In the past few years, home security systems have become increasingly common. In 2023, Parks Associates claimed that 20% of American households now have video doorbells. A separate report by Cove from the same year found that around half of American homes have home security systems installed.
While these devices may make residents feel safer, the devices themselves haven’t always been very secure. Back in 2020, the Daily Dot reported on how much information Ring doorbells were collecting, as well as how easily the devices were being hacked by malicious actors.
Now, a user on TikTok has sparked discussion after revealing her own frightening experience with her home security system.
Being spied on through your home security
TikTok user Amanda (@smalltownalabamagirl) recently recounted a terrifying story that happened to her as a result of her family installing home security cameras.
According to Amanda, she purchased two home security cameras made by a company called Foscam, each one being installed facing a door. These cameras were accessible via an app on her phone.
One day, Amanda says that her son was asleep when Amanda and her husband began hearing music. After determining that the music wasn’t coming from their child’s bedroom, they began to investigate. Amanda’s husband went downstairs to sort out the issue.
“Within about three seconds, that man was flying back up the stairs pale as a ghost,” Amanda recalls. “He said, ‘You’ve got to come down here’… I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ And he said… ’It’s the camera—the camera’s weird.’”
Upon going downstairs, Amanda claims that they heard a man’s voice coming from the security camera.
“He was saying, ‘Peek a boo! I see you!’” Amanda recounts. “We had chills running down our spines. Oh, I’ve never been so scared.”
According to Amanda, the man would talk to them, then play music, and a woman’s voice was heard laughing in the background. To make matters worse, every time the couple would try to move the camera away so that they weren’t visible, the person speaking through the camera would move it right back.
Eventually, the couple was able to unplug the cameras, and they have since been removed from the pair’s home.
“Needless to say, we threw the cameras away, and never again will I have a webcam in my house, ever,” Amanda states.
To close, Amanda warns that those using security cameras should make sure to check their passwords and ensure that the password is “something that no one on the planet could guess.”
Security camera hacking
If not properly secured, home security cameras can be relatively easy to access.
First, if a security camera has no password protection whatsoever, anyone who wants to access it who has the appropriate information to reach the camera can do so. This is how sites like Insecam work, which allows users to view security cameras that have not been properly secured.
Second, some security cameras have a default password that one is supposed to change before implementing the system into their home. Given that many do not change these passwords, a hacker may be able to gain access to one’s home security system by simply inputting the default password.
Finally, even if one secures their system with a strong password, that may not be enough to deter hackers. Data breaches are incredibly common. If the ‘strong’ password you use on your home security is the same as the password you use for an account affected by a data breach, a savvy hacker could use that information against you.
Given all this, it’s no surprise that attacks of the kind experienced by Amanda are relatively common. For example, one internet user claimed that her baby monitor was hacked and that someone began talking to her child at night.
@smalltownalabamagirl If you have webcams in your house please watch this video!!! Dont make the same mistake we did. #webcam #dontdoit #scared #besafe #beware #psa #staysafe #internet #internetsafety #babycamera #babymonitor #creepy #neveragain ♬ original sound – AMANDA | SmallTownAlabamaGirl
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users shared their growing hesitation about using smart devices.
“I dont trust Alexa either. If it can hear you give instructions, it can hear you!!” exclaimed a commenter.
“I had chills listening, i had someone do the same to my cameras and he knew my NAME,” offered another.
“No smart device is safe. We unplugged Alexa because she was talking to our tv and saying weird stuff,” alleged a third.
“You have to use encryption, strong passwords, put them on a separate network, keep them updated with the lates security updates, etc.,” suggested a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Amanda and Foscam via email.
Update 3:36pm CT July 31: In an email to the Daily Dot, the TikToker said that, while she did not contact the manufacturer, she contacted police, who informed her that there was not much that could be done about the situation.
“It could be anyone, anywhere,” she explained. “I wasn’t threatened so there wasn’t anything on their part they could do. I really think it was a password issue on my end, not theirs.”
“At the time I thought I knew about cameras and technology, but clearly, I did not. You live and learn,” she added.
As for whether she replaced the cameras, the TikToker said she did not and has no current plans to do so.
“I will never have a security/web camera in my home again. I just don’t want to take that risk,” she detailed. “The message I would tell people would be to do your homework, ask a professional. Just when you think you are safe enough, you’re not. Hackers are always one step ahead of us. It’s not worth the risk (for me). Be smart and stay safe.”
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
