Are you being watched? Here is what founder of Hyderabad-based organisation Cyber Jagrithi Foundation has to say

The news of two students filming a young woman in a trial room of a mall in Jubilee Hills has got many women in the city worried again.

A hidden camera inside an adapter

HYDERABAD:  The news of two students filming a young woman in a trial room of a mall in Jubilee Hills has got many women in the city worried again. The incident came just a month after another woman had found a hidden phone on an overhead shelf of the washroom of a popular drive-in in Hyderabad. 

While one can dismiss these as one-off incidents, we know how prevention is always better than cure. It has, unfortunately, pushed women to be more conscious of their surroundings. CE speaks to Rupesh Mittal, the founder of city-based organisation Cyber Jagrithi Foundation, the first such organisation of cybercrime warriors in South Asia. 

Rupesh Mittal, founder of Cyber Jagrithi Foundation

Rupesh begins by saying that such incidents are shameful, but can be prevented if women make it a habit to check their surroundings when in such places. He lists the following tips they can follow to ensure that they are not being taped. 

• Most such cameras run via internet connection. To check if there’s such a device around you, turn on your Wi-Fi network and look for any questionable networks around you. Move out if the place feels unsafe, this is not the time to give the situation the benefit of doubt 
• There are infrared camera detectors available in the market and cost `400-`500 on e-commerce websites
• All cameras have a black lens, so be eagle-eyed in your search for a lens in the room. Take a quick yet careful scan around the room, especially in darker areas that hide such cameras better. You can also turn on bright lights for a clearer view. There have been incidents wherein hidden cameras where found inside adapters! So, give that a check if you find something suspicious in a closed room 
• There also have been instances of people hiding cameras inside LED bulbs. One might find a black spot on the bulb and think of it to be a design, but it’s not. Chances of cameras being placed in fans are rare, unless the fan is defunct 
• Lastly, there are chances of a camera being fitted in a trial room mirror, through double layers. To know if it’s a double-layered or single-layered mirror, place your finger horizontally against the mirror. If the end of your finger touches the reflection of your finger in the mirror, it’s a double-layered mirror and you’re being recorded. 

While we hope all your searches and scans prove safe, Rupesh shares what you should do the minute you think you’re being recorded: “First things first, call the cops. Dial 100 and you will be redirected to the nearest police station and a cop will arrive at your location in less than 10 minutes. Do not make the mistake of alerting the store management before calling the cops. This could lead to them trying to manipulate or delete the footage so there can be no evidence. Worse, the footage can be leaked by miscreants.”

The cybercrime expert advises women to not panic and worry about the consequences.