In an era when everybody is staring at their phones, burglars are banking on people failing to notice the hidden camera in their front yard.
Residents across
The scheme is not unique to any one city or neighbourhood in
In
There were no additional details about the investigation. But the incident speaks to a growing trend: While residents have gone high-tech to protect their homes, so too have criminals.
The secret stakeout
For decades, police agencies have recommended that residents trim the hedges around their homes so they can have a clear view of their surroundings and minimise hiding spots for intruders. Good outdoor lighting is also advised to avoid becoming an easy target for burglars.
But now police agencies are warning people to look out for camouflaged packages in their yards.
A thief can stake out a neighbourhood by driving through the area or posing as a salesperson to see when residents are home,
"It could be any type of camera that is digital and wireless. It could be cheap; it could be expensive," said Sgt.
The cameras that have been discovered and shared by police agencies in recent months are about a quarter the size of a typical mobile phone and usually are attached to a portable battery bank to keep the device charged. Most of the cameras use a memory card, but others are connected to a mobile hot spot that allows the device to send data remotely, according to Abramyan.
"The suspects will go back and retrieve their cameras before they commit a burglary," he added.
Rare, but troubling
Instances of camouflaged cameras being found are rare but have occurred multiple times around the Southland in the last few months.
A
The homeowner told news station KTLA that the neighbor thought they saw some trash in their bush but instead found a bag with a camera and a battery pack inside – and it had been trained on her home. She said the incident was unsettling.
In
During a vehicle search, officers found a video surveillance camera with a portable battery charging pack in a shopping bag. The camera and battery pack were wrapped in plastic green leaves, police said in a news release, and officers found a planter on the street with freshly disturbed dirt that they believed was where the suspects retrieved the camera.
Officers also found in the car several boxes meant to hold jewellery. There was also a construction hard hat and a vest, which could be used to get near a home without drawing attention, police said.
The men were identified as
The groups, made up of Chilean and Colombian nationals, utilise surveillance equipment as part of their tactics to break into homes in affluent neighbourhoods, the
Vargas was previously involved in a high-speed pursuit when
In police dash-cam video, a man police say is Vargas can be seen jumping out of a vehicle as it comes to a stop on a freeway exit. Police observed someone throw several objects out of the vehicle during the pursuit, including a device used to disrupt WiFi signals, according to the department.
WiFi jammers are used by burglars to disrupt home surveillance equipment that typically connect over a wireless internet connection, Abramyan said. Those jammers could potentially disable a doorbell camera that is not hardwired into the home's electrical system.
It's illegal to be in possession of a jamming device but not illegal to sell them, Abramyan said. The jammers are not difficult to purchase online.
Don't get complacent
Incidents of hidden cameras being discovered are isolated but have grabbed media attention, said security consultant
"These ... are good conversations for people to have," said Navarro of ACS Home Security. "You don't want to see people becoming complacent with their home security."
In the security industry, customers oftentimes call ACS after the break-in has already happened, Navarro said.
"That onus falls on the individual to protect their property," he said, "because it really is a cat-and-mouse game."
But there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Here are tips from the
- Make it a practice to regularly inspect around the exterior of your home, and be aware of any suspicious activity in the neighbourhood.
- If you discover a hidden camera, immediately call your local police agency to document and collect the device.
- Shift from wireless to wired. Anyone who wants to deter WiFi jamming can ask their internet provider or an electrician to hardwire their burglary alarm system, connecting it to their router via cables.
- It may be wise to put electronic trackers inside some valuables. The
LAPD recommendsApple Air Tags or similar trackers, which can be placed inside an object – like a purse or a jacket – and tracked via a smartphone. - Protect your circuit breakers. Residents can invest in a padlock for their electrical circuit boxes to deter easy access for burglars who want to interfere with the alarm system.
- Make it harder to break in. The
LAPD recommends that anyone with a sliding door place a metal bar on the bottom tracks to block it from opening, and install motion sensor lighting for when nobody's home. –Los Angeles Times /Tribune News Service