Spycams are a blessing and a curse. While they can have countless benefits, such as seamless surveillance of home and office, they can be used criminally in the hands of the wrong person. Many people have reported that spy cameras were installed in their Airbnb accommodations. To counter the evils of a spycam, the knowledge of how to detect the cameras can come in handy. But before finding a spy camera, you should understand how these cams are being set up, see the list here. And if you’re still planning to buy one take a look here for some great places to buy one.
4 Ways to Find a Spy Cam
Spy Cams can be installed anywhere in a room. However, there are some common places that people choose to install spycams because of the convenience they offer. Some of these places are; smoke detectors, air purifiers, bookcases, books, clocks, wall sockets, teddy bears, tabletops, cushions, pen stands, pens, walls, and artificial flowers. Before you begin getting into the technical ways of detecting a spy camera, you could take a swift sweep of the room and see if you can find the camera lying in one of these common places.
1. Blinking LED
Spy cameras often have an LED light incorporated in them, which facilitates night-time viewing. If the camera is equipped for night vision, which most hidden cameras are, the LED light will blink once the darkness engulfs the camera. Therefore, the simplest thing you can do to detect a hidden camera is to switch off the light and look for a blinking light.
More often than not, it’s either a red or a green light that would blink from the camera. Check all the corners, all the plausible devices, and practically anything that could provide space for the installation of a hidden camera. If it’s daylight outside, draw all the curtains, turn off all the lights and make an effort into finding a tiny beeping light. It would be time-consuming, but it’s the easiest way to know if you’re being spied on.
2. Use a cellphone light
A cellphone light or flashlights can surprisingly do wonders when it comes to detecting hidden cameras. Flashlights can prompt any reflective surface such as glass, mirrors, or lenses to display their reflective properties. To detect the spycam using this method, switch off all the lights of the room and switch on the flashlight.
3. Use a specialized hidden camera detector
If you travel and often and are in constant need of searching for a hidden camera in hotel rooms, you could buy one of those state-of-the-art hidden camera detectors. These devices are built with the intent of detecting hidden cameras. RF signal detectors are quite effective in navigating any hidden cameras placed indoors. The advanced models have more features incorporated in them, but they are significantly more expensive. But even if you go for a cheaper model, you could still get it done without issue.
To use this instrument, all you have to is switch on the instrument and sweep the room, running the sensors over the places you think could house a hidden camera. As soon as the sensors detect something fishy, it will begin to beep.
Use the audible indication as your cue to search that particular spot inside out. If it’s around the table that the beeping started, check all the objects kept on top of it to see if you can find a hidden camera. Clocks and pen stands are the most feasible articles to fit a spy cam inside. Make sure you scrutinize them with an eagle eye. (1)
4. Using the mirror
Mirrors are popular for hiding cameras. The mirror in your hotel or Airbnb room could also be two-way, which is equally worse. In the two-way mirror, the person in the next room to you could see you through the mirror on their side of the wall. However, you will see a regular mirror in front of you.
You could detect the presence of either of the two with a simple trick. Place your finger on top of the mirror. Notice if you see a distance between your actual finger and the reflection of your finger on the mirror. If there’s a distance, you can rest easy as it is a regular mirror. However, if you notice no distance, contact the officials because chances are, there’s either a spy camera installed, or it’s a two-way mirror. (2)
References
(1) eagle eye – https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/eagle+eye
(2) Airbnb – https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2503/what-is-airbnb-and-how-does-it-work
