We all like to believe that our friends will always be there for us and that we can trust them completely. But for one woman on Reddit, a seemingly solid friendship took a shocking turn.

After four years of knowing a man who was also her boyfriend’s childhood friend, she discovered he had been spying on her in her own home with his phone and smartwatch. When she confronted him, he admitted to his actions and quickly offered an uneasy apology. But the woman knew she needed more than that. Keep reading to find out how she handled the situation.

The woman noticed that her friend of four years had been spying on her through his phone and smartwatch

Image credits: Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo)

Shocked by this betrayal, she decided to confront him

Image credits: Olha Ruskykh / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: SarahDaniellex

The hidden spy camera epidemic across the world

The evolution of technology is truly fascinating. We now have devices—from smartphones to wireless headphones—that make our daily lives easier with so many features at our fingertips. Unfortunately, this rapid advancement also has a darker side, as seen in the Reddit story.

People are increasingly becoming victims of digital sex crimes, especially through secret recordings. And it’s no longer just phones being used for these acts; there are countless creative ways that perpetrators misuse technology for harmful purposes.

South Korea is at the epicenter of this troubling trend. In 2021, Human Rights Watch identified the country as a leader in spycam usage for digital sex crimes. Throughout the 2010s, these hidden cameras became widespread, often tucked away in small holes or cracks in walls, especially in women’s public restrooms and motel rooms. Disturbingly, the recorded images and videos are often sold online on various platforms, including popular social media sites like X (formerly Twitter) and Tumblr, without the knowledge or consent of the people being filmed.

Sadly, many victims, particularly women, find that seeking help can lead to even more distress. Instead of receiving the support they need, they often face harsh treatment from the police and are unjustly blamed for what happened to them.

“I cried all night. I couldn’t sleep. I had to take medicine to soothe myself,” recalls Lee Ye-rin (not her real name), who discovered that a watch her boss gifted her had a hidden camera. It had been recording her in her own home for over a month.

While Lee’s boss was ultimately convicted and served a seven-month sentence, the journey to justice was anything but easy. She describes being interrogated for hours by male police officers who grilled her about what she had been doing in her bedroom while being spied on.

“What happened took place in my own room. So sometimes in regular life, I feel terrified without reason,” she shares.

These incidents aren’t just happening in South Korea; they’re a global issue. Recently, many lawsuits have emerged from people finding hidden cameras in Airbnb rentals. Airbnb has acknowledged receiving tens of thousands of customer support tickets related to surveillance devices over the last decade. Since anyone can rent out their property, there’s no guarantee that the owner hasn’t secretly installed a hidden camera. It’s no wonder that a survey by property investment firm IPX1031 found that 58% of over 2,000 Airbnb guests worry about hidden cameras in vacation rentals.

Even more unsettling, victims can find themselves being spied on by those closest to them. A woman in the US reported that her husband had installed spying software on her devices, frequently mentioning private details she had never shared with him.

“Really private things that he shouldn’t have known about,” she explains. “If I asked how he knew these things, he’d say I told him and accuse me of losing it.”

Now divorced, Amy lives miles away from her ex-husband and has a restraining order against him. Yet the trauma from her experience continues to affect her life in significant ways.

Gemma Toynton from the domestic abuse charity Safer Places sees the long-term effects of these invasions of privacy regularly.

“It reduces someone’s trust,” she says. “It makes them see a phone or laptop as a weapon because that’s what it’s been used for.”

“It really does impact your whole life.”

Image credits: cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo)

In the replies, the woman admitted she was nervous about addressing the situation legally

The commenters urged the woman to take action and report her friend to the police

The woman took the advice to heart and filed a police report to protect other potential victims

Image credits: Liza Summer / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: SarahDaniellex

The users were genuinely sorry for what she had experienced and offered their support

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