A Home Depot customer spotted something curious while walking through on the chain’s locations security camera feeds.
While it’s not uncommon to see live feeds of oneself walking in a store, which usually prompts us to pose in front of the camera, what Jono (@jonoooooooooooo) encountered was a bit different.
He documented the bizarre, Inception-esque security camera phenomenon in a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 564,000 views.
@jonoooooooooooo ♬ original sound – jono
“Is this live?” the TikToker asks before flipping the camera orientation to show a security camera directed slightly above his head at an angle in one of the store’s aisle’s.
“Do you see how he’s like, it’s like a guy recording, is that real, or?” he asks, pointing to the picture-in-picture image of a man sitting at a desk and monitoring the security multi-camera interface of the Home Depot. “Oh, he’s picking up the phone,” Jono remarks, as he continues to watch the man in the office.
“Oh my God, I’ve never seen this integration before where—he pointed at the screen!” he gasps before the picture-in-picture image cuts to another employee monitoring the security camera system, indicating that there are multiple loss prevention officers who are looking at different angles of the store to monitor customers who shop at the establishment.
“It’s another guy now too!” Jono exclaims, laughing into the camera lens. He caps off his video by posing in front of the security camera.
One commenter who responded to Jono’s clip wanted to know if the picture-in-picture “integration” the TikToker was referring to was legitimate or some type of stock video footage used to give customers the illusion that there are folks eyeing their every steps. “but someone tell me if it’s fr real,” they asked.
According to Jono’s estimation, it didn’t seem like it was legitimate. “I think it’s a loop,” he commented.
Other people thought that Jono’s video seemed like an absurdist fever dream. “You said ‘he’s picking up the phone’ and I was fully waiting for a phone to ring next to you,” one wrote.
Is Home Depot’s security footage real?
If you’re wondering whether or not the “feed” placed inside of the store’s security recordings is the real deal, you’re not alone.
Several TikTokers thought the footage seemed awfully familiar. As one person claimed, “Why does the same dude watch my store In california.”
Another person had a slightly more traumatic memory: “ITS NOT REAL BRO I VIVIDLY REMEMBER THIS HAPPENING TO ME AS A KID AND I RAN TO MY DAD CRYING.”
One user, claiming to be a Home Depot employee, remarked that the store’s picture-in-picture recording is, in fact, a tactic in the war against store theft. “They had this when I worked at HD they were random recordings our LP were plain clothes on the sales floor,” they said.
Others on the web have noticed this same security worker “monitoring” customers. One Redditor uploaded an image of the employee in question on the site’s r/homedepot sub. “Just wondering if this guy also works at your Home Depot ‘monitoring your security cameras,’” they asked.
A commenter wrote that the worker looked less like they were scrutinizing store guests via electric eye and were more interested in getting a mix tape recorded. “Looks like he’s about to drop the hottest remix of the theme song,” they joked.
However, it appears several Home Depot shoppers have fallen for the chain’s trick.
“Lmao my son actually fell for this when he came to my store one day! He thought he was monitoring from the back room,” one Reddit commenter said.
In 2023, Home Depot was the center of a massive story involving a theft ring headed by a Florida pastor who recruited thieves in recovery to steal items from the retailer he would then go to re-sell online, culminating in millions of dollars in sales.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Home Depot via email and Jono via TikTok comment for further information.
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