Here’s how to spot hidden cameras in public areas

Hyderabad: Have you ever had a feeling that you are being watched while using a public washroom, dressing room or hotel room? Well, sometimes, your gut feeling might be true. The recent incident in an upscale drive-in restaurant in Hyderabad where a woman found a hidden camera in a restroom brings into sharp focus such […]

Hyderabad: Have you ever had a feeling that you are being watched while using a public washroom, dressing room or hotel room? Well, sometimes, your gut feeling might be true.

The recent incident in an upscale drive-in restaurant in Hyderabad where a woman found a hidden camera in a restroom brings into sharp focus such nefarious activities that threaten privacy. It was not an isolated incident as such incidents have started to get reported more frequently.

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Advancing technology which is getting smaller and inexpensive and disturbingly simple to obtain through any online shops, no questions asked, is enabling such people place a conspicuous spying device anywhere. With hidden cameras becoming more rampant than ever, many criminals use recordings to threaten the victim or blackmail them and are also trying to sell NSFW videos and images to pornographic websites and the dark web.

There have also been reports of hotels hiding such tiny hidden cameras that are able to live-stream footage, even in the dark.

Understanding where people place hidden cameras and how to detect them gives you peace of mind and a little more control over your privacy. Even if the likelihood that someone is spying on you is low, but if you have some suspicions, these tips and tools can help you find most hidden cameras or listening devices.

You are mostly to discover these devices in wall outlets, screws, nails, wall clocks, mobile chargers, USB drives, power banks, pens, picture frames, paintings, vents, mirror decorations, stuffed animals and vases.

· When you enter a room, turn off the lights and use your smartphone’s flashlight to scan the room. Most camera lenses, even tiny ones, reflect light. Unplug any suspicious device or cover them with a towel or stuff them into a drawer.

· When you are on a call, check if you are able to listen to a static noise or a disturbance. Usually surveillance cameras create a static noise or interference when a call is made nearby. Make sure to walk around your room, and if you notice an interruption in a specific spot, stop and start a careful inspection.

· After you switch off the light in the room, look for small blinking lights. Most cameras would have blinking LED lights that are easier to spot in low light conditions or in darkness.

· With the help of network scanning apps, you will be able to see all the devices on a network. The best free and highly rated apps for scanning networks and finding cams: Fing for iOS and Fing for Android.

· Buy a professional, dedicated spy camera-finding device. A quick search on Amazon for the product term: “RF signal detector” will bring up a wide range.

· You can download an application that will scan for frequencies used by recording equipment. Detectify and Radarbot are a few applications that you can download on an Android phone.

· To check if a mirror has a hidden camera behind it, put your fingernail on the mirror and observe the gap between your finger and the mirror. If there’s a gap between your finger and the image, it’s a real mirror. If your finger and the image touch tip to tip, there could be a hidden spy camera in the mirror.

Following some simple protocols will help preserve your privacy and keep you protected. Familiarize yourself with the law, so you know what your rights are.

Also read:

Hidden cam found in women’s washroom at restaurant in Hyderabad

Hidden cam in restaurant washroom: Hyderabad Police to check dark web for recordings