[SW] How to locate hidden cameras ?

# [SW] How to locate hidden cameras ? Spycams are getting more accessible to anyone. They're smaller and cheaper, which increases the probabilty of being filmed without your consent. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A bit of a more serious post. Last night I was filmed without my consent. Luckily, I caught him. <br><br>Always look around to see if anything looks out of place. Watch their actions. Get the camera and get out quickly. <a href="https://t.co/OS1zHc31CL">pic.twitter.com/OS1zHc31CL</a></p>— Natalie Byrne • SF (@theNatalieByrne) <a href="https://twitter.com/theNatalieByrne/status/1232014130912976899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Luckily, these cameras are bellow spying agencies's standards and can be detected by a trained eye. I'll share with you some tips to help you reduce the likelyhood of being film. Bear in mind that those tips will not always work, especially since technology is constantly improving and cameras are becoming more and more miniature (and cheaper). ****Contents**** [TOC] ## Using your eyes to spot a camera Ok, it's not that easy but with some tips and by knowing what to focus on, it will get easier. ### Minimalist objects are not great for hiding cameras Most hidden cameras are... * ...built to **look like anything that is not a camera**: [alarm-clock](https://www.amazon.com/Monja-Monitoring-Detection-Recording-Security/dp/B082PZ2XP2/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=clock+camera&qid=1583082072&sr=8-3), [clock](https://www.amazon.com/TTCDBF-Cameras-Wireless-security-detection/dp/B07ZCYD64L/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=clock+camera&qid=1583082111&sr=8-9), [smoke detector](https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-ZXWDDP-Detector-Detection-Monitoring/dp/B07XCMBYGN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2LURZ62I78227&keywords=smoke+detector+camera&qid=1583082027&s=electronics&sprefix=smoke+detector+cam%2Celectronics%2C207&sr=1-3), [phone charger](https://www.amazon.com/%E3%80%90Upgraded%E3%80%91-Charger-Cameras-Security-Detection/dp/B07SFVJDCG/ref=zg_bs_12909791_6/141-5134393-2674422?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y786S2TVQH2PV6BE2EWR), electric outlets, teddy bears... * ...small sensors manualy **hidden inside an object where it will be hard to locate**: plant, soda can, vents and air conditioning, electronics with complex shapes (audio devices, microwaves...) * ...hidden behind a **surface that is transparent, and will look glossy to you**, to allow the sensor to capture the image, for the same reason the human eye can't see if you put opaque glasses on them. Be extremely careful when you see an object that shouldn't be where it is. If you see an alarm clock on a hotel desk, with a glass surface pointing at the bed, chances are there's a camera in there. **Examples** ![This is an excellent choice](https://i.imgur.com/bDPULyJ.jpg) Above, you can see a piece of elctronic with complex shapes. It's full of buttons, ports, glossy/glass surfaces so you might want to look at it closely because: * It has a glass panel * Ports, buttons and that speaker fabric are a good place to hide an extremely small camera Two other examples below : ![](https://i.imgur.com/u83YuP7.jpg) ![](https://i.imgur.com/65gl2ZV.jpg) Here, you can see that the smoke detector and AC unit have a design where you can easily insert a small camera. It is hard to look inside these grids, where it's quite dark inside so you should always have a look at these. ![](https://i.imgur.com/hrYbyVa.jpg) Here on the other hand, you see that this closed macbook is like a simple block of aluminum where it's almost impossible to hide a camera. Just make sure it's closed, otherwise, the front facing camera might be recording you (ask BMW heiress Susanne Klatten). Don't waste your time looking at: * Matte/hard plastic/metalic objects, since they are not transparent, light won't penetrate the sensor, making it impossible to capture an image. * Objects that are not pointing to the area where everything happens. Cameras work like eyes. They are oriented towards the area they want to capture. ### The most common hidden cameras on the market Look at these best-selling spy cams on Amazon and learn to recognize them. https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Camera-Photo-Hidden-Cameras/zgbs/photo/12909791 Make sure you're not beoing recoded by a traditional security camera like the Nest Cam or Amazon's Ring Camera. ## When eyes aren't enough, your phone and RF detectors can help Sometimes, your eyes won't be enough so there are ways to spot cameras with mobile apps or sensors. ### Spoting cameras with your phone #### Using the wifi network of your host A lot of these spy cameras use wifi to transfer the images they record to their owner's phone or computer. You can use a free iOS and Android app called [Fing](https://www.fing.com/products/fing-app) to spot all the devices that use the same wifi network as your phone. It works great but here's the dealbreaker : you need to access your host's wifi. Feel free to politely ask, most people won't suspect anything. Just make sure your phone's name is not something like "[Your real name]' iPhone" because it will ruin your privacy. ![](https://i.imgur.com/kQo1DQT.jpg) Please reead this article from Howtogeek that explains how to use fing for spy camera detection https://www.howtogeek.com/411095/how-to-detect-hidden-surveillance-cameras-with-your-phone/ #### Using bluetooth Other cameras rely on bluetooth network to transfer data. Locating them is easier. All you need to do is open your phone's Bluetooth settings and try locate new devices. After a few seconds, any Bluetooth camera will appear. For the same reason as the other method, make sure your phone is not named aftr you. #### Passing a call and checking for interferences Radio frequencies emitted by camera can interfere with your call quality. You can simply pass a call to a friend before the session and walk around the room while closely trying to catch sound interferences. #### Using your phone cameras on dark rooms to catch infrared lights In night mode, most cameras rely on infrared lights. While invisible to the eye, your phone can detect them with its own camera. All you need to do is turn-off the lights or close the curtains and activate your phone's front-facing camera, and quicly scan the room. If there is a glowing light, it may mean that there is an infrared light in the room (which can just be a TV remote). ### Spoting cameras with a RF detector You can get a good RF Detector that can spot radio frequencies for less that $50. I don't know the best brands in this market but [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Wireless-Detector-Sensico-Multi-Functional/dp/B07RGQT663/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=K18+RF&qid=1583084531&sr=8-2) on Amazon has good reviews. You'll just need to walk around the room with this walkie-talkiesque machine and check for signal spikes. If you have a good budget, you can aim for something more high-end like the KJB Security DD2020 at around $200. Here is a video that shows how the cheap version works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuQfevqrlsU ### What you won't be able to spot with your phone or RF detectors? Some cameras use SD cards to store the footage. They don't use wifi, bluetooth or radiowaves so only your eyes can be effective against these. Luckily, cameras that rely on local storage are less and less frequent but you can still be unfortunate enought to encounter one of them. ___ This article is written on HackMD, you can edit it if you have an account. Feel free du copy and paste it on your personal blog but make sure you change a few thinks to prevent Google from droping your SEO score (because of duplicate content).