After a massive lunch, I mistook severe stomach pain for indigestion and tried to sleep it off. A day and a half later, unbearable pain sent me to the hospital, where doctors suspected a ruptured appendix. After surgery, they found my appendix was healthy, leaving the cause of my pain a mystery. Tests showed nothing alarming, and I went home confused.

At my apartment, I noticed an unlocked door, a strange cologne smell, and a blinking smoke detector light—normally solid green. Inside the detector, I found a hidden camera. The police confirmed it was a surveillance device. I recalled a recent short-term renter, Moisés, who seemed overly curious about my Wi-Fi. His rental profile was now deleted.

Hospital records revealed my wallet was logged as missing but returned by an unnamed “family acquaintance”—impossible, as I have no local family. My friend Tazia, a cybersecurity expert, found an unknown device accessed my Wi-Fi during my surgery. A forensics contact suggested I was targeted for identity theft during my hospital stay. My birth certificate and checkbook were stolen. A private investigator linked Moisés, using the alias Eduardo Dias, to a fraud scheme targeting people during medical emergencies. He was arrested with multiple fake IDs. Trusting my gut saved me. Now, with cameras and vigilance, I’m ready.