Home security cameras are supposed to give people a peace of mind and a sense of security, not instill fear. But for the LeMay family, a home security camera created the ultimate nightmare.
Ashley LeMay purchased the Ring security camera during a Black Friday sale for the bedroom where all three of her daughters sleep, reports WMC5 News. The camera allowed the mom to watch and speak to her girls from the convenience of her phone, while she worked night shifts.
However, after the camera was installed, the kids started hearing music playing, banging sounds and eventually…a man’s voice speaking directly to them.
“I’m your best friend. I’m Santa Claus,” the unidentified, creepy man said. Alyssa, all alone, called for her mom and kept asking “Who is that?” Fortunately, Ashley’s husband heard the commotion from his daughters’ room and was able to shut it down, as Ashley was out running an errand. If you want to feel super creeped out, you can watch the clip below of the hacker speaking to Alyssa.
Each time I’ve watched this video it’s given me chills.
A Desoto County mother shared this Ring video with me. Four days after the camera was installed in her daughters’ room she says someone hacked the camera & began talking to her 8-year-old daughter.
More at 6 on #WMC5 pic.twitter.com/77xCekCnB0
— Jessica Holley (@Jessica_Holley) December 10, 2019
“They could have watched them sleeping, changing. I mean they could have seen all kinds of things,” Ashley tells WMC5 News. “Honestly, my gut it makes me feel like it’s either somebody who knows us or somebody who is very close by.” Since the incident, the camera has been disconnected and the LeMay family plans to return it.
Ashley admits she had not set up the two-factor authentication for the Ring account, which would have added another level of protection against potential hackers.
A Ring spokesperson shared a statement with WMC5 News about the incident. They claimed it wasn’t actually a security breach, suggesting that someone may have cracked the username and password of the device, allowing them on to the account.
