Touch Your Mirror to Know If Someone’s Watching You

An old man stands in the bathroom peering into the mirror. His pupils are getting wider, his hair is standing on end, and his jaw drops in horror. No, he’s not afraid of his reflection.

He’s just remembered the scariest day of his life. It’s been thirty years, and he still can’t look at mirrors without fear. The old man closes his eyes, the panic goes away... and the memories come.

Matt and Lucy are about to spend a weekend together in the countryside. They want to take a break from the bustling city and hard work. Lucy finds a perfect place on the web. They book a cozy house right next to a lake for a modest price.

They’re delighted with such luck and pay two days in advance without looking at the lease terms. The couple get into the car. They’re smiling, and Matt is pressing the gas pedal. They don’t yet know what a nightmare is coming for them.

Our heroes arrive at the place. The reality looks exactly like the picture on the website — it’s a beautiful two-story house right next to a lake and a forest. Everything looks great, but the owner is kind of weird. He’s a tall old man with a sly grin.

He gives the keys to Matt and Lucy and wishes them to have fun. Then, the owner gets on the motorcycle and drives off. Matt and Lucy check the house and look around the neighborhood. Matt notices video cameras hanging on the trees. It seems the owner put them there for safety. “Hope nothing like that is in the house,” Lucy jokes.

In the evening, they cook dinner and watch a movie. Matt walks into the bathroom. He washes his face, and drops of water bounce to the mirror. He wipes the glass with his finger and notices something creepy. He touches his nail tip to the reflective surface, and... there’s no gap.

Matt knows for sure if there’s a small distance between the nail and its reflection, it’s a real mirror. But if the finger “touches” the reflection when there’s almost no distance, it’s a fake two-way mirror. This is when you see yourself, but someone on the other side is watching you.

To know for sure, Matt presses his eyes against the mirror, cupping his hands around them, so the light wouldn’t interfere with the view. He’s trying to see something on the other side. And he notices. Matt’s sure there’s another space behind the mirror. And somebody’s looking at him. Shocked, he removes it from the wall and discovers a small dark room. What the...

A jolt surges through his body as he hears Lucy’s scream from the neighboring room. Matt runs to her. She looks scared and points at the window. Matt sees the house owner watching them from the forest. Matt grabs Lucy’s hand and leads her to the exit. “We’re leaving this place now.” He presses the handle, but the door won’t open.

He tries to put the key in the lock, but something gets in the way. In most cases, when the key doesn’t fit, you just need to grease the lock. But if the problem appears suddenly, you need to replace it. This is because someone tried to crack it to get into your house. But also, somebody could insert a microphone or other device into the lock to eavesdrop on you.

Matt tries to get out through the window, but it’s locked from the outside. He throws a chair into the glass, but it’s bulletproof. What’s going on here?

They look around and notice something else. On the floor, near the wall, there’s dust and dirt. Check the wall if you see dust like this in a hotel or in someone else’s house. This debris indicates that someone was working with a drill to install a recording device. Also, if you see an electric socket is installed unevenly, a microphone or a camera may be hidden behind it.

There’s a lamp hanging on the wall. Matt takes it off and sees a small microphone. This little thing and the fake double mirror. There must be cameras somewhere.

Surveillance devices are often installed in the bedroom and bathroom, inside mirrors, and under the sink. Inspect all corners in these rooms, including smoke detectors, and air vents. Usually, they put tiny cameras and recorders in switches, corners of shelves, and behind interior elements. The most common cliché is plush toys.

If you don’t want to check the room like that, you can follow Lucy’s example. She switches the light off and turns on the flashlight on her phone. Any camera lens will flash in the dark if you point a beam of light at it. You will definitely notice it.

Also, the front camera of your phone can detect infrared light coming from the lenses. Inspect the entire room with it, and you’ll see a tiny flash on the screen. Matt and Lucy find several cameras in the living room, one in the bathroom installed in the shower, and two in the bedroom.

There’s another way to find these devices. Almost all modern hidden cameras work via Wi-Fi. You can download special apps that scan the area and detect surveillance tools connected to the Internet. So, if you think somebody’s watching, you can just disconnect the Wi-Fi router from the outlet. Matt and Lucy do just that.

Matt is about to call the police, but the phone doesn’t work well for some reason. He was so keen on finding cameras that he forgot the main thing — digital security. One of the most common ways to get into your phone is Wi-Fi.

Don’t connect to unknown spots. When you do this, you automatically grant permission to access your device. Criminals can listen to your conversations, steal your data, and disrupt work. Also, never open unknown files and links. Matt and Lucy connected to Wi-Fi when they got inside the house.

As a result, they can’t make calls now. Locked in the big house, surrounded by hidden cameras, the heroes think about what to do next. Matt goes to the bathroom and walks into the small room behind the fake mirror. There’s one chair and an iron door. It’s locked.

Meanwhile, Lucy examines the ceiling in the living room and notices an air vent. Perhaps she can go outside through it. She’s sure that she will be able to crawl in there and call for help.

Matt stands on a chair and removes the lid... “Hello there,” — the scary owner says. His head is looking at Matt right out of the vent. Lucy screams in horror. Matt falls off the chair.

He stands up, takes Lucy’s hand, and runs away with her to the other end of the room. The man gets out of the ventilation. Matt throws a chair at him. “Get away from us, you lunatic!”

The owner doesn’t understand what’s happening. “You destroyed all the cameras. How do you think I can watch you?” he asks. “What the...???” Matt answers in shock. “Wait a minute. You didn’t read the lease terms, did you?” — the owner is surprised.

He put cameras and microphones inside the house, and it’s written on the website. Some people like to be watched. The owner thought Matt and Lucy were one of them. He shakes his head, opens the door, and lets them go.

They get in the car, check the website of this house, and... the entry about it is removed. Was there really any info about surveillance? They will never know. And they will never forget this weekend.

From now on, they will always read the terms of the lease. The owner of the house looks after the departing car with a smile. Yeah, sometimes it happens for real. Some people install cameras in their houses. But they must indicate this in the description. So always read the terms.

It’s illegal to install cameras and microphones without the knowledge of residents. Robbers can install hidden cameras not only in houses but also in public places. So, be careful at ATMs.

It’s common knowledge that you need to cover the button panel with your hand when you enter the PIN. But not only because strangers can see it. Criminals can put a little hidden camera directly into the ATM and thus see your PIN.

Yes, cameras can get you nervous, but they also have a huge benefit. Cameras in buses, subway cars, trams, for example. They not only monitor the order and detect violators but also watch the condition of drivers.

Now, most cameras don’t just record. They’re equipped with artificial intelligence and various sensors. If you’re driving and want to sleep, the camera will see it. The device will give a loud signal to bring you to your senses.

Cameras recognize faces, which helps catch scammers, thieves, and hooligans. Such surveillance reduces the number of violations of the law. If a city camera breaks down, the program informs the special services.

And the coolest thing is special sites where you can access many street cameras around the world. Just like that, you can observe what’s happening on the other side of the globe from your computer.