We tested five ways to find hidden cameras in hotels and house rentals

Summary

As spy cameras become smaller and more affordable, hidden cameras in hotels, rental homes and other spaces are a growing concern. Tests showed an untrained person missed most hidden cameras by just looking around. Apps and basic detectors found some cameras, but advanced devices were needed to uncover many cleverly hidden ones. Extortion and voyeur sites profiting off private videos are rising globally too. While detectors are improving, hidden cameras are getting harder to find, leaving travelers unable to find quick, foolproof solutions.

Takeaways

• 😲 Hidden cameras are increasingly being used to spy on unsuspecting people in hotels, rentals, planes etc.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Spycams were once used mainly by spies but are now easily available to anyone.
• 🔍 Finding hidden cameras is very difficult even when actively looking for them.
• 📷 Cameras today are much smaller and harder to spot than older models.
• 💰 Voyeurs can profit by selling or livestreaming videos, or through extortion.
• 🛏 Hotels and rentals are common locations for hidden cameras.
• 📱 Apps and devices designed to find spycams have limitations.
• 👁️ You need to be very close to a spycam for basic lens detectors to work.
• 📈 Social media posts about hidden cameras have increased 400% in 2 years.
• 🚫 There is no quick and easy solution yet to find all hidden cameras.

Q & A

How many cameras were hidden in the house for the test?

OMG Solutions hid 27 cameras in 3 rooms of the test house.

What tipped Victor off to the clock radio camera?

The time displayed on the clock radio was wrong, which made Victor suspicious that it might contain a hidden camera.

How many cameras did Victor initially find just by visual inspection?

Victor only found 1 out of the 27 hidden cameras just by looking around the rooms.

What smartphone app did Victor use to try to detect cameras?

Victor used a Wi-Fi scanning app called Fing to try to detect hidden cameras connected to the wireless network.

Why didn't the radio frequency detector locate any cameras?

The radio frequency detector only finds cameras that are turned on and connected to Wi-Fi. Many of the hidden cameras were using SD cards to store data locally.

How are some criminals exploiting spycam videos?

Some criminals record private videos using spycams and then extort money from the people in the videos by threatening to post them online.

What type of lens detector helped Victor find the most cameras?

An advanced lens detector that displays a red dot when pointed at a camera lens helped Victor find 11 additional hidden cameras.

How many cameras did Victor ultimately find?

In total, Victor found 17 out of the 27 hidden cameras.

Why is finding hidden cameras difficult?

Cameras are being made smaller and can be easily hidden in everyday objects. Thoroughly checking an entire room is exhausting and time-consuming.

Are there any foolproof solutions for finding spycams?

No, there is no quick and easy way to reliably detect all hidden cameras as the technology continues to advance.