Spycam Lawsuit: Employee Known Video Voyeur - Store Manager Did Nothing

A Colorado Springs woman is suing Reebok International, a Reebok Outlet Store, and a teenage store employee over a Peeping Tom incident... Christina Selvig said she caught a glimpse of Austin Kyle Baker looking over the top of the wall into her changing room...

She immediately informed the store manager who did nothing more than take her name and number and promised to get back with her the next day, which didn’t happen.

Selvig wasn’t sitting around waiting for action on the store’s part, she had already informed the police, who also didn’t take her complaint that seriously initially, chalking the incident up to an accident.

...three days later, Baker confessed to spying on Christina, in addition to several more women. An investigation revealed that at least one other employee was aware that Baker was a video voyeur, and continued to allow the behavior.

Law enforcement told her that he had turned over his phone... Forensics came back with footage of her, as well as deleted videos of other women. more

Here comes another big pockets settlement. If your company offers employees, visitors and/or customers "expectation of privacy" areas, you better begin doing your due diligence. Start here.

The Voyeur Who Bought A Hotel To Spy On His Guests

A historically interesting essay in The New Yorker, and a cautionary tale.

Erin Andrews was not the first victim of hotel voyeurism, and she won't be the last. more

Irony Alert: Video Voyeur Sentenced - He Was Caught Spying by Spying

Former Border Patrol agent Armando Gonzalez was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for planting a hidden camera in the women’s restroom at a Chula Vista Border Patrol facility. 

The camera, which Gonzalez used to violate the privacy of female employees who used the restroom, was discovered when he made reference to it in an email sent from his personal account to a friend and fellow voyeur-cam enthusiast...

Back Stories...

• Department of Homeland Security’s surveillance of private emails credited with discovery of Border Patrol agent’s hidden camera voyeurism...
• Further, drone footage taken through Mr. Gonzalez’s bedroom window clearly shows him viewing the camera’s digital feed on this personal computer. more

The New Cowboy Spy

From the Ol' Timer...
"Howdy, partner. There is a new surveillance risk in town, and he be a-aimin' at you.


Worried about board meeting eavesdroppers; business espionage desperados, and bad egg buggists? Darn tootin' you are, and you've hired the local TSCM-slinger to keep you above snakes. Does a fine job of it, too. 


Oh, about Mr. New Surveillance Risk. He ain't no fancy foreign spy, crow-bait competitor, or even a chiseler employee. No sir, bub, he's the cow chip of the spy world; a tenderfoot with a mighty powerful weapon. A sneaky dude who'll leave you in court, emptyin' your wallet faster than greased lightning. Yes sir'ee, he's the Workplace Video Voyeur, and he ain't a-playing according to Hoyle."


Thanks for the warning, old timer. You're right as rain. I know. I've run into a couple of these hombres during my time on the trail. Let me tell you a story... 


My Fortune 50 client called me a few months ago. Seems, an employee found a spy camera hidden in one of their restrooms. The news media caught wind of it and jumped all over the story. It was an embarrassing mess. It may also be an expensive mess if the people caught by the camera decide to sue. 


We had been inspecting their boardroom, executive offices and off-site meeting locations for over two decades. This due diligence resulted in the capture of one spy, on-site (a competitor's employee), one wireless bug, and several general information security loopholes which they quickly patched up. 


Nobody expected a bathroom video voyeur, however. Yet this incident held promise of greater damage than any corporate espionage attack. In addition to being costly in dollars and damaging reputation-wise, a video voyeur attack directly affects employee morale. Its hard to put a price on that.


The company asked me for help. They needed to prevent future incidents. Made sense. After one incident, they could face "foreseeability," a legal term. In short, it is the theory that if something happens once you become aware it could happen again. If you do nothing to correct the situation, and it does happen again, you are considered negligent. Sexual harassment in the workplace also plays into future incidents. This makes for an expensive mix in court. 


In addition to protecting themselves, the company really wanted to assure their employees that they were taking the situation very seriously.

We discussed several possible solutions. 

Sending our Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) team to inspect all their restrooms and locker rooms (worldwide) was impractical, of course. What we eventually decided upon was a three-fold strategy, which turned out to be very cost-effective.

1. A review of their Recording in the Workplace Policy for completeness and effectiveness. This policy covers all aspects of recording anything to do with the company (audio, video and data). Most companies don't even have policy.

2. Development of an on-line spycam detection training program for their local facilities managers and security staff. This would professionally prepare them to conduct simple periodic inspections of the 'expectation of privacy' areas on company property. An inspection log and photos would be kept on file. The log documents inspection dates and results. The photos document changes in the area over time. Both may be used to show due diligence in court.
 
3. A short on-line spycam awareness video was produced for all employees to view. This was placed on the company intranet. It explained the growing social problem of video voyeurism, the steps the company is taking to prevent the problem in the workplace, and self-protection tips employees can use to protect themselves and their families, wherever they are.


This company-wide solution cost them about as much as a one-day sweep of their executive offices, and it will be used at all their locations, for years to come. 


Other companies have not been so lucky. Another New York City firm paid two employees one million dollars apiece in connection with their video voyeur incident.

Yup, ol' timer. The times are changing. Companies need to start watching their butts, when it comes to butt watchers.


~Kevin

Security Director Alert - Worker Admits to Bathroom Spycam - Think Forseeability

If you don't have a written Recording in the Workplace Policy, and an in-house inspection procedure, right now is the time to get one in place. Contact me. I can help you do this, easily and inexpensively. ~ Kevin

AZ - A worker at a Cottonwood business was arrested on suspicion of voyeurism after police said he hid a cellphone in a women’s restroom.

Oscar Valles, 22, of Rimrock, admitted during police questioning that he placed the cellphone behind a plant in the bathroom to record one of his coworkers, officers said.

Valles said he knew the coworker changed clothes there each at the end of her shift each day. He said he did not mean to record any other person but was not able to retrieve his phone before others used the restroom, according to police. more

What is the First Thing a Spycam Sees?

All together now...
"The dumb owner setting it up!"

A bungling voyeur was captured on a video camera he set up to record women using the toilet at a party - in a stunt inspired by an American Pie film.

Adam Stephen Barugh, 26, used velcro to hide the small digital camera beneath a sink directly facing a toilet, after being invited to a house in Brotton.

His solicitor Paul Watson told Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday that the “prank” was inspired by watching the comedy film American Pie: Bandcamp, which features women being secretly filmed...

During the party, a female at the house noticed a small blue light coming from beneath the sink while using the toilet, and alerted her mum and sister.

Quickly hooking the camera up to a laptop, they discovered it had captured a full facial shot of Barugh setting up the camera, and videos of two women using the toilet. more

Woman Discovers Spycam in Her Bedroom... (then the action starts)

Ms. Wu, age 26, is suing her former roommate, identified by his last name Lin, for installing a spycam in her bedroom...

Ms. Wu noticed that there was a large black trashbag that didn’t belong to her, stuffed into the space above her closet. Inside, she discovered a camera, and a wire that ran from the camera across the hall into her roommate’s bedroom.

Ms. Wu waited for her roommate, Mr. Lin, to return home from work before confronting him about the camera.

Mr. Lin denied that he’d put a spycam in Ms. Wu’s room, but broke down her door to steal the camera back and packed up his computer equipment.

Ms. Wu, while attempting to stop him from leaving with the evidence, was thrown from the moving car. Ms. Wu said she’d still file charges against him for the spycam, despite the lack of evidence, and would also be filing a vehicular assault charge.  (more with video report)

The Starbucks Bathroom Spycam - Anatomy of the Crime

A 44-year-old man turned himself in Monday for being the "person of interest" sought for a spy camera being found hidden in a Starbucks restroom...

A female customer of the Starbucks was in the unisex restroom around when she found a four-inch long device--about the size of a marking pen--hidden behind a bracket. She pulled it out and called police...

Forensic laboratory investigators confirmed it's a video camera that recorded images of men and women using the restroom...

Police posted images on its Twitter and Facebook pages of the spy camera, its hiding place and a "person of interest" seen loitering outside the coffeehouse: a dark-haired man wearing a black shirt with a white stripe...

After intense local television coverage Monday morning, a Starbucks spokesman emailed a statement to KTLA that afternoon that said, "We take our obligation to provide a safe environment for our customers and partners (employees) very seriously. As a part of regular store operations, we monitor the seating areas and restrooms in our stores on a regular basis to identify potential safety or security concerns." more

Suggestion: Spycams in public restrooms are "foreseeable"; a legal term loosely meaning "you better do something about this."  At least one shift manager should receive spycam detection and deterrence training. Being pro-active and showing due diligence saves money (legal expenses and awards). Plus, if signage is posted, customer goodwill increases.

Some Top Baby Monitors Lack Basic Security Features

Several of the most popular Internet-connected baby monitors lack basic security features, making them vulnerable to even the most basic hacking attempts, according to a new report from a cybersecurity firm.

The possibility of an unknown person watching their baby's every move is a frightening thought for many parents who have come to rely on the devices to keep an eye on their little ones. In addition, a hacked camera could provide access to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices in a person's home, such as a personal computer or security system.

The research released Wednesday by Boston-based Rapid7 Inc. looks at nine baby monitors made by eight different companies. They range in price from $55 to $260. more

Freaks Tattoo Owner Charged - Spied on Female Employee with (11) Hidden Cameras

MO - In March 2014, a 21-year-old woman who worked at, and lived in an apartment above, Nu Troost Tattoo (4101 Troost) discovered an intricate system of wires and hidden cameras installed inside her apartment that led down to a computer in the basement of the building. When the police were called, they found 11 hidden video cameras in the apartment. Four had been installed in the tenant's bathroom, including one with a view of the shower and one facing the toilet.

The building and the business were owned by a 47-year-old man named Rodney Sanell, who also owned the three branches of Freaks Tattoo and Piercing: Freaks on Broadway, Freaks on 39th, and Freaks on Noland. The woman told police that Sanell had been in her apartment to install smoke detectors while she was out of town the previous October. She also said Sanell had sexually propositioned her several times — advances she had rebuffed.

As we reported at the time, the discovery shook up the local tattoo community. Some Freaks tattoo artists quit on principle, some had to scramble to find new jobs, and others — who had nothing to do with Sanell's activity — tried to repair the Freaks public image.

Today, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced that Sanell will face 42 counts of invasion of privacy for using cameras to "observe victims in states of full or partial nudity without their knowledge," Baker's office says. Five victims — names withheld — are listed in the complaint.  more

Ratters: Hackers spying through computer microphones, webcams

A new report says hackers can take remote control of a computer and not only steal passwords and credit card numbers, but also listen through the microphone and watch through the webcam.

The hackers, known as ratters, can then post that information online with advertising.

It’s done by Remote Access Trojans, or RATs. According to the Digital Citizens’ Alliance, they are a growing threat to innocent people...

Benson shared a few tips to help computer users protect themselves:

• Cover a webcam when it’s not in use
• Update the computer’s operating system and make sure its anti-virus software and firewalls are up to date
• Beware of suspicious links 

more


Kevin's Spybusters Tip #834: Blind Ratters with this.

Workplace Video Voyeurism - Domino’s Falls This Time

NY - An alleged voyeuristic Domino’s worker was arrested after a young woman noticed something odd in the employee bathroom, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a 20-year-old female employee at the 935 Front Street Domino’s in Uniondale took a break to use the bathroom.

Murray Associates composite photo.

The coat rack inside the facility caught her eye, however — specifically, a cell phone peeking out of a jacket pocket. She notified the manager, and her manager dialed 911. The jacket, according to police, belonged to the woman’s co-worker, 19-year-old Jonathan Parra.

Along with footage of the young woman, an investigation revealed images of a 51-year-old man using the bathroom as well.

Parra faces two counts of unlawful surveillance and will be arraigned Tuesday at First District Court in Hempstead.
more

Workplace Video Voyeurism: Rabbi Pleades Guilty to 52 Counts

DC - A prominent US rabbi has pleaded guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism after secretly filming women in his congregation's ritual baths.

Barry Freundel, 63, may have recorded as many as 150 women in the changing area at his orthodox synagogue in Washington DC.

Murray Associates case history photo.

Court documents revealed that Freundel set up a recording device hidden within a digital clock radio in the changing and showering area.

The women were disrobing for the ritual Jewish bath, known as a mikvah.

He has confessed to recording at least 52 nude or partially nude women. Prosecutors say he should be jailed.

They say the actual number of women filmed is likely to have been much higher.

Before his arrest in October 2014, Barry Freundel was a rabbi at the Kesher Israel synagogue in the Georgetown area of the US capital for more than 25 years.
(more)

Night Janitor Admits to Hiding Spycam in Staff Bathroom

NV - A former school district janitor told police he hid a video camera in a staff bathroom with the intent to record people using the bathroom in various stages of undress, according to the arrest report.

Gary Wayne Higbee, who has only been employed part-time with the district since September 2014, is facing three counts of capturing an image or the private area of another person...

The video camera was discovered when an employee at Givens Elementary School noticed what appeared to be something hidden next to a silk plant on the bathroom sink.

Another employee told police she noticed Higbee checking out the unisex bathroom every time someone came out of it.

According to the arrest report, Higbee told police he took the camera from his other job at Southwest Airlines, where he works as a ramp agent. He said, he researched on the Internet how to do hidden recordings of people.
(more)

Workplace Video Voyeurism - Streaming Covert Dressing Room Camera

Reality TV star and Las Vegas showgirl Holly Madison said managers at Mandalay Bay’s 1923 Bourbon and Burlesque watched secret, intimate recordings of her and other women in their dressing room.

Madison and her company, Awesometown Inc., filed a lawsuit Monday against multiple individuals involved with her show, 1923 Bourbon and Burlesque by Holly Madison. A second suit was filed on behalf of the other dancers by the same Las Vegas firm, Garcia-Mendoza and Snavely.

The court documents allege that the corporations and managers who hired Madison and ran the venue filmed, transmitted and disseminated images of the women naked and changing costumes for about five months last year without the women’s knowledge or consent.

Robert W. Sabes, Noel Bowman, Robert Fry and Avi Kopelman, the individuals named in the suit, are accused of secretly placing a digital video recorder capable of storing 17 days of film in the women’s changing room. Video was then streamed to the men’s computers and other digital devices, according to the lawsuit...

In addition to the men named in the lawsuit, the action targets the corporations involved, Fat Hat LLC, ICE Lounge Las Vegas LLC and J. F. Sabes Investment Inc, as well as 20 unnamed people and corporations, which were involved in building the dressing room and setting up the surveillance camera.
(more)

Panama’s Ex-president’s Hunger for Gossip Fueled Tapping

When the United States rejected former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli’s request for spying equipment to eavesdrop, U.S. diplomats feared, on his political enemies, the former supermarket baron turned to another source: Israel.

Now scores of Panama’s political and social elite are learning that the eavesdropping program that Martinelli’s security team set in place sprawled into the most private aspects of their lives – including their bedrooms. Rather than national security, what appears to have driven the wiretapping was a surfeit of the seven deadly sins, particularly greed, pride, lust and envy.

Nearly every day, targets of the wiretapping march to the prosecutors’ office to see what their dossiers contain, often emerging in distress. Martinelli, who left office in July, is facing a rising tide of outrage not only over the wiretapping, but also over reports of vast corruption. His personal secretary has left the country. The eavesdropping equipment has vanished.
(more)

NYC - Spycam Found in Bathroom Used by Top Corporations

The New York City Police Department reported today that a pinhole camera was found in a unisex bathroom at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)’s corporate offices in NYC last week. A designer with the company discovered the camera, located above the light switch.

Johnson & Johnson ’s building maintenance supervisor reported the camera to the New York Police Department after it was discovered on Jan. 16, 2015. After examination, the camera was found to contain an SD card used for video storage. Johnson & Johnson’s Carol Goodrich said the company had immediately contacted the NYPD after the camera’s discovery...

Spycams are disguised as many things. This one is a USB stick.

“The device was hidden above a light switch in the bathroom next to offices that include Ralph Lauren and Haynes Roberts...” reported the New York Post. “The bathroom with the hidden device is open and accessible to all tenants and guests on the floor. It wasn’t clear whether the potty perv who put it there captured customers or models who do photo shoots nearby in RR Donnelley’s Studio W26. Investigators had yet to review the storage drive recovered with the camera.”...

Today’s story about the pinhole camera is part of what appears to be a trend. * NBC ran a story on March 27, 2014 about numerous reports of cameras being found in public bathrooms...

The NYPD indicates they are investigating the J&J camera as a sex crime and unlawful surveillance, with the added possibility of obscene material involving people under the age of 17.
(more)

*More like pandemic based on news reports and sweep requests received here.
• That USB stick spycam... only $8.76 here.

Constables Gone Wild

UK - A detective constable accused of spying on unsuspecting hotel guests during a 10-month voyeurism spree appeared in court.

DC Daniel Williams, 36, is said to have watched the victims at the Jurys Inn in Milton Keynes and the The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford, Surrey between January and October this year... Williams, who has been suspended from duty, also faces separate allegations of involvement in the sex trade.

He allegedly incited girls work as prostitutes and hid the profits in socks stuffed into his chimney... Williams, who was working at Tooting police station at the time of the alleged offenses, is further charged with using the police computer to run checks on his clients. (more)

USA - A Kingston constable is facing charges of spying on two teenage girls known to him through a two-way mirror while they were camping in a recreational vehicle in Northumberland County.

Point Township (PA) police charged John C. Gould, 54, of Market Street, with six counts of invasion of privacy... Two girls ages 15 and 17 told Kingston police in early July they suspected Gould spied on them while they showered inside the RV while camping... A two-way mirror was attached to the bathroom wall permitting a one-way view of the bathroom from a bedroom, according to the complaint. A lamp without a shade was placed near the mirror to diminish visibility of the mirror, according to the complaint. (more)

Australia - Two Anti-Voyeurism Measures

New Anti-Voyeurism Law
Attorney-General Simon Corbell said the wide-ranging crimes legislation would provide greater protection from invasions of privacy in response to advances in technology.

"The offences introduced by the bill, to protect the privacy of individuals, will ensure that the law can appropriately deal with people who indecently engage in behaviour sometimes referred to as up-skirting and down-blousing without the consent of the person being observed, filmed or photographed," he said. (more)

No Drone Voyeurism in Fire Zones
State aviation operations manager David Pearce said drones could be lethal to aircraft, regardless of size, much like a bird strike that "took down an airliner" if it hit the wrong spot. "Helicopters are particularly susceptible. If the drone is sucked into the intake of the jet engines, or goes into the tail rotor, then it's probably curtains for the helicopter.

Mr Pearce said firefighting aircraft would be immediately grounded if a UAV was spotted either near, or within, a fire zone. (more)

Yes, you're a doctor. No, it's not all right.

UK - A South London doctor who took secret video footage of patients and colleagues on the toilet has been jailed for eight years. 

Hearing specialist Lam Hoe Yeoh was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court after it was discovered that he had secretly hoarded 1,100 indecent images and videos of his patients at his home.

The 62-year-old man admitted to seven counts of voyeurism, six counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child and one count of possessing extreme pornography. (more)