Do you ever feel like you are being watched?
As more hotels and Airbnb rentals are discovered to have hidden cameras, social media users are warning travelers to be cautious and inspect their rooms before becoming too comfortable. Sadly, vacationers might now have to return to phrases with a bleak new actuality.
The amenities provided by Airbnbs and comparable short-term, peer-to-peer home-sharing and vacation rental services like Vrbo, which include living areas, complete kitchens, decked-out outdoor patios, and even private hot tubs, often exceed those of typical hotels.
These alternatives are an appealing choice, especially for families, groups of friends, and people traveling with pets, due to the unusual stay options like treehouses, yurts, tiny houses, and more, as well as the wide availability of rentals (Airbnb operates in over 100,000 cities across 220 countries worldwide).
But while staying at an Airbnb or VRBO property offers many benefits, are guests maybe giving up privacy?
An “ex-hacker” from the UK who uses TikTok offered his advice on how to find concealed cameras in Airbnbs and hotel rooms.
Marcus Hutchins, a cybersecurity instructor, and blogger known by the handle @malwaretech, advises turning on a torch as soon as you enter the room to search for any potential recording equipment.
Marcus stated that the first thing to check for are gadgets that are conveniently located where a “creeper” would like to watch a video clip posted on the social media platform.
His video about secret cameras in hotels and Airbnbs tapped into an anxiety that already existed for many travelers: paranoia about being watched.
Guiding his own camera up to the ceiling, Marcus explained:
“Take this fire alarm for example, it’s placed just above the bed. Now one way to tell if the device is a camera is to shine a bright light on it. If you hit the lens of a camera, you will get a bluish sheen.”
“Now you can test this by lighting up your phone and seeing what the camera looks like when placed under a flashlight.”
He then moves over to the bedside digital alarm clock that also has a covert camera hidden behind the mirror.
In the video, which has received more than 5.5 million views, he demonstrated how shining a strong light on the glass allows one to determine whether a camera is present.
“This technique can also work on one-way mirrors,” he added.
Marcus also uncovered the alarming discovery that some USB chargers may have minute pinhole cameras within, which you can once more discover if you light them up.
“These cameras are really small, as you can see here, so they can be hidden in anything, even a hole in the wall,” he continued.
“You’re going to want to check for any suspicious fixtures or holes facing the shower, walk-in closet, or bed.”
He also cautioned that night vision cameras use infrared LEDs to see; you can spot them by turning off the light and using your phone’s front camera to view them.
“The front camera is the only one that tends to work because the rear camera has an IR filter,” Marcus explained.
Marcus’ video drew over 5,000 comments, with many users horrified at the subtlety and difficulty of spotting hidden cameras.
“New fear unlocked,” one user wrote, while another remarked, “Another reason to never leave my house hahahaha.”
And one of them wrote, “Uh bro, I don’t trust hotels or anything now, thank you.”
“That’s it, I’m showering in my clothes,” a fourth joked.
Watch the video below:
@malwaretech Reply to @oliviaaa_gh Absoloutely! I’ve noticed it too and even had some VPN companies reach out to me
Sources: AWM, Buzzfeed, News.com