The police have reason to believe that this technology has been employed in a sequence of nine robberies in Edina.
It has come to the attention of authorities in Edina, Minnesota that a serial burglar has been employing a Wi-Fi jammer to disrupt the functioning of connected security cameras. This strategic move enables the burglar to carry out thefts and abscond with the valuable possessions of their victims.Minnesota is generally not recognized for its technological innovations, so it is understandable that incidents involving Wi-Fi jammers being used to facilitate burglaries in the U.S. have been documented for several years. This serves as a reminder that technology is being leveraged by criminals, and an increasing number are becoming adept at utilizing it -- thus, homeowners should take steps to protect themselves.
The Edina police force suspects that a total of nine burglaries that transpired in the past half-year may have involved the utilization of Wi-Fi jammers to prevent the retrieval of incriminating video footage by investigators. It is believed that the individuals behind these crimes have a specific modus operandi:
- Houses are found in affluent localities.
- The homes are closely observed by burglars.
- The robbers evade direct conflict, seeming to prefer waiting for houses to be deserted.
- Capitalizing on the vacancy of a house, the criminals will activate Wi-Fi jammers.
- Safes, jewelry, and other premium designer items are frequently the objects of theft.
In an interview with KARE11, a security expert provided insights into the operation of signal jammer. The expert clarified that these devices do not block signals but rather cause wireless devices to become disoriented. By overwhelming wireless traffic, wifi jammer effectively impede the passage of genuine traffic, as explained to the source publication.
Jamming wireless security devices is a growing trend
A thorough examination of news reports reveals a substantial body of evidence suggesting the involvement of Wi-Fi jammers in various burglary cases. As early as January 2020, a post shared on the Ring community platform recounted an incident where a wireless doorbell successfully deterred a porch thief through a Wi-Fi deauthentication attack. Additionally, an increasing number of reports from 2021 to 2023 highlight instances of burglars utilizing Wi-Fi jamming technology, with the frequency of these occurrences steadily rising over time.
Ring is acknowledged for being one of the companies that popularized video doorbells to address multiple home security concerns, however, other wireless smart home security devices from Blink (Amazon) and Nest (Google) may also be at risk of wireless signal interference.
Before wrapping up, we would like to offer a few recommendations to those who may have concerns regarding the effectiveness of their wireless home security systems. Firstly, consider establishing physical connections for certain devices that support wired connections and enable local storage of recorded footage. Secondly, make use of smart home technology that can create the illusion of someone being present at home. Additionally, your device may have the capability to send alerts in the event of signal or connection interruptions, so it might be worth exploring and adjusting these settings.