This Morning, I caught Someone Messing With My Air Vent... Possibly A Camera...

I'd ask the police to investigate.

I'd say it was a 3 letter agency; but they wouldn't make the mistake of putting a line into your home while you are there....unless you are always there? Then again it could be the construction crew, are actually 3 letter agencies playing pretend construction workers. Doubt they wouldn't just wait till you are asleep to run a line....They can detect thermal images through walls and could easily see when you are asleep. Unless they are trying to pretend as construction workers and can't get access late at night.

I doubt this scenario.

My guess would be some web creeper looking for kids rooms or someone naked.

They are lucky it wasn't me. I'd call the cops first....Wait for them to do their little pointless investigation that would go nowhere. Then call landlord and demand that if something isn't done immediately that I'm breaking the lease....the whole time claiming PEDO's are using cams like that to find kids....Say lawyer and special investigator a bunch. Probably 9 times out of 10 it's the landlord anyways.

Then I would sit outside my place on a chair and confront everyone that came out of their places and let them know, that I know about the child predators. Probably get bored, so then I'd start knocking on doors....because fuck patience!

A/C duct work being done and the workman was looking for a clogged vent.

Ask yourself why would someone want to spy on you?

Is there anything special about you?

That is what I'm saying.... I'm thinking it could just be the work men doing their jobs....

It was just the shock of discovering that's all....

Nope... Nothing special about me... No reason to be spied on either....

Did the wire/camera look similar to this?

[link to www.amazon.com (secure)]

Giving OP benefit of doubt that this is a true story. This could end very badly (gangstalker, rape or murder). Best case, you end up on a fettish website, not good either. So:

1) Call the police immediately to take a report and search the premises. They should question the neighbor on the side(s) that shares that vent shaft, though it could theoretically have come from a different floor as well. Also consider as possible suspects any maintenance/repairmen or other strangers that have been to your apartment or seen you coming & going. If you have a strong knowledge of who may have done it, attempt to get a restraining order on them.

2) Start looking for another place to live.

3) Warn your (other) neighbors of suspected criminal voyeurism on the premises

4) Notify your landlord that based on this safety issue you a declaring your right to get out of your lease at will with no penalties, unless/until the perp is incarcerated.

5) Get a gun and training, and a conceal-carry permit. Also get a security review of your apartment (Police will do for free).

6) If you decide to (or have no choice but to) stay: Get a dog & and alarm system. Make sure you have good blinds/drapes. Finally, do not walk around naked, change in the bathroom. Carve up some shoeboxes to divert the air at right angles (like a baffle box) and tape over every vent.

7) Get somebody who is geeky/good with electronics, to sweep your apartment for other cameras or devices. There are tools available to help with this (to detect signals, RF noise, etc.)

8) Get a friend or family member to check in with you AM and PM daily.

9) Even if you move, know that there is a possibility that the problem will follow you depending on the motivation, etc.

Each apt should have its own HVAC system.

Do you share your gas electric bill with another apt?

Find out where your HVAC system is and see if there's a work order for vent inspection.

Hmmm... I'd say similar in thickness, yes.... The camera though looked a bit more rounded on the end....

I was going to say, "who the hell lives in an apartment". Then saw you were in the UK and laughed.

How anyone over the age of 24 can live in an apartment is one mystery I will never understand.

Yeah my thoughts also...

No I don't share my bills with others in the apartments....

There's a phone app that detects hidden cameras. (Useful for hotel rooms, air bnb etc.) You might want to download one. If they tried once they may try again.

I could.... But honestly, after seeing that what I spotted this morning, I'm out of here....

That was my guess. Some perv trying to get a peek at the old coocheroo.

On one hand, it was probably just a air conditioning guy working on the apartment next door.
On the other hand you can not determine intent.

If op is a 23 years old runway model, with a penchant for wearing leather, I'd be toasting a HVAC tech with a blowtorch and pliers.

If op is 60s librarian who dresses for warmth and comfort, it was probably a wayward inspection camera in a shared ventilation duct.

Well luckily, I was fully dressed and had already showered so they wouldn't have seen anything.... Thankfully...

Could it have been an HVAC person? Looking for obstructions or air gaps in the duct work?

Do some investigating before jumping to conclusions , retard

Jumping to what conclusions, exactly?....
Lol...

I've already been saying to everyone that it is possible that it is just the workers next door doing their jobs....

I only stated what I found.... I did not jump to any conclusions.....

I only hoped there'd be someone who knew about any of this stuff before I actually do get onto the phone to report this to the police....

And before you say it, yes, of course I'm going to call the police if I find out that this wasn't the workers....

So you can do some reading on what I've said within the thread before you go jumping to conclusions,"retard!".....

Looks like we found the stalker.

Lol...

Call the police!

Are you hot? Like model hot? OR average?

Coax cable

Could be a floor temperature cable. Sometimes the ends can look like a camera.

She was able to grab it. That's a little out of workman boundary. Do not forget that detail

Workmen can be pervs too..

reading this thread more carefully, I supposed it could be related to adjacent construction/renovation, an inspection camera, etc., but I'd still call the police and let them rule that out. And now seeing that you're in the UK, i take back the "get a gun" recommendation, but if you were here in the States I'd still say that...