A family’s holiday in Perth, Australia, took an unsettling turn when they discovered a full-sized camera openly recording inside their Airbnb. Hidden camera horror stories are freaky enough, but this device wasn’t even disguised; it was set up in plain sight, blinking as it captured the room.

Featured Video

Airbnb responded quickly once the TikTok post began to spread.

Camera found openly recording in an Airbnb

On Monday, TikToker @hardmanfambam posted the video of his Airbnb experience to just 630 followers. While hidden cameras in these lodgings are a known issue, this one dispensed with any effort to hide.

“So we got to our Airbnb last night,” the vlogger said. “It’s a nice place. There’s one thing I’m not sure about. Maybe you can help me out.”

He then panned to a large video camera sitting in the open on top of a low bookcase, a light blinking to indicate that it was recording.

“Is that allowed in Airbnbs?” the TikToker asked. “Is that standard practice?”

This small TikTok account doesn’t normally crack 10,000 views, but it did this time, including with its follow-up videos. In the first update, the vlogger explained that the family, which includes three young kids, decided to move to a hotel—for obvious reasons.

@hardmanfambam When you book a ‘private’ Airbnb in Perth… and find out maybe it’s not that private… #CreepyFind #Airbnb #PrivacyPlease #TheHardmans #StrengthInAdversity ♬ original sound – HardmanFam

Customer service had responded to their complaint and promised to reimburse them, but got cagey when they realized how much it would cost them.

“They soon realized that, being school holidays, there wasn’t much accommodation going, and the accommodation that was going that was very similar was about $6,000 more,” the TikToker explained.

@hardmanfambam Part two: when you book a ‘private’ Airbnb in Perth… and find out maybe it’s not that private… #CreepyFind #Airbnb #PrivacyPlease #TheHardmans #StrengthInAdversity ♬ original sound – HardmanFam

The second follow-up revealed that their followers tagging Airbnb in the comments did the trick. The company fully reimbursed the family for the hotel, related expenses, and gave them a coupon to move to a similar Airbnb in Perth.

Viewers urge police report as privacy concerns mount

While relieved that Airbnb treated this family right, the incident still repulsed many viewers, as the hidden camera stories always do.

“These stories make me NOT want to use air BnB,” wrote @tojo92946863.

“Now you need to share the property for the people so nobody else gets ripped off,” said @karribrennan.

Multiple commenters also urged the TikToker to report the incident to the police. Depending on local laws, recording inside a paid lodging location without consent could be illegal.

In an email to the Daily Dot, an Airbnb spokesperson wrote: “Airbnb does not allow hosts to have security cameras or recording devices that monitor indoor spaces in homes, even if these devices are turned off.”

“We have provided the guest with a full refund and assisted them in rebooking alternate accommodation. In the rare event a host or guest feels unsafe or experiences a safety-related issue during an active reservation, we have a safety team that can be reached via our 24 Hour Safety Line, which is available to all users.”

Commenter @yeeha311 noted that “its typical that when people are watching only then do they start assisting.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to @hardmanfambam via TikTok.

The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.

A woman’s Moroccan trip turned nightmarish after she found what she says was a hidden camera inside her Airbnb. Pauline (@himynamespaul_) shares how her magical stay in Marrakesh was cut short when she realized she was being secretly recorded. 

Pauline’s first clip in a series of TikToks was uploaded on June 30. In it, she shares how she went on a group trip to Morocco with some friends. Her first TikTok shows how a seemingly innocent picture frame randomly appeared inside her Airbnb’s bathroom. Pauline shows a photo frame that holds a stock photo of a Yorkie puppy. It sat on the ledge by the bathtub. The frame, she explains, was not there the day before. It is also angled to directly face her shower.

The video cuts to Pauline holding up the frame to the camera with a flashlight shining on it. “Y’all see the camera right?” she writes in the text overlay. While it is difficult to discern whether there’s a camera inside the frame, one can see that something circular is beneath the plastic. The back of the frame also has an on/off button, an illustration of an SD card, and an option to connect with a USB cable.

Pauline says this wasn’t the only odd thing they noticed about the Airbnb. 

In a storytime, the creator says how during the host’s welcome tour, a piece of feces was found inside the fridge in the kitchen. According to Pauline, the host tried to brush it off and grabbed the filth and put it into his pocket. She says that should’ve been her first major red flag. However, at the time, they felt embarrassed for the host, so they didn’t bring it up. 

A moving picture frame?

Several viewers thought Pauline was making up the story for clout, so she was forced to bring out the “receipts.” In a follow-up TikTok, Pauline–who filmed the Airbnb house tour when she and her friends first arrived–reveals how the picture frame was in her friend’s bathroom the days before. In the video, the photo frame is conspicuously absent from her bathroom. However, it appears in her friend’s. This means that within the two days they were there, someone moved the frame into her bathroom while she and her friends were out, Pauline says. 

The TikToker wasn’t taking any chances. As soon as she noticed the frame, Pauline says she cut her shower short and wrapped herself in a towel. She and her friends ended up calling the police. In her latest clip, she reveals how, after reporting the incident to the Moroccan authorities, the host has been placed in custody, the listing has been removed, and she will seek legal counsel. Pauline says she will not be able to share more until after the court hearing. 

‘That’s terrifying’ 

Pauline’s Airbnb saga earned about 10 million views collectively, leading to thousands of folks sharing in her horror. 

“I guarantee you that’s not the only one, that’s just the one you found. Call the cops!” one top comment read. Another asked why hidden cameras “are even sold publicly.” This led Pauline to reply, “Literally on Amazon it’s called a spy frame.” A quick search on the platform indeed shows results for spy frames that appear almost identical to the one Pauline found. The prices range from $30 to $60. 

Airbnb and its surveillance problem

The home-sharing platform has often come under fire for hosts’ tendency to use surveillance on unsuspecting guests. In 2024, CNN published a report on the issue Airbnb was facing with indoor surveillance. For its investigation, the news site combed over “2,000 pages of lawsuits and police records” over the hidden camera problem. 

One of the major takeaways from the investigation was how “Airbnb has generated tens of thousands of customer support tickets related to surveillance devices over the last decade.” CNN also found out that Airbnb does not have a policy for employees to call law enforcement when a hidden camera has been discovered.

@himynamespaul_ This could happen to anyone. I was secretly recorded in the shower. Check your mirrors, check your outlets. #airbnb ♬ Spooky, quiet, scary atmosphere piano songs – Skittlegirl Sound

The company may strictly prohibit indoor cameras, but it seems hosts still find a way to break that rule. The Mary Sue has reached out to Airbnb for comment. We have also reached out to Pauline via TikTok message.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Gisselle Hernandez

Gisselle Hernandez-Gomez is a contributing reporter to the Mary Sue. Her work has appeared in the Daily Dot, Business Insider, Fodor’s Travel and more. You can follow her on X at @GisselleHern. You can email her at [email protected].