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Hidden camera concerns
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A group of friends were left horrified to discover that the Airbnb they were renting had a disturbing hidden feature.
TikTok user KennedyAllegedly explained how she and her pals uncovered a sneakily concealed camera in one of the bathrooms after one of them felt convinced they were being watched.
She recounted: “There were 15 girls staying in a house for my friend's 30th birthday. One of our friends was like, ‘Guys, I'm really paranoid, I feel like there's cameras in the house’, and we were like, ‘Girl, you watched way too much TikTok, there are no cameras in this house, you're just being dramatic.”
But, Kennedy continued: “She whipped out her flashlight and went investigating.”
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The TikToker said the determined sleuth looked in “every single shower head, all the picture frames, doorknobs,” basically “everywhere in the house” for a camera.
And, lo and behold, she found one aimed right at the shower.
Showing a photo they’d taken of a pair of plug sockets in the bathroom, she said: “One of the [power] outlets was faced directly to the shower.”
Pointing to the top socket, she continued: “This outlet did not work – you couldn't plug anything into it.” But, she noted that it otherwise looked “totally normal” and there was clearly nothing inside it.
However, zooming in on the bottom socket, she revealed a tiny camera hidden in one of the prongs.
You can see the tiny eye of the camera in the picture on the right@kennedyallegedly/TikTok
“Anyway, we freaked out [and] called the cops,” she went on, adding that the group instantly left the house.
She then shared a screen grab of a text conversation, presumably with a police officer, who had written: “We got the cameras, sending for analysis today”.
Kennedy pointed out that whilst they were relieved to know the cameras had been seized, the friends had still been in the property for a night, during which they showered and did other “embarrassing” things.
“If that footage sees the light of day…” she mused ominously.
Wrapping up her story, Kennedy asked fellow TikTokers what she and her friends should do now and whether or not they should “sue” the property’s owners.
She then concluded: “The moral of the story is always check your outlets for cameras at your Airbnb and always listen to your super-paranoid friends.”
Police confirmed in a message to Kennedy that they'd seized cameras from the property@kennedyallegedly/TikTok
Her video racked up more than 4.7 million views and 450,000 likes in four days as horrified commentators flocked to offer their response to the ordeal.
“For me, the moral of the story is Airbnb has completely gone downhill and now hotels look pretty nice,” one wrote.
“Have you contacted Airbnb?” asked another. “Ask the police officer what your next steps can be. They’ll come up with the charges and you can press charges.”
A third instructed Kennedy: “Read your contract and if it doesn’t say there are interior cameras or listening devices then hire a lawyer.”
Others said the episode had made them question their own experiences, with one recalling: “This freaks me out because last summer we were in Orlando and had four bathrooms [...] every one of them had a outlet that didn’t work, it was weird.”
Meanwhile, others were willing to give the house’s owner the benefit of the doubt.
“There's always a chance that it was a previous guest that put it there,” one suggested. “Was it connected to any kind of Wi-Fi? Is someone investigating it?”
Countless TikTokers made clear that they’d lost faith in Airbnb, with one admitting she had ordered a “hidden camera detector on Amazon” to use when she travels.
It makes us sad to think that these are the lengths some people now have to go to just to feel safe away from home.
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