holds enough charge to operate for a full day. Operation is simple – a single two-way toggle/push button switch allows navigation through all nearby BLE tags and devices, thresholds and alert settings including vibrating alerts. This allows users to keep BlueSleuth-Lite in their pocket, automobile, home or wherever while checking for suspicious BLE trackers.

All major BLE trackers (AirTag, Tile, Eufy, Galaxy Smart Tags, PebbleBee, Chipolo, etc.) are immediately detected and displayed by name and icon making hidden ones easy to locate and identify. Since BlueSleuth-Lite can detect all BLE devices, the user can also choose to search for any BLE device including earbuds, smartwatches, phones, tablets, PCs and much more but BLE trackers always have priority. If multiple trackers are detected, they are listed according to signal strength (best indicator of proximity) so that the user may drill down on a specific tag for more information. Advanced scanning algorithms ensure that only BLE tags are detected and displayed and threshold settings allow users to narrow the scanning radius in areas where there is a lot of BLE activity.

In Conclusion

There is no app, no product and no company that can immediately detect all major personal BLE trackers the way we do. Rather than spending valuable time and money on patents and lawyers, we’ve decided to just build the solution and offer it directly to the customers that need it the most. But in order to enter this consumer market and prepare for mass production in a way we’ve never had to think about before, my company is relying heavily upon the Kickstarter community for your feedback and funding of this prototype and subsequent production runs. Funding goal is set to cover our R&D costs and not cost of goods sold unless pledges exceed our goal. 

How far away can I detect bluetooth low energy devices?

Typical range is about 125 feet but user adjustable thresholds allow only alert triggers for very close BLE tag detections.

Can BlueSleuth-Lite detect GPS trackers?

No. BlueSleuth-Lite detects any tracker, tag or device that utilizes bluetooth low energy. If you need to detect hidden GPS trackers, take a look at our Yorkie cell phone detector.

Can BlueSleuth-Lite detect a BLE tag in my car?

Yes. BlueSleuth-Lite detects any BLE tracker, tag or device hidden in/on your vehicle, pockets, packages and more.

Which tags can be detected by BlueSleuth-Lite?

BlueSleuth-Lite detects all popular BLE tags on the market including AirTags, Galaxy Smart Tags (version 1 and 2), Tile Trackers (Slim, Mate, Pro, Sticker, Sport models including anti-theft mode), PebbleBee, Chipolo, eufy SmartTracks, AirCard and more. For the latest list of detectable tags, contact sales@bvsystems.com

Does BlueSleuth-Lite detect bluetooth devices?

No. BlueSleuth-Lite only detects BLE (bluetooth low energy) devices and trackers.

Does BlueSleuth-Lite only detect BLE tags?

No. BlueSleuth-Lite detects all BLE devices including wireless earbuds, smart watches, smartphones, tablets, PCs and much more. 

Can I donate to the BlueSleuth-Lite Kickstarter?

The BlueSleuth-Lite Kickstarter has finished so you can no longer donate but we will be taking orders on our website as soon as we fulfill all of our Kickstarter backers. If you want to get on the waiting list for a unit, simply fill out the RFQ form on this page and you will be put into our system to be contacted once we have stock of your unit.

How does BlueSleuth-Lite compare to some of your more expensive, pro tools?

BlueSleuth-Lite is a low cost device that was specifically designed for people worried about hidden personal trackers but many professional security teams and law enforcement have also expressed interest in the device. Yorkie-Pro does everything BlueSleuth-Lite does plus it detects Wi-Fi, cellular, BT and other 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz unmodulated bands too. Yorkie-Pro also contains advanced features like GPS, data export and touch screen navigation.

How often does BlueSleuth-Lite scan and update for BLE devices?

In the main scanning list screen, BlueSleuth-Lite scans all devices every 5 seconds. In the single device screen, BlueSleuth-Lite increases the scan rate to every 2 seconds allowing users to locate that device easier.