How are they tracking us?

Picard: "Robert, how's the family?"

Robert: "Jean Luc, do you know what the Ferangi Commerce Authority is?"

Picard: "...I do."

Robert: "They've been asking me about the warranty on my starship for a month now. I don't even own a god-damned starship, Jean Luc!"

There's a random ship encounter like this in starfield.