SpyCam Story #447 - The Neighbor

Q. "I am being overlooked by a neighbor's camera and was just wondering if there was a anything that could interrupt or jam the filming/picture of a WIRED night/day cctv. Any ideas would be much appreciated. Many thanks."

A. I love easy questions. Once you have tried all the civil things (a polite request to re-aim the camera, threat of filing a voyeurism complaint with the police, etc.) there is always the sharp stick in the eye approach.
Here is what other people are doing...
Ouch #1
Ouch #2
Ouch #3
Ouch #4
Ouch #5
Good luck!
Kevin

Spy Hard II

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on Monday had a minute-long laughing fit during his trial when he heard that his former military aides used to spy on him through the keyhole. (more)

SpyCam Story #444 - Workplace Voyeurism

Employer Video Monitoring of Bathrooms and Locker Rooms
by The National Workrights Institute
"Electronic monitoring is a rapidly growing phenomenon in American businesses. By recent estimates, 92% of employers were conducting some form of workplace monitoring. This rapid growth in monitoring has virtually destroyed any sense of privacy as we know it in the American workplace. As technology has proliferated in the workplace, it has become ever more penetrating and intrusive... Most invasive of all is video monitoring. Some cameras are appropriate. Security cameras in stairwells and parking garages make us all safer without intruding on privacy. But employers often install cameras in areas that are completely indefensible. Many employers have installed hidden video cameras in locker rooms and bathrooms, sometimes inside the stalls..." (more, with examples)

SpyCam Story #443 - Reality YOU tube

Millions of Americans have wireless cameras in their homes and cars, purchased for security or to monitor children — but it turns out the devices could be making those they're meant to protect more vulnerable.

Reporter Tom Regan of ABC News' Atlanta station, WSB-TV, investigated how video cameras may be providing an unwelcome window into your private life.

From a baby's nursery, to a restaurant, to an office, private scenes proved shockingly easy to eavesdrop on with minimal equipment in a recent WSB-TV outing.

Regan's team bought a $100 rearview camera from a local auto parts store, installed it in an S.U.V. and simply drove around. They were amazed by the images picked up by the wireless monitor that came with the rearview camera... (more with video report)

And so, our list of residential snitch devices grows longer...
• 1960's - AM wireless intercom systems.
• 1970's - FM wireless intercom systems.
• 1980's - Cordless telephones.
• 1990's - Wireless audio baby monitors.
• 2000's - Wireless TV baby/security monitors.

What ABC News didn't mention is that professional burglars have taken advantage of these technologies for over 50 years. Their latest tool is a sensitive, compact video scanner.

SpyCam Story #442 - Webcam Hijack Warning

Experts at SophosLabs™, are warning computer users about the importance of properly securing PCs, following news that a man who allegedly used computer malware to prey upon young women has been charged in Canada.

According to media reports, 27-year-old Daniel Lesiewicz has been charged with using spyware to take over the webcams of women as young as 14 and coerced them into posing naked for him. (more)

"See anything, dude?" (crash!!!) "April Fool"

17-year-old accused of trying to spy
WI - Michael Q. Ruby (17) of Omro, Wisconsin was with two others who were trying to see into a Larrabee Street apartment when Ruby pushed one of the others through the window, damaging the screen. Ruby told police he and his friends went to the Larrabee Street residence to see if they could find an acquaintance there with underage girls... (more)

"Make a periscope" science class experiment gone horribly wrong?

Wales - A peeping Tom attached a mirror to the end of a piece of wood to spy on his next-door neighbour as she undressed, a court heard...

During the hearing, prosecutor Ian Kolvin produced the home-made spying device which consisted of a strip of wood with a broken piece of glass fastened to one end... "The defendant denied any sexual motivation," said Mr. Kolvin. (more)

...and who complained about the raincoat brigade!

Filming people secretly and without permission will be subject to big fines and prison sentences under new laws being introduced in the South Australian Parliament.

The Attorney-General, Michael Atkinson, wants to crack down on modern-day peeping toms using mobile phones to capture images of people without permission.

"We're also concerned with indecent filming, filming people going to the lavatory, filming people engaged in private acts, namely sexual acts, that occur only in private," he said.

"The Rann Government is keen to protect peoples' privacy from modern-day peeping toms, the raincoat brigade and some of the more extreme elements of the paparazzi. (more)

"...and, the 'Best Use of Spycam Technology' award goes to..."

Bird House Spy Cam
"Watch ‘em, but don’t touch ‘em!"

"Our Hawk Eye Nature Cam will open up undiscovered worlds of bird and wildlife behavior. Once you buy one of our wildlife monitoring cams, it probably won't be long before you buy another and another." (more)

Movies made with birdhouse spycams...
- Bats
- Baby Owls
- Flying Squirrel
- Baby Squirrels
- Hummingbirds
- Spooky Owls
- Baby birds feeding
- Squirrels

They Spy Back on Spy Satellites

When the government announced last month that a top-secret spy satellite would, in the next few months, come falling out of the sky, American officials said there was little risk to people because satellites fall out of orbit fairly frequently and much of the planet is covered by oceans.

But they said precious little about the satellite itself. Such information came instead from Ted Molczan, a hobbyist who tracks satellites from his apartment balcony in Toronto, and fellow satellite spotters around the world. They have grudgingly become accustomed to being seen as “propeller-headed geeks” who “poke their finger in the eye” of the government’s satellite spymasters, Mr. Molczan said, taking no offense. “I have a sense of humor,” he said. (more) (SatSpies Home Page)

SpyCam Story #429 - The Thumbacm

(From the seller's website...)
Introducing possibly the smallest video and audio recorder in the world – the Thumbs Up Mini Spy Cam. We think it’s the tiniest and best covert surveillance device that’s available. The KGB, CIA or MI6 might have smaller ones but if they do they’re certainly not talking about it and they definitely won’t sell you one!

The Mini Spy Cam is small enough to conceal in almost any location. You could put it inside a pack of chewing gum or cigarettes and it’ll quietly record everything that’s going on in its line of sight. Even if you simply placed it somewhere unobtrusive, chances are it wouldn’t even be noticed!

With a record time of up to four hours per charge, the Mini Spy Cam records 3GP video files onto a Micro SD Card that can be played back on a computer or mobile phone. Colour video and voice recording lets you clearly see who’s there and what they’re saying.

The Mini Spy Cam is a great alternative to conventional CCTV for the times when you don’t want people to know they’re on camera. Self-contained, and with no cables to hide, it’s perfect for all sorts of covert surveillance and ideal for journalists, private investigators, or businesses that want to keep an eye on the cash register if the figures don’t add up and they suspect someone of being light-fingered.

Thumbs Up’s Mini Spy Cam has other uses too. Perhaps you’ve hired a nanny or babysitter and want to make sure that they’re doing their job properly. A discreet recording would be a good way to know whether you can trust them to look after your family. It’s also ideal for wildlife enthusiasts who want to film a rare animal or bird with the minimum disturbance, for example.

Catch out your mates when they’re at their worst too! Set the Mini Spy Cam to record parties or have someone conceal one in their shirt when out on a Stag Night, and you won’t have to wonder just what the hell happened and exactly how much you had to drink to get in such a state – it’ll all be there on camera to enjoy (and embarrass everyone with) later! (more)

Why do I mention it?
So you know what you're up against.

Man Challenges 15-Year Term for High-Tech Peeping

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider whether it will hear (Eddie) Gilmer's challenge to Mississippi's surveillance law. Gilmer and his attorneys argue that the law, as interpreted by the state's supreme court, violates his First Amendment and due process rights.

Though the tapes zoomed in on the woman's chest and crotch, court records say she was fully clothed and sitting in front of a partially-open balcony door, where she could be seen from the parking lot where Gilmer was sitting.

After he was caught filming her several times, Gilmer was sentenced to 15 years in prison under the state's video voyeurism law, in what appears to be one of the country's toughest punishments for high-tech peeping.

"They've put people who have killed people in jail for less time than that," said Gilmer's attorney, Julie Epps, who has appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The voyeurism law makes it illegal to secretly tape someone, with a lewd purpose, in a place where they would intend to be undressed and expect privacy. In Gilmer's case, the victim admitted that she was fully clothed and that she would not take her clothes off in front of an open window or door, according to court records. (more)

SpyCam Story #423 - Love Italian Style

Italy's supreme court ruled Tuesday that it is legal to record sex videos without telling one's partner. The court ruled in favor of a 49-year-old man who had secretly recorded his bedroom activities with his former girlfriend. (more)

SpyCam Story #422 - Carpenter Nail'ed

UK - A Polish peeping Tom will have to sign the sex offenders register for seven years after admitting spying on his housemates in the shower.

Grzegorz Zdyb, 34, a carpenter, admitted a charge of voyeurism at Isleworth Crown Court and was handed a three-month sentence, although he has already served this on remand.

Zdyb, who has been in the country for nine years but still speaks little English, lived with three women and three men at a house in Rosemont Road, Acton.

Police were called in when one of them found the camera, which was connected to recording equipment in his room, while having a shower.

Prosecutor Tim Nail said: "One of the residents noticed a shiny area next to the shower and discovered it was the lens of a camera. Investigation revealed that it was connected to a wire which went outside the building and up to the attic occupied by the defendant." (more)

DIY - SpyCam Sunglasses for under $40.00

What the video doesn't mention...
In the United States, laws prohibit recording audio without the consent of at least one party to the conversation - and, in some states, all parties must consent.

The video aspects of the laws are currently evolving. Here is our general advice concerning the use of covert video. Your local laws may be more restrictive.

Have fun with the construction project.
Use your new powers wisely.



Extra Credit: A Practical Guide to Taping Phone Calls and In-Person Conversations in the 50 States and D.C.

More discussion about sweeping hotel rooms...

The recent sex DVD scandal involving former Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek shows how easy it is to rig a spy camera and film someone without their knowledge.

Experts tell The New Paper on Sunday that it takes anyone just 30 minutes to rig a spy cam. It takes the professionally trained even less time. [much less]

This has the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) concerned. It will discuss the possibility of getting its more than 400 members to sweep all their hotel rooms for hidden cameras or other spying devices. (more)

SpyCam Story #421 - "A Worldwide Scourge"

...is the headline of an article in The Malay Mail - listing 6 SpyCam news stories.

• A New Zealander admitted to nine charges related to using a miniature video camera to film...
• A man in Singapore spied on his tenants, who were two sisters, while they were...
• Actress and model Nasha Aziz told a magistrate's court that she spotted a spy cam...
• A woman in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, found a strange object hanging from her bed room ceiling...
• A female reporter, who claimed that a CCTV camera operator had focused on her thighs...
• Footage seized from a voyeur, who installed spy cams in the bathrooms used by...
(more)

Spycam Story #420 - Bacchus was not pleased

MD - William A. Hendry IV, 38, of 206 Mayo Road in Edgewater, pleaded not guilty Monday in county Circuit Court in Annapolis to charges that he videotaped himself and his ex-wife having sex without her knowledge.

He was charged Oct. 18 with two counts of illegal wiretapping, one count of conducting video surveillance with "prurient intent," and one count of secretly placing a camera inside a home.

If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 12 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

Mr. Hendry's ex-wife, Christa Bacchus, learned of the video - which is now in police custody - after Mr. Hendry showed it to her new husband, Philip Bacchus. (more)

SpyCam Story #418 - Phat in Batu Pahat

Kuala Lumpur: Police will investigate the "hidden camera" aspect of the sex act involving Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in a hotel room.

This follows some concerns that the secret recording of the intimate scenes captured on a widely-circulated DVD was an indication of an invasion of privacy and the possibility of more cases of sinister taping of other privileged information.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Ismail Omar said investigations would cover all aspects of the case including how the recording equipment came to be in the room at a hotel in Batu Pahat.

The first disc, which is about 60 minutes long, contains footage from four different angles -- suggesting four cameras in the room -- of a black-and-white recording of what appears to be a hotel room. The second disc is an enlargement of the angle above the bed. (more)

SpyCam Story #417 - Illinois' New Law

IL - A lawyer in Wheaton hid his cameras in a roll of toilet paper and a basket of potpourri in the women's restroom.

A bar owner in Downstate Chatsworth concealed his in a bathroom fan and a laundry basket.

And in East Dundee a podiatrist stands accused of tucking a camera underneath an examination table so he could watch patients undress.

Though authorities charged the three men with other felonies in connection with these acts, the actual videotapings were only misdemeanors. Illinois statutes, it seems, are as outdated as Super 8 film.

But a new state law going into effect Jan. 1 fast-forwards the criminal code into the 21st Century by making it a felony to record or transmit images of an adult in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room or hotel room without permission. If convicted, violators could face up to 3 years in prison.

At least 19 states, including Indiana, currently classify video voyeurism as a felony, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime. At least four others have bills pending. (more)

SpyCam Story #416 - Ming's Bling Cam

CA - A man was arrested on suspicion of computer crimes and invasion of privacy for allegedly hacking into his Gardena employer's computer system and using video equipment to spy on the company's restrooms, police said on Wednesday.

Ryan Castillo, 29, was arrested last night and booked for "unauthorized access to a computer network," a felony, and for "looking into and observing a person in a restroom," a misdemeanor, said Gardena police Lt. Ed Burnett. The restrooms can be used by men or women, Burnett said.

"After further investigation, they discovered that an employee of the business had a small receiver with several video clips of a female employee using the restroom," Burnett said.

"It was also discovered that the suspected employee had hacked into the company's computer network and e-mail system," Burnett said. (more)(video)

Sunday isn't only Jets vs. Patriots.
It could be Spy vs. Spy.

According to league sources familiar with the situation, the Jets were caught using a videotaping device during a game in Foxborough last season that resulted in the removal of a Jets employee. After Gillette Stadium officials saw him using the recorder early in the game, he was told to stop and leave the area. He had been filming from the mezzanine level between the scoreboard and a decorative lighthouse in an end zone. The camera was not confiscated by the Patriots or stadium security.

Tuesday night the Jets admitted that they did videotape the game and their employee was confronted, but said they had permission from the Patriots to film from that location. (more)

SpyCam Story #410 - 21st Century O. Henry

India - The International Film Festival found its gravitas with the The Voyeur (which) delved into the current ogre of spycams and surveillance that leaves no room for individual privacy...

Prasanjeet, a computer mechanic ... finds succour from his nondescript life by fantasising about Madhubala, the perfect woman. Soon his fantasy finds a real form as a pretty neighbor moves in next door and seeks his help in settling down.

The electronics geek uses a spycam to fuel his desire and shares the spoils of voyeurism with his friend who happens to be a Muslim. No prizes for guessing where the story heads.

The brutal State steps in and the Muslim is labeled as terrorist while the Voyeur is arrested for something the state excels in: surveillance. (more)

SpyCam Story #409 - "Dumkoff..."

German police have arrested a 60-year-old landlord after discovering he used cameras and microphones to spy on his tenants for a decade while they bathed and slept.

The man had installed surveillance in the bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas of two flats 10 years ago ... one of his tenants discovered the bugging last week while she was cleaning the flat.

Police suspect he had sexual motives... "Why do you think someone would put a camera in the bathroom -- to see if it was being cleaned correctly?" asked Bavarian police spokesman Ulrich Poepsel. (more)

Tune Into Other Peoples' Surveillance Cameras

"SurveillanceSaver is an OS X screensaver that shows live images of over 600 network surveillance cameras worldwide - a haunting live soap opera." (more)

Be careful. This is alpha version software. Currently for Mac OS X. A Windows version is being developed.

SpyCam Story #404 - Q-SpyCam Software

Remember SpyCam Story #400?
This may be how it happened...

"Ever wanted to spy on someone or something when you cannot be present. This program (Q Spycam) turns your mobile into a cool spy cam. All you have to do is run it and place it in the location you wish to monitor. Then just enter the Website address displayed on the mobile using a computer and you will see what your phone can see instantly. You can monitor what is happening from any location in the world!" (more)

KABOOOOMMM (Just like real life!)

UK - "If you had been watching EastEnders as long as I have, you'd know that someone always leaves a baby alarm, a tape recorder, covert surveillance equipment or, in this case, a video camera accidentally switched on. The incriminating contents will detonate with maximum embarrassment at a future date." (more)

SpyCam Story #399 - Counseling Counselor?

NY - A former Legal Aid Society lawyer pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally using a hidden videocamera to spy on female co-workers as they changed clothes in their offices.

Peter Barta, 32, of Queens, used a camera hidden in a clock to videotape five co-workers in the public defense agency's Manhattan offices, recording at least one woman with her breasts and buttocks bared.

The women told police they regularly changed clothes in their offices before and after work. (more)

SpyCam Story #395 - Attentive Maintenence

SD - A Sioux Falls apartment maintenance worker is in jail accused of setting up a camera in his neighbor's apartment to spy on her.

Fifty-three-year-old Burton Morehead is charged with a misdemeanor crime called "trespassing with the intent to eavesdrop."

The 26-year-old woman who lives next door to Morehead found a webcam-style camera in her bathroom ceiling tile. She called 911, and police say they followed the cables into Morehead's apartment, where they were hooked into a TV.

Officers say there were several suspicious-looking holes drilled between the two apartments. (more) (video)

SpyCam Story #394 - Unauthorized Footsie

IL - An East Dundee podiatrist has been charged with eavesdropping and solicitation of sex after police said they found a hidden camera and videotapes and DVDs in his office showing him in sex acts with female patients in an examining room.

Dr. Steven Paul Loheide, 63, of 1002 Twisted Oak in Algonquin, works at Fox Valley Podiatry, 210 Penny Ave. He was charged in court Friday with eavesdropping without consent and possession of an eavesdropping device, both felonies, according to court records.

Loheide also was charged with the misdemeanors of unauthorized videotaping, battery and solicitation of a sex act, according to court records.

East Dundee Police Chief Terry Mee said their investigation began last Wednesday when an employee of Fox Valley Podiatry called police after she found a videotape of herself dressing and undressing in the examination room.

She said she was unaware that the videotaping had occurred and that she found the hidden camera in the examination room. (more) (update)

SpyCam Story #393 - Teddy Bear Cam

UK - A man obsessed with a teenage girl gave her a teddy bear with a tiny camera in its eye so he could spy on her.

John Howell also gave her a pen fitted with a camera to relay images to a video machine where he could watch the girl, Lincoln Crown Court heard. His obsession was so great that he also installed a software program on her computer which allowed him to read all her e-mails.

The 43-year-old Inland Revenue worker, was caught after the 13-year-old girl’s father spotted something was wrong with the teddy and called police. Detectives seized Howell’s laptop and briefcase full of surveillance equipment from his home in Market Deeping. (more)

16 SpyCams - Vote for the silliest!

from the oobject.com website...
"The progress of technology has overtaken the mystique of the hidden camera such that we have been invaded by a million spy cams embedded in wholesale crap. Vote for the silliest." (vote here)
Cameras hidden in everyday objects may seem silly... until the lens is aiming at you.

Take, for example, the Number 1 voted 'silly' spycam - the Wireless Hairdryer Spycam. Funny, unless you just stepped out of the shower and are holding one - embarrassing.

SpyCams in the office are worse; embarrassing, with expensive consequences.

We are really good at finding spycams. Here is how we do it... (more)

Peeping Neighbor Faces Prison Time (update)

OH - A Jackson Township man pleaded guilty today to spying on his neighbors and having child pornography on his computer.

Aaron A. Ridenbaugh, 32, of 4336 Foxhaven Ave. NW, is charged with:
• Three counts of felony interception of wire, oral or electronic communications.
• Three counts of pandering sexual-oriented materials involving a minor.
• A single count of felony illegal use of minors in nudity-oriented material and performance.

Ridenbaugh also is charged with four counts of voyeurism, all misdemeanors.

In May, township police arrested Ridenbaugh for making a secret audio recording of his neighbors’ sexual exploits. He later admitted to making a recording and told investigators about two prior acts of voyeurism at the same apartment complex.

At the time of his arrest, he was an associate at a law firm in Cuyahoga Falls. (more)

Apparently, everyone got tired.

PA - Rescue crews freed a woman trapped under a sport utility vehicle.

Police said the woman feared her husband was cheating on her. They said she went to spy on him by crawling under an SUV outside her husband’s alleged girlfriend’s house. She apparently fell asleep under the vehicle and became trapped after someone let the air out of the tires.

Police are trying to determine who let the air out of the tires. So far, no charges have been filed. (more)

SpyCam Story #392 - Students Vent Lust

IN - It wasn't so much about what students saw or captured on cellphone cameras at Paul Hadley Middle School this week - it was how they climbed into their spy perches that concerned Principal Larry Goldsberry and Mooresville Consolidated School Corp. Superintendent Curt Freeman.

Goldsberry spent most of Wednesday and Thursday telling parents and talking to about 20 students after vents were removed in the girls' and boys' locker room ceilings. At least one student took a picture of the girls on his cellphone camera. (more) (more)

SpyCam Story #390 - On, Wisconsin!

WI - A case of second degree sexual assault and another case of a man allegedly video-taping individuals showering in North Scott Hall is under investigation, according to UW-Oshkosh University Police reports.

On Oct. 3, a student reported that an unknown individual was caught covertly videotaping him when he was showering in North Scott Hall. The suspect fled when he was discovered and remains unknown at this time. The UP and the Department of Residence Life are investigating. (more)

SpyCam Story #388 - One Jailed, One Bailed

Australia - A peeping tom accountant who installed a spy camera in a female toilet at his work and saved more than 1000 images of women and children has been sentenced to 14 months' jail.

Ross Andrew Sargent, 46, was ordered to serve at least eight months' prison before being eligible for parole.

Magistrate Sarah Dawes today described Sargent's offending over 20 months as "voyeuristic and disturbing''. (more)

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