Local family falls victim to recent video camera hacking

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- A South Bend woman shut off a brand new surveillance camera after the device showed her someone else’s home.

Surveillance cameras around the country have been susceptible to hacking in recent weeks. In some instances, hackers even speak with people in their own homes through the surveillance camera technology.

Ring seemed to be the most common surveillance camera brand in nation-wide hacking scares, but according to experts Ring accounts have not been breached.

“They’re finding breached passwords and usernames from other incidents totally unrelated and then checking to see if members of Ring accounts are reusing passwords on multiple services,” said Lily Newman, an expert.

Barbara Daley hooked up an iTek brand Smart Home camera to monitor her granddaughter, only to find the video footage had switched between her granddaughter and a live video of someone else’s home.

Daley posted on Nextdoor, a social network for local communities, in an attempt to raise awareness and hopefully find the victim.

Daley also operates a daycare out of her home and said she feels unsafe.

“It just makes you concerned,” said Barbara Daley, owner of the surveillance camera. “It makes you real concerned, especially since I watch a lot of other children’s…or other people’s children, you know…it’s got everybody a little concerned.”

Daley regularly uses surveillance cameras in her home as an extra security measure to watch over the children and said she has never experienced any problems.

“A couple of nights before that I had woke up in the middle of the night and there was a light on in the middle of this and my camera was totally shut off so I was kind of wondering after this incident happened…are they viewing me like I was able to view their home,” questioned Daley.

Experts said this scenario could be unlikely, but Daley still has reservations about using the other surveillance cameras within her home.

“It’s scary,” said Daley. “There’s a lot of crazy things going on out there and I don’t want it here.”

Daley said the replacement for the camera will not be from the same brand and suggested that surveillance camera companies take a step of precaution.

“Put a warning on them,” said Daley. “Let parents and everybody know that they’re possibly viewed by somebody you don’t even know.”

ABC 57 reached out to iTek for a statement but did not receive a response.