Clever thieves use WiFi jammers to turn off those crappy security cameras you bought on Amazon

Residents in Los Angeles are being cautioned by the local police department about the use of WiFi jammers by thieves. These jammers are being employed to effortlessly disable “connected” security cameras and sirens. It is worth noting that these jammers can be acquired inexpensively from online marketplaces such as Amazon.

According to a report by Los Angeles news station KTLA5, tech-savvy criminals have been employing wifi jammers, compact gadgets capable of disrupting wireless devices and overwhelming them with excessive traffic. This alarming development allows them to enter homes undetected, bypassing security systems and alarms. In light of this, it raises concerns about the effectiveness of security devices such as Ring and Eufy in safeguarding affordable housing.

Tom’s Hardware recently highlighted incidents of criminals utilizing WiFi jammers, a trend that has been observed for many years. These devices are readily available for purchase online at a relatively low cost of $40.

Despite their illegality in the United States from a technical standpoint…

According to a 2020 FCC alert, the utilization of phone jammers, GPS blockers, or any other signal jamming devices that are specifically created to deliberately obstruct, disrupt, or interfere with authorized radio communications is in direct violation of federal law.

The warnings, however, seem to have been ignored. In the past month, authorities in Minnesota found that nine robberies in a span of six months were carried out using WiFi jammers. Thankfully, the criminals continue to target unoccupied residences without resorting to violence.

The Los Angeles Police Department is advising homeowners to consider hardwiring their alarm systems in response to the recent situation, rather than relying solely on WiFi. Additionally, they are emphasizing the importance of ensuring adequate lighting for homes during nighttime.

It is also advised by the LAPD to ensure that your departure from your residence for an extended duration remains undisclosed to anyone.

Mobile phones function as two-way radios that establish communication via cell towers. cell phone jammer operate by transmitting a powerful signal on the identical frequencies employed by mobile devices, disrupting communication between the device and the cell tower. Consequently, the mobile device becomes inoperable and shows “No Network” on the screen.

Cell phone jammers prevent and disable any mobile phone communications from entering specific areas of a building or open space to

1. Safeguard against the potential threat of industrial espionage by implementing measures to prevent the unauthorized use of mobile devices for eavesdropping or capturing images through cameras (phones).
2. Addressing the menace of terrorist threats involves countering activities like the remote detonation of explosives in areas prone to high risk.
3. Public nuisances in locations like movie theaters, restaurants, and churches should be eradicated.

Various sizes and shapes are available for this product. There are pocket-sized options as well as larger ones. Additionally, some are cleverly designed to resemble regular cell phones or briefcases.

Things to consider before buying a cell phone jammer:

• What is the effective interference range (more than 10-50 meters)
• Which cellular systems can it block (cdma in north america, gsm in europe and asia, tdma, 4G, 3G, pcs, dcs or all?)
• How many cellular systems (cdma etc..) it can block simultaneously (low-end models can only block 1 type at a time, while more complex models will block multiple systems at a time)
• Appearance: Regular device or one disguised as another type of device?
• Dimensions and weight