Tiny Spies – How to discover hidden cameras in hotel or vacation rentals

With hotels, AirBnB, and couchsurfing, there are plenty of options for staying elsewhere. There is one danger that hardly anyone is aware of: hidden cameras.

These are now so small and inconspicuously hidden in other devices that they are difficult to find – especially in bedrooms and bathrooms, they are used to film intimate moments. But there are various ways to discover the illegal spy cameras anyway.

1. Method: Scan WiFi

There are hidden cameras that store the videos on a large SD card. The perpetrator picks this up in your absence and transfers the material to his computer. Other spy cameras are wired for power and data transmission.

But there are also devices that are connected to the WLAN and stream the video material to a computer in real time. You may be able to discover these spy cameras with a WiFi scan. Fing – Network Scanner for Android app can help you.

1. Install app (account is optional)
2. Tap the “Search for devices” button
3. scroll through the list

You will find numerous devices nearby, including of course the access point and your own smartphone. In hotels, the list could get quite long if many guests are connected to the same network.

However, the app also has a special warning function for IP cameras. You will then get a red warning message. If that happens, you need to start looking.

Fing – network scanner for Android: Find out now at CHIP and load for free

Method 2: Investigate Suspicious Devices

Regardless of the test via app, you can already take initial steps to search with the naked eye. After all, offline cameras could also be hiding somewhere. These are often installed in other devices as camouflage, for example in

• Smoke and motion detectors
• cell phone chargers
• pens
• weather stations
• wall clocks
• lighters
• Picture Frame
• lamps
• Reflect

When you arrive, you should therefore look out for such devices, especially in bedrooms and bathrooms – i.e. everywhere where you mainly do private things. Even outlets placed in odd positions can be suspicious.

Method 3: Use your smartphone

You don’t necessarily need any special tools to find hidden cameras. Even your smartphone can help. Spy cameras often have a small infrared lamp whose light cannot be seen with the naked eye.

But your cell phone camera can recognize them. It is best to darken the room a little and point the camera at suspicious spots and devices – if a small light appears, then move closer. You can also test this method with the remote control of your TV set.

The photo function with flash can also help, since the small glass lenses of the spy cameras reflect the light strongly. However, this assumes that the lens is not hidden behind an inconspicuous aperture.

Method 4: Purchase special equipment

There are also special RF detectors that can detect spy cameras. These devices are available from around 40 euros. Proceed as follows:

1. Disconnect all devices from the power supply that could send radio signals, i.e. kitchen appliances, routers, consoles, TV, baby monitors.
2. Scan the room while swinging the device back and forth.
3. If you hear crackling or beeping, move closer to the source of the noise. Some devices also have a visual indicator.

You may need to test different frequencies to be sure. Combination devices can also detect magnetic fields and also have a hole through which you can see camera lenses more conspicuously than with the flash method on a smartphone.

Hidden cameras: The law is clear

If you think that spy cameras are a negligible problem, then you are wrong. For example, a 2019 US survey found that 11 percent of AirBnB users have found a hidden camera at some point.

There are many reasons for people to install cameras:

• Record evidence of theft and property damage
• Film people naked or engaged in sexual activity
• Spy on ex-partner
• Blackmail through compromising images
• commit theft yourself while guests are away

No matter what the motive is: Surveillance without the knowledge of those affected is illegal and punishable in Germany! According to Section 90 of the Telecommunications Act, the manufacture, sale and possession of spy cameras are prohibited – and yet the devices can easily be bought from popular online retailers.

On the other hand, completely different laws can apply abroad, and it is difficult to deal with authorities and the police in order to arrest the perpetrators, especially when you are on vacation.

Hidden Camera Found: What You Should Do Now

If you find a hidden camera, then you should first take photographic evidence and inform the hotel management or customer service of the platform you booked with.

Be sure to get the police involved so this is official and can’t be swept under the rug. After all, according to § 201a StGB, the offense carries a prison sentence of up to two years!

An important tip at the end:
Your own webcam on your laptop can also be misused by hackers to monitor you. Therefore, always close the camera protection or tape the lens shut. The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth even offers free stickers for this.

The risk should not be underestimated

Most victims don’t even know they were filmed. But this is definitely possible, especially in supposedly private, protected rooms. What can then happen to the recordings is shown very impressively by a report by STRG_F on YouTube – women are primarily affected by this problem. The biggest problem with this: Recording and distributing such spanner videos has not yet been classified as a sexual offense in Germany. In other countries, it can be much more difficult to identify those responsible.