A Former FBI Agent Recommends This 1 Safety Gadget

You might not always take advice from TikTok, but when a former FBI agent pops up on your FYP, you’d better stop scrolling and listen. Steve Lazarus is an FBI retiree and U.S. Air Force veteran who also writes crime books, so he knows a thing or two about trouble and how to avoid it. In a recent video that’s racked up more than 17 million views, he offers his advice to solo female travelers for staying safe on the road. 

“Predators love hotels,” Lazarus says, “especially when it comes to women traveling alone.” He continues to offer practical tips for protecting yourself, calling out one safety gadget to pack with you, if you can—a hidden camera finder at Amazon. 

In the video, Lazarus lists some precautions you can take when you arrive at a hotel, starting with parking in front of the building, where it’s well lit, and using only the front entrance, never the side doors or stairwells. “During check-in, guard your private space like you’re at an ATM,” he says, reminding us to keep our room numbers concealed at all times. Other tips he suggests: don’t select a floor in the elevator until the door closes, and let other people select their floors first. Do a sweep of the room as soon as you arrive, checking hiding spots and inspecting the locks and peephole for tampering.

“If you want to go full James Bond here, there are affordable devices like this [hidden camera detector] that will scan for radio frequencies, magnets, and infrared, all of which are used in spy cameras and hidden microphones,” Lazarus says. And when it comes to spy cams in your hotel room? Yeah, go “full James Bond.”

Navfalcon Hidden Camera Detector

This hidden camera detector on Amazon costs only $64—actually $50, because it’s on sale—and could save you in a pinch. It has three functions: the camera detector can find various types of cameras and eavesdropping devices, the GPS detector can alert you to magnetic fields generated by GPS trackers, and the infrared setting can locate hidden cameras with night vision. You can adjust the sensitivity using the rotary control at the top of the device.

It’s a handheld gadget (read: carry-on-friendly) that charges with a cable that comes included. With more than 500 ratings—and an impressive 3,000 purchases over the past month—it’s maintained a 4.4-star average. Reviewers say it really works. One tried it in rooms where they intentionally placed test devices and reported that “the detector worked flawlessly—it quickly located every hidden transmitter and camera we had set up.”

Navfalcon Hidden Camera Detector

In the video, Lazarus goes on to recommend another essential safety item to add to your arsenal. “Before you turn in for the night, consider putting a wedge alarm under the door,” he says, adding that these devices are inexpensive, loud, and “will scare the crap out of someone trying to sneak into your room during the night.” We found one on Amazon for just $6.

Monsin Door Stop Alarm

In addition to spy cameras and siren-sounding door stops, there are plenty of other affordable safety gadgets you can keep with you for added security when traveling solo. Below are five more items that Lazarus would no doubt approve of, from a portable safe and temporary door lock to a $13 blacklight that can detect bed bugs. Stock up on these safety essentials at the links below.

More Safety Gadgets for Solo Travel at Amazon

Esco Lite UV Flashlight Black Light

AceMining Portable Door Lock

Aroeally Hidden Camera Detector

Securityman Door Stopper Security Bar

Amazon Basics Portable Safe

At the time of publishing, the price started at $50.

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.