No hidden cameras found in B.C. Airbnb rental after viral TikTok, RCMP confirm

A group of friends uncovered what they believed to be hidden cameras while staying at an Airbnb on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast.

VANCOUVER -

July 18, 2023 update: Sunshine Coast RCMP have confirmed there were no "cameras, lenses or any type of storage/recording devices" at the Airbnb property. Read more here. 

 

What was supposed to be a weekend getaway to celebrate a milestone birthday turned into a scary situation for a group of friends.

Kennedy Calwell shared the terrifying experience in her now-viral TikTok video, which has been viewed nearly six million times.

“We were trying to go there to have fun and celebrate a 30th birthday and as a group of girls, you want to feel safe all together,” Calwell told CTV News Vancouver.

“The night we found the cameras, it took a bit of a dark turn because we all were very scared.”

Calwell and 14 of her friends went to the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver in mid-March.

She said one of the friends had recently seen a video about small hidden cameras and started to investigate their Gibsons rental, and to their surprise, she actually found one.

“You can see that there was something in there but obviously your brain doesn't want to believe that you're being watched, like, you don't think something like that would happen to you,” said Melissa Woolfson, who was also on the trip.

They said in the two bathrooms, they saw a camera lens at the bottom of the outlet socket, which faced the direction of the shower.

“We didn’t sign up for Big Brother. We didn’t expect there to be cameras, especially in places of privacy,” said Woolfson. “These are intimate, private moments. Now someone out there has it on their computer or on their hard drive or they're sharing it on the internet. That is super violating.”

When they lifted the socket cover off, it didn’t appear to be easy to take things apart to find the hidden camera. They were told by a contractor friend that they would have to turn the power off to safely take things apart to look for the camera, which they didn’t feel comfortable doing.

“We obviously are in a sketchy home. None of us feel safe. There's no way we're turning off the power. And 'everything goes dark,' as well, obviously sounds like the beginning of a horror movie,” Woolfson said.

Instead, they covered the cameras and went to sleep on edge. They said they left as soon as they could the next morning.

Calwell shared the ordeal on social media recently, after police on the Sunshine Coast informed them cameras had been found.

“They're sending (the cameras) for analysis. So we don't know what they're going to find. Like, we don't have the footage for sure or anything like that, but they did find cameras and that's the latest update,” Calwell said.

Sunshine Coast RCMP confirmed they are actively investigating and said they could not release details at this time.

Airbnb said it is also investigating and has since suspended the listing.

“We ban hidden cameras and previously refunded the guest as we investigate this allegation,” the company said in an email to CTV News Vancouver.

Calwell said she posted the experience on social media to raise awareness and warn others.

“A lot of people are saying now when they go to hotels and Airbnbs, they're going to be checking outlets as well. So, I'm really happy we could help spread the word about that,” she said.

They are now waiting for the Mounties’ investigation to conclude to find out who’s responsible for putting the cameras inside the socket, whether it’s the home’s owner, a renter or a previous guest.

They are in contact with a lawyer and plan to take legal action, Calwell said.

@kennedyallegedly Thank you Tiktok for saving the day #airbnb #stalker #hiddencameras #creepy ♬ original sound - kennedy