22-9-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Honeymoon vacations are supposed to be a time of relaxation and intimacy for newlyweds as they celebrate the joyous occasion of coming together in marriage. However, one Chinese couple had their romantic getaway marred by a disturbing revelation – they found a hidden camera inside their hotel room in Sabah.
The incident came to light when the woman shared her harrowing experience on Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese social media platform, in a post dated September 14. According to her account, the couple had booked a hotel room in Kota Kinabalu through Airbnb. After arriving at the airport at 2 a.m., they reached their room at 3 a.m. on September 6 and immediately conducted a thorough inspection for any hidden cameras.
During their search, they noticed something unusual about one of the power sockets. When her partner shone his phone’s flashlight on the socket, they observed a reflective surface. Determined to investigate further, they dismantled the socket panel and were shocked to discover a hidden camera discreetly placed between the two USB ports.
Alarmed by the discovery, the woman contacted an Airbnb agent to report the incident. However, the agent did not respond to her message, leaving her uncertain about the next steps to take. With the camera facing towards the bed, the woman felt too fearful to undress or even take a shower. To ensure some semblance of privacy, her husband covered the camera with tissue paper before they retired for the night.
The following morning, the woman informed Airbnb about the situation. The company promptly advised them to check out of the hotel and find alternative accommodation. She commended Airbnb for their swift response in addressing the issue.
The woman’s online post gained significant attention, prompting her to file a police report. However, language barriers hindered her ability to do so initially, resulting in her leaving the police station without filing the report. Fortunately, a local woman came to her aid and accompanied her to the station, enabling her to officially lodge the report at 6 p.m. that day.
To their surprise, when the couple met with the police later that evening, they learned that the Airbnb agent had accused them of attempting to evade payment of RM400. The woman expressed her frustration with the unfounded accusation, stating, “Why would I go through all this trouble just to avoid paying RM400 a night for accommodation? Our honeymoon plans were completely disrupted!”
Furthermore, the police instructed her to delete the social media post recounting her experience. Acting upon their advice, she removed the post without hesitation. However, upon returning to her home country, she decided to reshare the post to warn others about the incident, as she believed that anyone could fall victim to such a violation of privacy.
