The best kinds of hidden cameras are just that hidden and hard to find. Most people wouldn't even be aware that a surveillance camera was in the same room because many types are so small they avoid detection or are cleverly disguised as common household objects. Of course, most of us will never have an occasion to suspect that a hidden camera is secretly filming us. Nonetheless, it can be very useful to know what to look out for, just in case.
Here are just 5 of the tell-tale signs to watch out for:
- Readings on an RF bug detector. Using one of these clever gadgets is the quickest and easiest way to detect hidden cameras within a room or building. A camera will always transmit data, sending its footage or a live feed elsewhere. This gives out a signal, which a Radio Frequency bug detector can detect. You need one sensitive to the frequencies that spy cameras tend to transmit, such as 900MHz, 1.2GHz, 2.4GHz and 5.85GHz. You must walk around the space slowly, sweeping your bug detector along walls and surfaces. It will detect things that you are expecting, such as existing WiFi networks, but when theres something you cant identify, thats when you may have a hidden camera.
- Non-functioning household objects. Spy cameras are cleverly designed and disguised as common household items such as air fresheners, smoke detectors and desk lamps. Some objects will have some functionality, but not all will work fully. An item such as this will arouse suspicion.
- A tell-tale hole or black dot. This is the most likely place to find a pinhole camera lens, so it's worth inspecting all black dots, holes and tiny O shapes within the room.
- The sparkle of the lens. The body of a camera is easy to hide, but it's far more difficult to hide the lens, which must remain unobstructed to film properly. You can detect the sparkle of the camera lens using a spy camera detector with a glass viewfinder. This is due to the special red LED optics on the other side of the viewfinder, which can detect any camera lens that isn't hidden behind glass or plastic.
- Disturbances in the arrangement of furniture. If it's obvious that items have been disturbed, this could be a sign that someone has planted a hidden camera. Particular things to look out for are objects that have been grouped (i.e. a plant moved in front of a bookshelf). So, if things aren'tt where you left them, or there are signs of disturbance in dust in a room, it could be worth further investigation.