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Cameras – some as small as the point of a pen – can be hidden virtually anywhere in motels, vacation rentals and even cruises that criminals use for sexual gratification or financial extortion.
One in 4 travelers found an illegally concealed camera in their vacation rental in 2023, according to a recent survey by property investment firm IPX1031, which said, “While rental properties offer many benefits, privacy and security remain hot topics, especially when it comes to cameras.”
Spring break travelers – who are typically college age and on a budget – seek out cheap Airbnbs and motels, which are more likely to unknowingly spy on their guests with illegally concealed cameras, cybersecurity expert Michael Balboni said.
“With spring break … some motels (in hot spots like South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida) that cater to students because they don’t cost a lot of money, they’ll put some of these cameras in there to either catch people doing damage or for more insidious reasons,” the former Homeland Security adviser for New York State told Fox News Digital.
These items can be bought just about anywhere. Amazon was sued for allegedly selling a West Virginia man a hidden camera made to look like a clothes hook.
The suspect allegedly used the camera to film an underage girl in private spaces, such as the bathroom and bedroom, and was found with 600 images of child pornography, according to prosecutors.
Last July, a couple said they found cameras disguised as smoke detectors in their Airbnb host’s Maryland home, and a Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker was accused of hiding a camera in a cabin bathroom to spy on a mother and her two daughters.
The worker was arrested and charged and has since been fired.
Fox News Digital Ashley Papa and Mitch Picasso contributed to this report.
