ORLANDO, Fla. — Hidden cameras: it’s something one Central Florida sheriff and one security expert wants people to be aware of with the summer travel season upon us.
Both experts said these devices have proliferated because of technology and affordability.
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said a hidden camera can be found almost anywhere, even citing a recent case involving a victim’s family member secretly recording them inside their own home.
But as travel season picks up and people travel out of town, the sheriff says situations like this can happen to anyone.
Lopez says they can be hidden in things like phone chargers, electrical outlets, stuffed animals and smoke detectors.
“It looks like a regular phone charger that actually works, but there’s a hidden camera where it takes a wide view of everything that’s going on in the room,” he said. “Another we see a lot is the smoke detector. You can buy them on Amazon.”
As summer months kick off, keep your eyes out, and inspect short-term rentals, hotel rooms, public restrooms and locker rooms.
Lopez said remotes can also be a hiding place for cameras.
“It’s just something that we’ve seen — a little bit more common and it’s on the rise — so I just want people to be aware,” he said.
Lopez says criminals are getting creative as technology gets better — some will use it for bad ideas.
“Now, some people may ask, ‘Why do they do this?’ Of course, perversion, sick people, predators — but also there’s big money on the Internet,” he said.
But knowledge is power.
“There’s a thing you can look for, you can actually flash a light, this one here, if you look very closely, you can actually see the camera inside of it,” he said.
Kenneth Bombace, Chief Executive Officer for Global Threat Solutions and retired criminal intelligence detective, said that many people can be recorded and never find out.
His company is contracted for protection services, including conducting sweeps and searches for hidden cameras or recording devices. He said for short-term rentals, you can also use tape and cover up suspicious devices.
“One thing you can do is look at any electronic device that seems like it’s a normal device and turn off the lights and use a flashlight and see if you see a reflection,” he said.
He says many devices will be connected to Wi-Fi, and there are easy-to-use apps to scan for what’s connected and which device it is.
Lopez continued to show some examples: picture frames on a wall, mirrors, alarm clocks. He says remembering to inspect them is key.
“Make sure you look at reviews from Airbnb’s and hotels. Sometimes, some people do find them and once those reviews are entered, sometimes they might not even notify local law enforcement,” he said.
Starting April 30, Airbnb banned the use of indoor security cameras in listings globally. Before this date, it allowed cameras in common areas such as hallways or living rooms, as long as they were disclosed in the listing page.
Lopez shared this message for criminals:
“We’re watching, we know what you’re up to, and we know little tricks of the trade that you're starting to use to take advantage of technology,” he said.
Hotel rooms are not the only places the sheriff wants people to be cautious.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said this year they responded to six calls coming from Osceola County Public Schools of accusations of kids recording other kids while they use the restroom.
In response, the Osceola County Public Schools sent Spectrum News 13 a statement that reads in part:
“The Osceola County School Board expects students to conduct themselves with the greatest respect for self and others. Our district handles student discipline issues according to our Code of Student Conduct. We work very closely with our law enforcement partners and report incidents to DCF as needed.”