CYBERSPACE—Travelers who stay in private homes rented through the web site AirBnB may find themselves facing an unpleasant surprise, ending up as the stars of their own sex tapes—without their knowledge. Two recent cases of renters discovering hidden video surveillance cameras in their AirBnB rentals are just the latest examples of what appears to be a disturbing trend of AirBnB hosts secretly filming their renters.
A string of reports in recent months have documented AirBnB renters finding hidden cameras in their rental accommodations. Some of the attempts have been crude, like the AirBnB host who left a cell phone and iPad both on and recording, only to be discovered by the 22-year-old woman renting the place.
Other hidden cameras have shown a higher degree of sophistication, as in the case of 56-year-old Wayne Natt of Longboat Key, Florida, who was arrested and charged with video voyeurism last month after a sharp-eyed couple staying in his AirBnB rental noticed a small hole in the bedroom ceiling smoke detector.
When guest Derek Starnes—who had already stayed a full night in the place with his wife—took the smoke detector apart, he found a tiny video camera inside. He removed the memory card and loaded it into his own computer, only to find footage of himself and his wife, as well as previous guests.
Natt denied any wrongdoing, claiming the camera was in place to film his swinging group sex parties. according to a report by WTVT News in Tampa, Florida.
And last week in Greenville, South Carolina, 35-year-old Cesar Adan Mendez was arrested on a voyeurism charge after a 26-year-old woman staying in his rental noticed that the alarm clock in the bedroom lacked an on-off switch. When she examined the clock more closely, she found a camera inside.
Though AirBnB called incidents of hidden cameras “incredibly rare,” the technology magazine Wired has noted that without careful and thorough checks for “bugs,” video and audio surveillance devices are extremely difficult to detect, raising the possibility that the problem of hidden video recording devices in AirBnB rentals may be much more widespread than the company realizes, or cares to admit.
For travelers who prefer to stay in AirBnB rentals, there are several steps experts recommend to guard against becoming the unwitting star of someone else’s movie.
LOOK FOR HOLES
Small holes in walls, house plants, lighting fixtures, even the spines of hardcover books and other seemingly innocent amenities could be giveaways that you’re being watched, or recorded. Of course, areas such as bedrooms or bath and shower rooms—any place where people generally undress—are obviously prime spots for voyeurs to place their video cameras.
“Check places that would give the best field of view and aren’t likely to be obstructed – often a camera would be high up, so whoever’s filming will gain as much as possible,” surveillance expert Keith Roberts told The Independent newspaper.
CHECK MIRRORS
Cameras are often placed behind two-way mirrors. To check, Roberts recommends pressing your finger against the glass. In a normal mirror, there should appear to be a space between your real finger and its reflection. But if the finger and its reflection appear to be touching, the mirror could be fake, with a camera positioned behind it filming everything that takes place in the room.
CHECK THE INTERNET FOR WEBCAMS
By connecting to the AirBnB host’s wifi network and using a piece of software such as IP Camera Tool or Fing, you can check to see if any webcams are connected to the network. If you find a camera connected, and you’re sure it’s not a legitimate security camera, either search the premises until you find the webcam, or disconnect the wifi router.
