A woman’s Moroccan trip turned nightmarish after she found what she says was a hidden camera inside her Airbnb. Pauline (@himynamespaul_) shares how her magical stay in Marrakesh was cut short when she realized she was being secretly recorded.
Pauline’s first clip in a series of TikToks was uploaded on June 30. In it, she shares how she went on a group trip to Morocco with some friends. Her first TikTok shows how a seemingly innocent picture frame randomly appeared inside her Airbnb’s bathroom. Pauline shows a photo frame that holds a stock photo of a Yorkie puppy. It sat on the ledge by the bathtub. The frame, she explains, was not there the day before. It is also angled to directly face her shower.
The video cuts to Pauline holding up the frame to the camera with a flashlight shining on it. “Y’all see the camera right?” she writes in the text overlay. While it is difficult to discern whether there’s a camera inside the frame, one can see that something circular is beneath the plastic. The back of the frame also has an on/off button, an illustration of an SD card, and an option to connect with a USB cable.
Pauline says this wasn’t the only odd thing they noticed about the Airbnb.
In a storytime, the creator says how during the host’s welcome tour, a piece of feces was found inside the fridge in the kitchen. According to Pauline, the host tried to brush it off and grabbed the filth and put it into his pocket. She says that should’ve been her first major red flag. However, at the time, they felt embarrassed for the host, so they didn’t bring it up.
A moving picture frame?
Several viewers thought Pauline was making up the story for clout, so she was forced to bring out the “receipts.” In a follow-up TikTok, Pauline–who filmed the Airbnb house tour when she and her friends first arrived–reveals how the picture frame was in her friend’s bathroom the days before. In the video, the photo frame is conspicuously absent from her bathroom. However, it appears in her friend’s. This means that within the two days they were there, someone moved the frame into her bathroom while she and her friends were out, Pauline says.
The TikToker wasn’t taking any chances. As soon as she noticed the frame, Pauline says she cut her shower short and wrapped herself in a towel. She and her friends ended up calling the police. In her latest clip, she reveals how, after reporting the incident to the Moroccan authorities, the host has been placed in custody, the listing has been removed, and she will seek legal counsel. Pauline says she will not be able to share more until after the court hearing.
‘That’s terrifying’
Pauline’s Airbnb saga earned about 10 million views collectively, leading to thousands of folks sharing in her horror.
“I guarantee you that’s not the only one, that’s just the one you found. Call the cops!” one top comment read. Another asked why hidden cameras “are even sold publicly.” This led Pauline to reply, “Literally on Amazon it’s called a spy frame.” A quick search on the platform indeed shows results for spy frames that appear almost identical to the one Pauline found. The prices range from $30 to $60.
Airbnb and its surveillance problem
The home-sharing platform has often come under fire for hosts’ tendency to use surveillance on unsuspecting guests. In 2024, CNN published a report on the issue Airbnb was facing with indoor surveillance. For its investigation, the news site combed over “2,000 pages of lawsuits and police records” over the hidden camera problem.
One of the major takeaways from the investigation was how “Airbnb has generated tens of thousands of customer support tickets related to surveillance devices over the last decade.” CNN also found out that Airbnb does not have a policy for employees to call law enforcement when a hidden camera has been discovered.
@himynamespaul_ This could happen to anyone. I was secretly recorded in the shower. Check your mirrors, check your outlets. #airbnb ♬ Spooky, quiet, scary atmosphere piano songs – Skittlegirl Sound
The company may strictly prohibit indoor cameras, but it seems hosts still find a way to break that rule. The Mary Sue has reached out to Airbnb for comment. We have also reached out to Pauline via TikTok message.
Update July 4, 2025:
In an email to the Mary Sue, an Airbnb spokesperson provided the following statement:
“Hidden cameras have always been and will always be banned on Airbnb, and issues are exceptionally rare. We are investigating the claims made by the guests and have issued a full refund for the stay.”
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