If you stay in an airbnb or a hotel, you probably don’t think twice about the amenities offered. Perhaps you’ll brew and enjoy complimentary coffee from the coffee maker, or binge a series on a streaming service that’s been paid for , but you might not realize that one convenience you’ve been provided with might not be as it seems – a USB charging cube.
It always feels like you need another cube, even if you’ve brought some of your own, so if you find one in your room, there’s a good chance you’ll plug it in and charge up a device with it, but some cubes out there don’t only charge, they also film you. Search Amazon for “USB cube camera” and you’ll see dozens of pages offering USB cubes in all shapes and sizes, only they are described as spy devices since they allow for unsuspecting people to be recorded.
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How to find hidden cameras in an Airbnb, according to a security expert
LaSorsa stepped outside while Post videographer Josh Carroll and I hid the items around the house. We placed them in plain sight and within context, such as the Bluetooth speaker on the kitchen counter. Back inside, he immediately set to work, scanning the rooms for plugged-in appliances and accessories. However, since we were using his devices, he had a clear advantage.
“The first thing that caught my attention was the carbon monoxide detector plugged into the wall. It’s a normal household item, but we don’t know if it’s legitimate,” he said. “It has power. It was added to the home.”
He zeroed in on other potentially doctored objects: the Bluetooth speaker on the kitchen counter, the alarm clock in the family room, the air freshener under the foyer table. He glanced at the speakers surrounding the entertainment center but dismissed them.
“There are several speakers,” he said, “which are probably legitimate for the TV room.”
LaSorsa suggested checking the devices accessing internet in the rental home by using a free app such as AirPort Utility, which manages and displays WiFi networks. To demonstrate, he stood by the carbon monoxide detector and scanned the list of connections on his phone. The homeowner’s Netgear network appeared, but so did several outliers that contained a gobbledygook of letters and numbers, such as “G419637LGWMW.” The jig was up.
fter identifying dubious objects, LaSorsa performed several investigative procedures that would confirm — or deny — the presence of hidden cameras.
He unplugged the items and turned them over, looking for a mysterious QR code.
“This isn’t a manufacturer’s sticker with a serial number that you’re going to register with a company for a warranty,” he said. “So what is the purpose of this? The QR is to connect the WiFi to the apps.”
To confirm his suspicions, he pulled out his cellphone flashlight. He waved the light over the face of the alarm clock and noticed a glimmer inside a tiny hole left of the time display.
“As I move the light around, it’s glistening at me,” he said. “And when I hold the light right in front of it, you can see a lens right there.”
Nearly every type of electronic device — cellphones, walkie-talkies, baby monitors, Bluetooth speakers, hidden cameras — transmits radio frequency. But if you remove or unplug all of the competing gadgets and the RF count is still high, you can assume a surveillance camera is in your midst.