Police Detected New Spy Screw Drive Cameras at Pvt. Places: Fact Check

Story: 

New type of camouflaged cameras fitted inside screws, i.e. Spy Screw Drive Cameras. These have now been detected by the police, at changing rooms and toilets at malls, fashion houses, theatres. Be alert, be safe.

Fact Check:

A story shared widely on social media sites and elsewhere online warns people of a new type of camouflaged cameras fitted inside screws that are allegedly detected by police at various private places like changing rooms, and toilets at malls, fashion houses and theatres. The story also carries few pictures showing camera lenses inside small screw-like devices. Although the pictures of Spy Screw Drive Cameras are real, the claims that it is a new technology and that police have detected them at various private places are hoaxes.

Origin of Story: Spy Screw Drive Cameras

On 7 April 2017, Trendsinpk (i.e. Trends in Pakistan) website trendsinpk.com published an article with the title “Beware of Spy cams in Pakistan” stating they came across the spy cams while searching for some office equipment, adding that they are probably being used without awareness. Because the cams are small in size and people cannot even notice their existence in any room, they warned people that they can create some serious trouble when used in public spaces like trial rooms of big cloth shops.

Few days later on 12th of April, mpheadline website mpheadline.com used the same two pictures in their article warning people not to get trapped in such Spy Screw Drive Cameras. It is said that the secret cams have come into market recently and can be dangerous to people’s privacy, as they can be easily set up in hotel rooms, public toilets and dressing rooms in shopping malls. For these reasons, girls are warned to be careful of such secret cameras.

Following these articles, some social media users in India like on Twitter started spreading messages warning people of the new spy cams that police have allegedly detected at various places.

Actual Facts

Firstly, seen in the first two pictures is Screw Lens used for hidden, spy, sneak, covert CCTV Cameras. It is not new, the technology has been in the market since at least year 2008. The third picture listed on eBay website ebay.com shows a tiny CCTV mini screw video Pinhole spy Cam. Secondly, the aforementioned two articles only raised concerns about the spy cams. They did not mention any such particular incidents that have happened. There are no reports about police detecting such screw drive spy cams in those private places.

So, the warning messages about new type of Spy Screw Drive Cameras at various private places are hoaxes. This reminds us of the popular hoax message warning people of Hidden Cameras in trial rooms.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.