The Perfect Life
Stella Jackson’s family was everything to her. She was married to her childhood sweetheart, Josh, for more than 10 years and the couple shared two beautiful children together. Emma was five years old and Ben was 18 months old. However, this perfect life came to a crashing halt.
The Perfect Life
Not Easy
The couple faced a few challenges during their time together. They struggled to get pregnant and had tried to conceive for five years before they had Emma. From this moment on, their family felt complete. Nothing could have prepared them for what was going to happen.
Not Easy
A Working Mom
Stella was a hardworking woman who aspired to be a mother while balancing a full-time job. At times, she felt superhuman. The couple decided that Stella would work for the first five years of motherhood while Josh remained a stay-at-home dad.
A Working Mom
Josh’s Problem
Stella began noticing that her husband was acting differently. He seemed incredibly distant and his mind was often lingering. However, he never confessed what was wrong. That’s what made what Stella discovered even more shocking. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.
Josh’s Problem
In the Night
Josh was known as a devoted father, but things quickly changed when it seemed like he had other things on his mind. Stella tried to get him to talk but he wouldn’t open up to her. That’s when she woke up to an empty bed and saw something shocking in her hallway.
In The Night
What Was He Doing?
Stella saw Josh leaving their eldest child’s room. The mother was felt puzzled by this. What was Josh doing in Emma’s room at 3:45 in the morning? However, Stella quickly brushed it off thinking that Emma possibly had a nightmare, but she was wrong.
What Was He Doing?
Getting a Nanny Cam
The mother of two was missing out on quality time with her two children because her workload was piling up. However, she didn’t want to miss any important problems that might be happening while she wasn’t home, so she set up a nanny cam.
Getting A Nanny Cam
Keeping an Eye on Things
For most parents, a nanny cam is a perfect way of keeping an eye on things while they’re away. All you need to do is press record and you can stream this footage from an app on your smartphone. However, the footage from Stella’s nanny cam felt her reeling.
Keeping An Eye On Things
The Foolproof Plan
Stella had got a nanny cam and set it up before she headed out for work. However, she didn’t tell her husband about the camera because she left like she didn’t need to. On her lunch break, she decided to look through the camera footage from the morning.
The Foolproof Plan
Looking through the Footage
While watching the footage, she thought that she might find some cute moments between her children and Josh. However, she never thought she would be faced with the images she saw during her lunch break. This wasn’t what she had planned to see.
Looking Through The Footage
Looking Happy
The video footage began in the living room with her two children. Stella had a smile on her face as she watched her beloved children dance around the TV room. Her husband could be seen doing laundry. However, this scene quickly turned nasty.
Looking Happy
Not What She Expected
On her phone, Stella watched her husband pick their daughter and tickle her belly, which resulted in a flurry of giggles. However, what happened next was completely unexpected. There was no going back after Stella saw this. Something was wrong.
Not What She Expected
A Joke
Stella was frozen in her tracks from what she had just witnessed. She was certain this was a joke. She understood that she needed to show people what she was seeing. The mother was determined to not let Josh get away with it.
A Joke
Goofing Around
Ben and Emma could be seen goofing around in the living room. Ben was in his bouncer and was jumping up and down to the beat. Katy Perry’s E.T was playing on the TV and it looked as though the kids were having a blast.
Goofing Around
Having a Blast
The music was turned up to its full volume and Emma was waving around a pair of orange pom-poms. Stella was happy to see her children having so much fun. However, this all changed when Josh entered the video.
Having A Blast
Joining the Party
From the video footage, Stella could see Josh holding a box. He placed the box on the table and walked into the living room. He was watching the kids dancing. His wife was shocked when he saw him step into the shot and do something completely unexpected.
Joining The Party
Doing the Robot
Josh was seen leaning down to his young daughter and started doing the robot dance. This was a delightful sight for his children to witness. The children were giggling as Jos continued dancing around. He even started lip-syncing to the song.
Doing The Robot
Graceful Dance Moves
After finishing his performance, Josh quickly tops off everything with a pirouette. The incredible dad was able to perform some pretty graceful dance moves, despite being quite a big guy. This made the entire video even more endearing to watch.
Graceful Dance Moves
An Adorable Moment
Josh was controlling the room and was dancing with Emma and Ben. His young son could be seen in his bouncer and he was bopping to the beat with his dad. The baby was grinning from his dad making silly faces while dancing along to the tune.
An Adorable Moment
A Cheerleader
At one point, Josh could be seen taking his daughter’s pom-poms from her and starts twirling them around. Emma then insists that they each have one. He continues to demonstrate his silly dance moves for his children with the pom-poms and quickly turns into a cheerleader.
A Cheerleader
A Dance Party
Emma and Josh are still dancing around with one pom-pom each in their hands. The song is still playing with Stella’s husband proceeding to make more hilarious gestures. Katy Perry continues to play in the background while the trio dance around the room.
A Dance Party
A Mic Drop
As the Katy Perry song came to an end, Josh finished his epic performance by dropping the orange pom-pom on the floor. This mic drop was one of the best moves that were the real cherry on top of the entire dance.
A Mic Drop
Having Wholesome Fun
The viral video displayed that hidden cameras are even though hidden cameras are used to spy on people for more sinister reasons. It’s possible to catch some wholesome moments. It’s highly unlikely that someone wouldn’t have a smile on their face after watching this heartwarming video.
Having Wholesome Fun
A Loving Father
Stella couldn’t help but share this special moment online. One YouTube user commented that Josh deserved the best dad of the year award. Would you agree? It shows that Josh loves his kids with his entire heart and loves to laugh with them.
A Loving Father
Capturing Treasured Memories
Stella’s goal when setting up the nanny cam in the family living room was to keep an eye on things and possibly capture a few cute moments of her children while she was away at work. However, she got something even better.
Capturing Treasured Memories
A Candid Moment
The mother and wife got more than what she bargained for. This nanny cam had captured a beautiful clip of her husband demonstrating the devoted father he was. There’s no doubt that this is a video she’s going to cherish forever.
A Candid Moment
First Alarmed
Stella was first alarmed when she started watching the video, but it quickly brought a smile to her face. She felt she had to share her husband’s dancing with the world. She shared it online with the title, ‘Mon Finds Out How Dad Watches Kids,’ which many people find misleading.
First Alarmed
A Sensation
Many people exclaimed how happy they were that the video was misleading. Their assumptions surrounding the title were contrary to the content, which made the video even more wholesome. However, this isn’t the first time something like Stella’s video has happened.
A Sensation
Not the Only One
Josh’s unabashed dance moves with his children aren’t the only time something similar has occurred. Lisa Roth has also uploaded a YouTube video with the title, ‘Hidden Camera Captures Daughter and Father Dancing to Justin Timberlake.’ This is another video showing a devoted father dancing with his daughter.
Not The Only One
Not All Good
However, some hidden cameras have also caught disturbing moments. Joe was traumatized and frozen in his tracks when he secretly recorded footage. He finally had clarity of what was happening to his missing food. This truth made him sick to his stomach.
Not All Good
Meet Joe
Joe Cummings had spent two years in Manhattan as an actor by day and a waiter by night. However, there wasn’t any other place where Joe would like to call home. He had been dreaming about living in the city that never sleeps all his life.
Meet Joe
An Expensive City
Joe knew that New York City was an expensive city to live in and he did his best to save money to accommodate these costs. That’s when he started to notice the food in his fridge and pantry was running out too quickly.
An Expensive City
Missing Food
Joe had a girlfriend named Lucy who had recently moved into his apartment. The two lovebirds were on cloud nine but this missing food issue was beginning to gnaw at Joe. He needed to find answers. He plucked up the courage to ask his girlfriend about this missing food.
Missing Food
Hearing Noises at Night
Joe could hear some strange noises one night while the couple was sleeping. His heart started to pound when he heard a strange thump on the floor, a creaking door, and footsteps. He couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or if these noises were real.
Hearing Noises At Night
A Surprising Revelation
After seeing his food was missing again, he confronted his girlfriend about the issue. She denied what Joe said. He didn’t want to call his girlfriend a liar but he realized that something strange was happening. That’s when he started to create a plan that would resolve this issue.
A Surprising Revelation
Questioning Everything
Joe still couldn’t wrap his head around what was going on with his missing food. He thought that it might be an animal, but it didn’t seem probable. He realized that he didn’t want to speculate any longer. It was time to act.
Questioning Everything
Setting Up a Hidden Camera
After decided on the right plan, he started putting it into action. He bought and installed a security camera with night vision. He didn’t tell his girlfriend about this camera. Instead, he pressed the record button and went on with his day.
Setting Up A Hidden Camera
Removing the Memory Card
After removing the camera’s memory card, Joe sat down to watch the footage. He was quickly shocked at what he was seeing. There was a stranger in his home. He saw a strange woman crawl out of his storage area and enter his kitchen.
Removing The Memory Card
The Stranger
Joe left a mixture of relief and terror after watching the footage. The video proved that he wasn’t crazy. However, an intruder was living in his home and taking his food from him. He knew he had to act quickly.
The Stranger
Calling the Cops
Once he finished watching the footage, he picked up his laptop and rushed to his nearest police station. He explained the situation to the cops and showed them the footage. The police understood his concerns and got to work.
Calling The Cops
The Truth
The police questioned the woman and found out that she had been staying in Joe’s apartment for two weeks. The story is shocking, but Joe knew that it was something he needed to post on social media. The ordeal quickly went viral.
The Truth
Should You Be Nervous?
A lot of travelers have become quite nervous about hidden cameras hidden around hotel rooms and Airbnbs. Of course, technology has improved significantly and now tiny cameras can be hidden without you having any idea they’re there at all.
Should You Be Nervous?
Teeny Tiny Camera
Video security camera expert Randy Andrews explains: “The technology has gotten much, much smaller. We’re talking about a micro camera lens the size of a pinhead. To the naked eye, it just blends in and is not visible at all.”
Teeny Tiny Camera
Easier Than Ever
Not only that, it has become so easy to use this type of technology. Andrews explains: “Back in the old days, even four years ago, if you had a security camera and wanted to view the video online, you had to do complex firewall administration. They’re not only recording on board the device, where you have to go and retrieve an SD card to get the video. They’re also connecting to wireless. And they all have simple, do-it-yourself set-ups. Anyone can do it.”
Easier Than Ever
The Real Danger
Andrews explains that hotels aren’t installing secret cameras. He says: “Hotels do not put any sort of surveillance in guest rooms. If there’s a hidden camera in your hotel room, the hotel didn’t put it there.” Instead, it’s individual bad actors like other guests, contractors, or hotel employees.
The Real Danger
Airbnb Scare
Andrews shared a horrifying story: “We recently had someone reach out to us after our app detected a hidden camera in the living room of their Airbnb. The host claimed that it wasn’t a camera but just a motion sensor. The renter was still suspicious and sent us a photo of the device. We were able to show him how to log in to the camera and prove that it was streaming video.”
Airbnb Scare
Arm Yourself With Knowledge
While this is concerning, you don’t need to surrender to panic. Andrews’ company offers help with an app called the Hidden Camera Detector app. He says: “We make it really simple. There’s a red box, a yellow box, and a green box. Red means that there’s a high probability that this is a spy camera. Yellow identifies non-covert devices that can be accessed from the internet; that might include a Nest camera or a similar standard security camera. And green just tells you what else is connected to your Wi-Fi network.”
Arm Yourself With Knowledge
No App Necessary
Andrews explains that there are some things you can do without having an app as well. He says: “If I walk into a hotel room, I’m going to look at the alarm clock. I want to see how it’s positioned. Is it pointing at the bed? I would just pick it up, turn it over and look at it. You would know it was a camera if it had an SD card slot, like a digital camera.”
No App Necessary
Watch Those Electronics
Andrews added: “Lastly, pay attention to items that seem out of place. Hotel housekeepers are specifically instructed to sweep rooms for items left behind by previous guests. If a phone charger was left plugged into the wall in a bathroom, the cleaning crew would have pulled that out. So you want to be really careful of any electronics, phone chargers, that kind of thing. If there’s a USB wall charger plugged in, it’s not supposed to be there.”
Watch Those Electronics
More Advice
Self-described ex-hacker and cybersecurity educator Marcus Hutchins has shared his two cents on how to identify tiny cameras around you in USB chargers, clocks, and fire alarms in a viral TikTok video that has now been viewed over 11 million times.
More Advice
What To Do
Hutchins says that you first need to shine a bright light on top of any devices you might suspect and look for electronics that are placed in any areas that would be conveniently positioned for spying.
What To Do
Where To Look
He explains that devices like a fire alarm placed above a bed could be a good spot to hide a recording device. He explains: “The first thing you’re going to want to look for is devices that are conveniently placed where a creeper would want to look. One way to see if the device is a camera is to shine bright light at it. If you hit a camera lens it’s going to give a blue-ish reflection.”
Where To Look
Use Your Phone
You can use your phone’s light to see how a camera looks while under a flashlight. You can detect night vision cameras by turning the lights off and using the front facing camera on a phone in order to find infrared LEDs.
Use Your Phone
Night Vision
Hutchins explained: “The front-facing camera is the only one that tends to work because the back-facing one has an infrared filter. I wouldn’t rely on this method because people usually don’t shower in the dark, so if they’re placing cameras in the bathroom then they’re probably not going to bother with night vision.”
Night Vision
Literally Anywhere
Hutchins pointed out how tiny hidden camera lenses are and that they can be hidden in any spot, for example “anything, even a hole in the wall. You’re going to want to check any suspicious devices or holes that are facing the shower, dressing area, or bed.”
Literally Anywhere
Airbnb Responds
When it comes to these alarming reports, Airbnb responded by saying: “intentionally concealed recording devices (such as hidden security cameras) are never permitted.
Airbnb Responds
Company Spokesperson
Airbnb spokesperson Jeff Henry told Newsweek: “When we are made aware of a report, we permanently ban the bad actor from our platform, fully support those affected and work with law enforcement to help ensure justice will be served. Cameras are never allowed in bathrooms or bedrooms. Any other cameras must be properly disclosed to guests ahead of time.”
Company Spokesperson
There’s Been An Increase
Keith Roberts, who is a technician at Advanced Sweeping, a company that detects bugs for individuals and companies said that his company has seen an increase in hidden cameras being found over the last few years.
There’s Been An Increase
Easy To Get
“Cameras and eavesdropping devices are much more prevalent these days. There used to be a select market, and you had to know someone to get hold of one. They’re much easier to purchase now – anyone can buy them off the shelf from Amazon or Ebay,” Roberts told The Independent.
Easy To Get
His Advice
Roberts said that he recommends travelers check everyday items like mirrors, light bulbs, house plants, and the back of books in order to make sure there are no recording devices there.
His Advice
Can’t Be Too Careful
While there’s no reason to panic or be overly paranoid, you should be careful. Roberts said: “You have to be vigilant to the likelihood of possibility. There are some bad people in the world.”
Can’t Be Too Careful
