When a female BP employee in Britain noticed a bathroom air-freshener flashing unusually, what she found inside changed her life and concept of privacy forever.
Flashback several months. A fellow BP employee by the name of Jonathon Canavon uses a company credit card to purchase several hidden cameras. Some are camouflaged as tissue boxes and one is a coat hook. He then sneaks into the company’s female bathroom and commits one of the vilest acts you can ever imagine. You guessed it: inside the air-freshener was a hidden camera recording the female BP employees’ every move. As she ejected the memory stick and discovered who the culprit was, authorities were called. Canavon was charged with voyeurism and immediately fired.
But the damage was done.
Is someone spying on you?
The sort of emotional damage caused by such a disgusting act and violation of privacy cannot be underestimated. In fact, to this day the female employee can’t use a public bathroom without searching for cameras.
While this kind of story is rare; voyeurism, stalking and illegal surveillance of this kind can take forms of varying intensity. Here are some things you can look out for if you think you’re being watched:
1. Vigilance: Keep in mind that a camera might be hidden but the lens will always be visible. Look for everyday objects that have unusual components. The most commonly converted objects are: smoke detectors, plants, tissue boxes, toys, books, mirrors and electrical outlets.
2. Lights out: Some cameras have tiny LED lights or buttons that are only visible in complete darkness. We recommend turning off a room’s light source as you search through an area, with particular attention on unusual colours or flashing.
3. Take action: There are several ways to detect hidden cameras – one of these is by using a mobile phone. Simply place a call to someone and move the handset around your suspected item. The phone will make a buzzing or clicking noises in the proximity of the electromagnetic field.
4. Common sense: Chances are, you’re not being filmed. Cases like the female BP employee are isolated and rare but sadly they do happen. Because of this, we recommend you only take these precautions in situations of near suspicion certainty.
Image via Shutterstock.
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