I'm a Solo Traveler, and I Won't Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device-and It's on Sale

"Forget goblins and ghouls-being secretly watched and filmed by a stranger is one of my worst fears, especially as a solo female traveler. Unfortunately, this fear of mine is totally warranted: There seems to be a recent boom of troubling news stories about travelers unearthing hidden cameras while staying in short-term vacation rentals. Last year, one woman uncovered two hidden cameras at her Airbnb during a six-week stay."

"I know what you're thinking: How does a hidden camera detector work, exactly? Most hidden cameras transmit Wi-Fi signals when sending video recordings or live feeds to the host of the camera. The Navfacon Hidden Camera Detector picks up the radio frequency (RF) signals that are emitted by the camera; when such RF signals are detected, the hidden camera detector then lights up, vibrates, and sends out a loud, repetitive beeping sound, letting you know that these wireless signals have been detected."

"It also has a red pinhole lens that can help you spot where a camera might be hidden. This is what the round red pinhole is for-simply hold it up to one of your eyes and look through it, scanning the room for a glowing red light. Hidden cameras often use infrared lights while using night vision, and this pinhole can pick up the presence of infrared light, which is not visible to the naked human eye."

Secret recording in short-term rentals has increased safety concerns for solo travelers. Recent incidents include a woman who found two hidden cameras at her Airbnb during a six-week stay and a family who discovered a hidden camera inside their rental’s smoke detector and pursued legal action. To mitigate risk, a hidden camera detector can locate wireless cameras by picking up RF signals; it lights up, vibrates, and emits a loud beeping when signals are detected. A red pinhole lens reveals infrared night-vision LEDs, and an adjustable flashlight helps illuminate and inspect suspicious areas to locate concealed devices more quickly.

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