How Buyers Can Check for Hidden Cameras

How Buyers Can Check for Hidden Cameras

Buyers need to assume there are hidden cameras inside a home during their showing.  Buyers should refrain from discussing negotiating strategies and their feelings about the house in case a home seller has installed hidden cameras and is monitoring the showing.  Here is how buyers can check for hidden cameras.

LOOK AROUND FOR HIDDEN CAMERAS

Looking around for cameras is the most obvious way buyers can check for hidden cameras. Some cameras, like a Nest or other indoor security camera will look pretty obvious.  It’s those cameras that are designed to look like everyday items on shelves and bookcases that fool you.  CHECK OUT THIS AMAZON LINK for some really tricky hidden cameras.  Wall charger plugs, alarm clocks, fake smoke detectors, and even light bulbs can have hidden digital cameras working off wifi.

LENS DETECTION and LENS REFLECTION

Use the flashlight from your phone and shine around the room.  If you get a reflection from the light take a closer look for a camera lens.

RF DETECTION USING A DEVICE

You can purchase an inexpensive device to check for rf frequencies being used by hidden cameras.

Many handheld devices that do RF scanning and lens detection are available on the commercial market, with most costing less than $100. However, no single method is going to be 100 percent accurate.

“RF scanning, for example, will only help in identifying a device if that device is actively transmitting. If it is a store-and-retrieve device, where the collected data is held on an SD card to be physically recovered later when you’ve left the building. If the data is transmitted only at intervals, then an RF scanner will be fairly useless. From Smarter Travel

I am thinking about making this purchase to protect my home buyers privacy during a showing.

For now – it is best for buyers to assume you are under surveillance during home showings.