Chinese Couple Discover Hidden Camera at Sabah HoteL ––Here’s How to Find Hidden Cameras

A Chinese tourist, who goes by the username ZhenMeiBeauty recently recounted on the social media platform Xiaohongshu that she and her partner had discovered a hidden camera in a power socket facing their bed in a rental home in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Her husband shone a flashlight using his phone on the socket and spotted a reflection. When they took apart the panel, they were shocked because they found a small camera in between two USB ports.

The couple checked out of their room at dawn and reported the incident to the owner of the homestay, who did not reply to their messages. According to NST, the couple made a police report about the incident which is being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code for indecent conduct. The police have carried out preliminary investigations at the site of the incident, confiscated several items, and are currently working on identifying a suspect.

How to Identify Hidden Cameras

With the revelation of this sort of news, it may incite paranoia in you during your next Airbnb or hotel stay. Here’s how to check for any hidden cameras during your holiday according to Norton:

1. Scan the room for suspicious objects, especially those which look out of place e.g., a clock placed right in front of the bed. These are common areas where hidden cameras are typically placed:

2. Check for objects that emits light. Turn off all the lights and close the curtains to make the room as dark as possible. Have a look for any objects which emit lights as some hidden cameras have small LED lights that shine or blink in the dark.

3. Use your smartphone’s torchlight. Using the previous method of making the room dark, shine a torchlight from your phone like the Chinese couple to check for tiny reflections which are blue or purple and may be coming from a tiny camera lens.

4. See if your smartphone camera can detect infrared light. As many types of hidden cameras emit infrared light, you may be able to use your smartphone to detect it. As not all smartphones can detect infrared light, first point your phone camera at the end of the TV remote. If it shows a burst of purple or white light, this means it works. Usually, rear-facing cameras have infrared filters so your front camera may be the one that works.

5. Check your Wi-Fi Network. In order to be monitored remotely, some hidden cameras are connected to the internet so you can use specialised software or apps to scan your network and identify any devices that are connected to it. There are free apps such as Fing on the Google Play store and Apple App store. Analyse the results for suspicious names.

6. Check the mirrors. *Gasp* some mirrors can even hide cameras. These rascals will really use any means to spy on you. Place the tip of your finger on the surface of the mirror and if it appears as if your fingertip and its reflection are touching, it may be a two-way mirror. If there is a visible gap between them, then it should be fine.

7. Use a lens detector device. For the easiest option, there are many devices you can purchase on the market to give you ease of mind such as this one from Baseus which retails for only RM29.90. It’s a compact device which you can use to reveal all the hidden cameras within the room by just looking through it.

Remember to be safe rather than sorry during your next trip!

Image credit: xiaohongshu.com/explore/65027922000000001f038994