Experts tested five ways to find hidden cameras in a room, but only one was found to be effective.
Whether there are hidden cameras in the room and how to find them is a question that many hotel guests wonder. Instead of having to take the camera to see the recorded content, today the bad guys can watch live on their personal phones, said Pieter Tjia, CEO of Singapore-based technology services company OMG Solutions.
One group of experts tested 27 hidden cameras in a house, and another used commonly recommended devices to find them. Five solutions were used to track them down.
Lens Detector, one of the most praised hidden camera detection tools online. But CNBC experts found only 2 out of 27 cameras using this tool. Photo: CNBC
Method 1: Use the naked eye
First, the experts used their eyes to search for hidden cameras in the most vulnerable locations such as desk alarm clocks, electrical outlets, and light fixtures. Victor Loh, an expert, went from room to room observing and initially saw nothing unusual. After 20 minutes of searching, he found a camera embedded in a clock, because the clock showed the wrong time.
“I found one but it was very well camouflaged,” Loh said.
Search cost: 0 USD. Number of cameras found: 1.
Method 2: Using mobile phone
Victor Loh downloaded an app called Fing that scans wifi networks for cameras. He also used his phone's flashlight to shine at suspicious spots to find the camera lens, a method that many people have shown online.
The app shows 22 devices connected to the wifi in the house but none of them are hidden cameras.
Tjia, a project participant, explained that when installing hidden cameras in the house, the person in charge set up a second wifi network and connected these hidden cameras to that network, bypassing the wifi network that the house was using and providing it to guests. Tjia also pointed out that the Fing app could only report that there were cameras in the house but could not show the location.
Victor, after using his phone's flashlight, found three more cameras: in the wifi installation kit, mounted on the teddy bear's eyes.
Cost: $25 for a year of Fing. Number of devices found: 3.
Method 3: Using a radio frequency detector
The frequency detector will beep when it is near a camera, but this method only works if the camera is connected to wifi. "The detector cannot detect if the camera uses a memory card to store data instead of a wifi connection," Tjia said. The detector also gave false alarms a few times. "It even beeped in areas where there are no cameras," Tjia added. Its high-pitched beeping also distracted Victor, and he failed to find any cameras.
Cost: 100-200 USD. Number of devices found: 0
Method 4: Using a lens detector
The device emits infrared light, which reflects off the camera lens and appears as a red dot. It can only find cameras if they are active. This type of device is highly rated, but Victor only found two hidden cameras using this method. One hidden in an aromatherapy diffuser in the room and one in a wifi mesh, a system consisting of a main router connected directly to modems and satellite modules, wifi hotspots, placed around the house to optimize connectivity over a wide range.
Cost: $50. Number of cameras found: 2
Method 5: Use a modern lens detector
For the final test, Victor used a more sophisticated lens detector. It also highlights the light reflected from the hidden camera lens. However, this device works remotely, allowing Victor to see the camera from across the room. Tjia said it can also work in brightly lit or dark rooms.
“Wow,” Victor exclaimed as he found hidden cameras in a tissue box, a leather bag, and another hidden among the files under his desk. Victor found 11 cameras using this device, more than the methods he used above combined.
Cost: $400. Number of devices found: 11
With the above 5 tests, Victor found a total of 17 out of 27 hidden cameras, not a bad result but not highly appreciated by many people, especially when it took effort and time to search.
When you're exhausted from exploring and then have to spend another hour looking for a hidden camera, no one wants to do that, according to experts.
According to data firm Sprout Social, social media posts about hidden cameras have increased nearly 400% in the past two years. “But in this cat-and-mouse game, the hidden camera has the upper hand,” says Tjia. He also acknowledges that hidden camera detection devices are getting more advanced, but the spy cameras are also getting more sophisticated.
Anh Minh (According to CNBC )
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