The creepy trend for holiday rentals – and how to spot if it’s happening to you
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned about booking holiday rentals, with some creepy behaviours becoming more common.
Some great deals can be found when booking holiday homes, but they sometimes come with some problems.
One of which is hosts using hidden cameras, which is more of an issue than people might initially expect.
A recent study conducted by home security experts Vivint has revealed how commonly they can be found inside holiday rental properties.
The study revealed that that as many as one in ten rental hosts admitted to having hidden cameras or microphones in their properties, totally unbeknownst to their guests
According to DMarge, the study also found that such surveillance is enough to deter nearly three-quarters (76 per cent) of guests from staying in a vacation rental.
However, there are ways for guests to find cameras once they check into a rental property.
Ex-hacker and cybersecurity teacher Marcus Hutchins shared a Tiktok video explaining how guests can do a thorough search of their holiday rental to make sure they aren’t being watched.
He said: “So here’s how to spot hidden cameras in an Airbnb or hotel.
“Now the first thing you’re going to want to look for is devices that are conveniently placed where a creeper would want to look.
“One way to see if a device is a camera is to shine a bright light at it. If you hit a camera lens it’s going to give a blueish reflection.
“You can test this by shining a light at your phone and seeing how the camera looks when placed under a flashlight.”
There are other techniques to find hidden cameras as well.
Aaron Bond – a private investigator and security expert at Bond Rees told holidaymakers to look in ceiling corners and places that give an unobscured view of the entire property.
Some hidden cameras could also be disguised in everyday objects, like lamps and televisions.
Aaron said: “The body of a hidden camera will never be on show, so unfortunately, the part of the camera that is visible to us is also the smallest part of it.”
Some people may be able to use their mobile phones to find hidden cameras.
You can find out if your phone has ability to detect infared light by turning on the front-facing camera and pointing it at a TV remote control.
If you see a red light on the remote when one of the buttons is pressed, your phone can detect infrared.
This means it will also be able to detect infared lights on cameras hidden in the room.
Aaron said: “If you have a mobile phone that can detect infrared signals, walk around the room and scan items that are suspicious.
“If you see a red light on one of these items there is a camera inside.”
Meanwhile, this woman claims she found a hidden camera disguised as a charger.
And these people found a hidden camera in their holiday rental in Brazil.