4 telltale physical signs your coworker is up to something sketchy, according to a former DEA agent
ShutterstockIf you suspect someone of being up to no good, it can be difficult to tell whether you're perceptive or just paranoid.
This is especially true when you're worried about your coworkers.
Detecting subtle warning signs is something that retired DEA agent, "Deal" author, and Cipher Brief contributor Mike Vigil had to master during his career as an undercover DEA agent.
Vigil notes that he developed a sixth sense on the job.
Here are some red flags that he says signify something might be up with the person you're talking to:
1. They adopt an unusually aggressive tone
2. They are visibly sweating
3. Their eye contact is uneven or nonexistent
4. They are fidgety with their legs and hands
Of course, Vigil's experience is far from the norm - his life was at risk during his undercover assignments. He credits his knowledge of body language with helping to survive numerous situations with dangerous drug traffickers.
"I knew if a drug trafficker looked down on the floor for a long period of time, he was thinking of something that he had to do, but he couldn't concentrate on what he was going to do if he was looking at me," Vigil says."That helped me to survive. It really did. There were times where I realized I need to take precautions."
However, if you're trying to apply these signs to your colleagues, leave a little room for the possibility that one of your coworkers is just loud, sweaty, or twitchy.