Hidden cameras found in Va. coffee shop bathrooms. tips on how to spot them – NBC4 Washington

Police say a customer at a coffee shop in Falls Church, Virginia, went to the restroom and found a hidden camera.

On Thursday, city police said hidden cameras were found in two Northside Social restrooms.

The customer was in the café on Saturday, May 11 and went to the toilet on the first floor. “They observed a pen-like device hidden under the sink and pointed toward the toilet,” police said in a statement.

The customer handed the device to the employee. An identical device was then found “in a similar hiding place” in another toilet on the first floor.

Police say they were notified about the devices two days later, on May 13.

Detectives believe the devices recorded multiple people using the restroom at the coffee shop at 205 Park Ave. May 11 between approximately 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Anyone who used the toilet or who may have potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

“Investigators would like to identify any potential victims who may have been illegally recorded by hidden cameras,” police said.

Police are urging potential victims to email them if they believe they used the cafe’s toilet between 4.30pm and 6.30pm on May 11.

Falls Church police do not believe any of the photos were posted online.

“At this time we believe they are stored locally on pen devices,” Falls Church Det. – said Boris Miranda. “We have no suspicion that it may have been uploaded to the Internet.”

“We are very upset that someone entered one of our restaurants and attempted to invade the privacy of our customers and staff,” the owners of Northside Social said in a statement. “We will continue to assist law enforcement in any way we can.”

How to recognize hidden cameras

Falls Church Police shared tips on how to spot hidden cameras:

• “Be on the lookout for unusual items that seem out of place, such as smoke detectors with small holes, fake air fresheners, or unusually shaped decoy items that can hide the camera
• Check common hiding places such as electrical outlets, tissue boxes, or under tables and sinks
• In low light conditions, look for small red or green LEDs, which may indicate that the camera is in night vision mode
• Use your phone’s flashlight function to look for reflections from hidden camera lenses, sometimes hidden in sockets, clocks and smoke detectors.

“If you see something unusual, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bathroom or LED lighting or anything that seems unusual… just be careful,” Miranda said. “We advise companies, especially in the case of cleaning services, to check everything. You better make sure there are no cameras there.

Private investigators shared some additional tips with KSDK, an NBC affiliate station in St., last month. Louis:

• Look for cameras in bathrooms, fitting rooms and rental homes
• Look up, down, around corners and even into the toilet

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.