Spycams: How are they Hidden in the Home or Office?

Once the domain of secret agents, spycams are now popularly used by those who want to catch a cheating spouse, check up on caregivers who are suspected of mistreating children or elderly parents, prevent employee theft or maintain a watchful eye on household or office activities when absent.    Over the past few years, spycams have become progressively smaller and consequently easier to conceal.  Some spycams even boast pinhole lenses that are no more than a couple of millimeters wide, which means that they can be hidden virtually anywhere – including places that they shouldn’t be.

Spycams can be hidden in just about any household item, but bear in mind that long term surveillance requires a ready power supply.  While there are many spycams that are battery-powered or that are suitable for electrical installation, often a simpler solution is to incorporate a camera into an everyday item that already has a power cable.  This means that the spycam can operate around the clock without requiring access for battery changes or constant recharging – a highly attractive option for observers who do not wish to be caught red-handed fiddling with a spy video camera or for those who do not have ready access to the premises.

For this reason, one of the best-selling spycams on the market today is the nanny camera.  Nanny cameras are spycams which have been manufactured to look like ordinary household objects and which usually perform the function of that object in order to help avoid discovery of the hidden spy video camera within.  Alarm clocks, lamps, boomboxes, air purifiers, motion detectors, external hard drive cases and cable boxes are common hiding places for spycams thanks to the fact that their native electrical cords can be used to power the spycams without attracting undue attention. These sorts of spycams are also easily moved between rooms as they can be plugged into any electrical outlet.

It is also possible to hide spycams inside other objects such as fake plants, books, sculpture bases and wall clocks but the spy video camera will have a limited operating time on battery power only.  Placing the objects on a cupboard shelf and running wires behind the cupboard is a covert way to extend the operating life of these sorts of spycams.  If positioned in a corner, facing towards the centre of the room, spycams with a wide angle lens can easily capture most of the room within their view.  Depending upon the view required, spycams may also be fitted into ceiling tiles or hidden overhead in nanny camera smoke detectors, exit signs and light fittings.

To check your home or office for spycams use a bug detector with lens finding technology.  These devices offer an inexpensive and simple way to identify and eliminate spycams anywhere you feel your privacy may have been breached.