this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2024

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LAPD warns residents after spike in burglaries using Wi-Fi jammers that disable security cameras, smart doorbells (www.tomshardware.com)

submitted 4 months ago by lemmee_in@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world

206 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The Los Angeles Police Department has warned residents to be wary of thieves using technology to break into homes undetected. High-tech burglars have apparently knocked out their victims' wireless cameras and alarms in the Los Angeles Wilshire-area neighborhoods before getting away with swag bags full of valuables. An LAPD social media post highlights the Wi-Fi jammer-supported burglaries and provides a helpful checklist of precautions residents can take.

Criminals can easily find the hardware for Wi-Fi jamming online. It can also be cheap, with prices starting from $40. However, jammers are illegal to use in the U.S.

We have previously reported on Wi-Fi jammer-assisted burglaries in Edina, Minnesota. Criminals deployed Wi-Fi jammer(s) to ensure homeowners weren't alerted of intrusions and that incriminating video evidence wasn't available to investigators.

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[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (4 children)

I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do what I did. I have a WiFi doorbell camera but I also have 13 other cameras that cover the entire perimeter of my house connected to a PoE switch. My switch is on an UPS and connected to an outlet my natural gas generator cutover powers. My office (includes my miniPC running HAOS and frigate) is also on an UPS plugged into outlets my generator cutover powers in a locked cage inside a vented drawer with a 120mm exhaust fan to keep air circulation going in the drawer. All motion is recorded and saved to my local NAS (that is in the same locked cage) for 30 days and it syncs the recordings directory to the cloud. I have isolated cameras that look like usb chargers that record motion on a loop to 128GB micro sd cards aimed at all entry/exit points, hallways, and points is interest. Everything is pretty much set it and forget it. I get notified of any motion on my property regardless of my location and the jpeg captures are immediately sent to a dedicated email I setup should something unforeseen happens to the recorded video. If my or my partners cell phone is not on the WiFi all the cameras (except the doorbell and isolated ones) are set to siren mode on movement detection and they are surprisingly loud especially if two or three are going off at once.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 9 points 4 months ago (3 children)

I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do what I did.

Your setup is fucking insane, and I mean that in a good way. As someone who ran a small team focused on security and who entertained more than one "I totally sploited our OS/let me show you how we suck today so we can fix it" conversations with dizzyingly smart zealots, this setup has excellent layering and coverage. Well fucking done.
Cost. The same people who say "I'm on a pension so they can't steal much from me" without realizing their retirement savings and credit rating are the golden fucking goose, also won't see the benefits to such a cost in capital and setup labour. They won't do it, and they'll see us as nutcases until the leopards have eaten their face.

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I was making a joke using the absurdity of what I put together as a hobby project over the past couple years as an example to reinforce the comment I replied to. I’ve spent my whole career in IT and it’s absurd the level of knowledge a lot of career or even hobbyist IT folks expect the general public to have.

My generator cost $8k installed.

I ran all the cables myself, still cost $1k for the materials.

Doorbell camera $200.

PoE cameras averages to $174 each or ~$2,500

UPS’s: $300 combined

MiniPC: $500

Cage and mounts: $150

Isolated cameras: $30 ea

SD cards: $15 ea

All told I have over $13k invested easily and it would easily be over twice as much without knowing how to do it myself. Anyone giving folks shit for using WiFi security systems is out of touch.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Fence with a lock on it is a lot cheaper. Crazy how much people will spend on surveillance, given how little it does to achieve deterrence.

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 months ago

I got insurance. I’d help load the truck rather than get shot if someone broke into my house and I was home. This has mostly been a fun project hobby that I can continuously tinker with while working in my office from home. I’ve had a lot of trouble finding a hobby I’m able to stick to that is mentally challenging and rewarding to me. The progressive learning has been great and has me excited to continue with further integration. That said. I will have evidence for police and insurance. I also enjoy watching the deer and other wildlife without going outside which tends to change their behavior.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 2 points 3 months ago

I very much doubt they genuinely have all that, this is pretty obviously sarcasm.

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 months ago

Also, thank you, that’s nice to hear from someone in that line if business

[–] Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Family members will think twice about masturbating in your house.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 months ago

Nah, they'll just do it while staring directly at the camera. Gotta get that eye contact.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 5 points 3 months ago

You've absolutely nailed the smug tone some of the comments here have, good work.

Also, imagine explaining all that to my mum, you'd be there all week.

[–] TheObviousSolution@lemm.ee 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If my or my partners cell phone is not on the WiFi all the cameras (except the doorbell and isolated ones) are set to siren mode on movement detection

Is this something you coded, or are there security camera brands that support it natively?

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 months ago

The only part I coded was sending the api calls to cameras to turn on/off siren mode. I relied on a lot of other folks reverse engineering to help me along.