I found a camera in our Airbnb—then the host’s response gave me chills

I climbed up, unscrewed the cover, and froze. Inside was a tiny lens—a hidden camera.

My stomach turned. Without a word, I grabbed our bags. Within minutes, we were packed and driving away, hearts pounding.

From the parking lot of a diner two towns away, I pulled out my laptop and wrote a scathing review to warn others. Minutes later, an alert popped up.

The host had replied:

“You idiot, this is not a camera. It was the transmitter for our private security system. Now you’ve broken it—and they’re coming looking for it.”

Them? A chill ran down my spine. I flipped back through the photos I’d taken of the rental property for evidence. That’s when I noticed it—in one photo, just behind the curtain, a faint red dot glowed against the wall. A laser. A tracking device.