Although it might creep some people out, a new gadget category has become more prevalent in recent years. This new popular gadget is basically a wall charger with a built-in camera in it. While these types of wall charger spy cameras can be used for many nefarious purposes, it is most often used for good, moral, and legal reasons.
First thing, we must know why this camera can be used for a great number of good purposes. But at the same time, we also need to understand that many people are using these types of cameras for illegal and unethical activities. We can use that knowledge to protect ourselves/family by knowing how others are using these cameras for unintended purposes.
Good, legal reasons to use hidden camera charger
These are the real reasons why you should use one of these phone chargers with a camera. If you are planning to use these USB charger cameras for one of those reasons, then you are using them for their intended purpose:
1. Protect personal properties in your room/home.
Sometimes friends/family gets too comfortable and start taking your stuff without asking. These types of people think it’s not a big deal to take small items from your house without asking for permission. These types of USB spy cameras are the perfect gadget to find out who in your family or close friends is suffering from kleptomania disorder.
2. Protect you from a landlord
As most people live under a landlord’s roof, some landlords have little to no respect for their tenants’ properties. Landlords will usually go to the tenant’s house to make sure the house is in compliance with state and local safety codes. The problem with this is that some landlords will send an unvetted contractor or employee who might misplace your stuff without you knowing. A USB-hidden camera will catch them red-handed.
3. Protect your children, pets, or elderly parents
Another great way to use these cameras is to protect your parents if they are suffering from any health problems. Additionally, if you have any older children who you would like to keep an eye on while you are out of the house, then these wall charger cameras are perfect for that. This is because these cameras can be integrated with WiFi and be streamed straight to your device from any other place.
Additionally, you can use this type of camera to:
- Catch cheating partner
- Watch out for babysitters
- Caregivers
- Use it at a hotel, work, or office
Why these USB spy camera chargers can be harmful
It’s been proven time over time that this product has been used for many wrong reasons. If you’re thinking of buying one of these cameras, please don’t be another morally corrupt person and use this camera for any of these activities. Also be careful, as you can also be the victim of any person who’s coming any of these harmful activities:
1. Put the camera in a bathroom
While it takes a very disturbed person to do something like this, there’s been a large number of reports of people putting these cameras in public bathrooms. For example, last year a woman found one of these cameras in a restaurant’s bathroom in Charlotte, North Carolina. The incident was reported to the police and made it to their local news.
2. Airbnb hidden cameras
Another group of people who are heavily misusing these surveillance cameras is Airbnb hosts. Although Airbnb allows hosts to install cameras in common areas such as the living room, pool, or backyard, some hosts are going beyond this right and installing hidden USB cameras in private areas such as rooms and bathrooms, as reported by The Atlantic.
How to find a hidden camera in a room?
Now that we know all of the many ways these hidden USB cameras can be used to invade our privacy, it’s equally important to know how to find hidden cameras in a room by using our mobile device or by doing a quick visual inspection.
1. Perform a visual inspection
The first thing we must do is to check all power outlets to see if there are any phone chargers. Most people do not leave their chargers for other people to use it. So it would be very suspicious to find a charger in a room or a bathroom. If you see any charger that is not yours, disconnect them immediately!
Also, to confirm that it’s a spy camera charger, the charger should have a small camera lens at the front which is only visible if you look very closely. The charger should also have a face plate that allows you to insert a microSD card to store the recorded video.
2. Download an app to detect hidden cameras
Another great way of finding out hidden cameras across your private space is by downloading a network scanner app. These cameras are often connected to a WiFi network so the owner can watch live footage. If that’s the case, then it is even easier to find out if the owner is recording you.
To do this, just download a network scanner app such as Fing on your iOS or Android device. This works as long as the person who installed is not smart enough and connects the hidden camera to the same WiFi network they provide their guests.
3. Use your phone camera
Another even easier method of finding hidden cameras is by using our phone camera. To do this, just turn off any light in the room and walk around with your phone’s front camera to see any device emitting any infrared light.
Other names for this camera
These cameras are usually called “spy cameras,” a name by which they should not be represented. Just like your typical security camera, these “spy cameras” can offer great security and surveillance for your OWN property. It is a shame that some people use them for malicious practices.
Here are some other names that these types of cameras are popularly known as:
- Hidden USB Camera
- Nanny Cam
- Spy Cam
- Secret Cam