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Across the US, Popular Video Doorbells Are Recording their Own Thefts (digitaltrends.com)

Posted by msmash on from the stranger-things dept.

There has been an uptick in reports of video doorbells getting stolen, according to local news reports. A story adds: According to the reports, residents are waking up in the morning or coming home at night only to find their video doorbell devices stolen. Typically the devices are screwed into place on the outside of a house, often with mounts or braces to hold them in place. While they are wired into the wall, thieves don't seem to care too much about that. In most cases, residents appear to report the devices have been pried off the side of their home. In some cases, the cameras are able to capture an image of the perpetrator as they are stealing the device. Those images are usually available through mobile apps connected to the doorbell, which might help police track down the person responsible for the theft. However, there's no guarantee that officers will be able to find the thieves, especially if they steal the device while keeping their face and other identifying features covered while on camera. Police are suggesting that people keep track of the serial number on their devices in order to keep track of them and watch in case the devices appear on Craigslist, eBay, or other online marketplaces.

132 comments

  1. Two words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Threat model

  2. This is where Star Wars had it figured out by SuperKendall · · Score: 2, Funny

    I always wondered about those loose easily grabbable and expensive cameras sitting where they could be easily plucked.

    This is yet another case where Star Wars has important life lessons to offer us, this time on the subject of door security.

    Do you think anyone tried to grab Jabba the Hutt's door security camera? Hell no and if they tried to grab it even after it came out from the shielding, you can bet the camera could take care of itself (and the grabber).

    So, still waiting for some company to produce the armored and active Jabba door cam. Been waiting for a while now, come on guys!

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:This is where Star Wars had it figured out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Make one now. Just pay somebody minimum wage to hold the thing from behind the door. Just like in star wars.

    2. Re:This is where Star Wars had it figured out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, they got paid union wages, Star Wars was done under shop rules.

    3. Re:This is where Star Wars had it figured out by PPH · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Get Rolls Royce to build one.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    4. Re: This is where Star Wars had it figured out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And then you will have the poor wittle burgler suing the shit out of you because you dared protect your property in a way that got him hurt.

        Then the media will call you "evil", and "worse than Hitler", blah blah blah, and you will be painted as this big evil homeowner thug it a giant cigar sticking out of the side of your mouth, and the burglar as a tiny wayward child wearing a lace collar, giant blue doe eyes , and carrying a big lolly-pop.

      OK, this is a bit of an exaggaration, but not by much!

  3. just an idea... by kiviQr · · Score: 2

    ... if they could ring back home "maybe" we could know their location!?

    1. Re:just an idea... by redback · · Score: 1

      they rely on wifi so will lose connection once they are taken away from the house.

    2. Re:just an idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If we assume the thieves are stealing them to resell them (and not because they find video cameras personally offensive), then unless they are taking steps to change internal serial #’s or mac addresses I would think/hope that the service provider could identify (reported as) stolen units and help track them down.

      Ex: A few years back I loaned a Dropcam (now Nestcam) to a friend. He gave it back after some testing but hadn’t reset it or removed it from his account. As a result, I had to call the service provider on the phone and them verify I was the one who had ordered it (they actually checked my purchase/billing history with them) before they would allow it to be re-associated with a different account.

      Not a perfect system, but far better than the old model with cell phones where once it is factory reset, anyone can use the stolen property.

    3. Re: just an idea... by javaman235 · · Score: 1

      Why wouldnt they do that? If it works off WiFi, it can always connect to the main site when new network is detected, text/email them for confirmation to activate it or confirm sale to new person to reset account, or report gps location if stolen.

      Maybe the crooks want the camera gone more than they want the camera though.

      --
      -The art of programming is the pursuit of absolute simplicity.
    4. Re: just an idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      most wifi has a password, so how is it going to communicate?
      and would it be a good idea for it to connect to any open wifi that comes near?

      I hope "javaman235" refers to coffee, cause if your a coder your shit at security (do you happen to work on IOT crappy stuff?)

  4. And what then? by Fremandn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Unless the perpetrator kills someone in the process, are the police going to do anything even if they know who did it?

    --
    I'm NaN, I'm a free variable.
    1. Re:And what then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no.
      unless it was their doorbell, or one of the "important" people.

    2. Re:And what then? by WolfgangVL · · Score: 3, Informative

      The trick to motivating the police here in America is using the 2 magic words.

      "Officer, they stole my doorbell, my DRUGS, and my GUNS!"

      Cops will be crawling all over the place looking for things to seize.

      --
      You are being ripped off every second of every day, so that advertisers can help rip you off even more tomorrow.
    3. Re:And what then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They may have called round and not got an answer.

    4. Re:And what then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot to point out that the thieves were black. The SWAT team would quickly arrive.

    5. Re:And what then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Officer, they stole my doorbell, my DRUGS, and my GUNS!"

      "Officer, they stole my doorbell, my DRUGS, and my GUNS! But they left my MONEY and my CARS!"

      Now they're coming to look for things to seize.

  5. Good follow up to previous story. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    The Negroes caught on video stealing the doorbells can then visit with their fambly on prison video chats. Pretty cool the way that works out.

    1. Re: Good follow up to previous story. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Video chats would be pretty rockin if we had more white people in prison
      Surfers: I'm gettin out soon for sure dude
      Geeks: don't lean so far you're messing up the resolution
      DIY Celebrities: and there you have it, a perfect prison shank sharpener

    2. Re: Good follow up to previous story. by stevenfuzz · · Score: 1

      Aweful

    3. Re:Good follow up to previous story. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you ever searched for 'porch pirate videos'? Nearly always white people, at least half of them women. In fact the most racist people I know have been common thieves.

    4. Re: Good follow up to previous story. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It makes you full of awe? Man, that's awful.

  6. The world continues to surprise me by ZorinLynx · · Score: 1

    I never figured thieves would be dumb enough to steal what is basically a FREAKING SECURITY CAMERA, but then the stupidity to which criminals will sink has never had a lower limit, has it?

    Aren't pretty much all of these permanently tied to an account so they'd be useless to the thieves anyway?

    1. Re:The world continues to surprise me by DRJlaw · · Score: 3, Informative

      Aren't pretty much all of these permanently tied to an account so they'd be useless to the thieves anyway?

      It's cute that you think that these are equipped with secure enclaves and such like a cellular phone rather than a hard reset like your garden variety WiFi router or IoT device.

      Security is something to add in v4 so that you capture a an additional round of upgrades after the early adopters and first wave mass adopters get burned by having multi-hundred-dollar pieces of equipment wander off.

    2. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Demand kills supply, so no.

    3. Re:The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Meth heads will steal anything out of your yard that's not anchored down (and most things that are too). Plants, sprinklers, lawn furniture, dogs, decorative rocks, cement fountains, garbage cans, garbage. And yes this includes security cameras.

      And yes, these products have unique identifiers that make them useless to anyone but the original owner - Since they're only able to talk to the service provided by the manufacturer.

      - But that's too many layers of abstraction who's just looking to get their fix. Anything they think they can hawk for a buck is fair game. If it's electronic and on the shelf of the local Walmart or Best Buy it's automatically a priority.

      These cameras are really just for convenience and piece of mind. They let you know who was at your door and when - And they let you know that the package stolen off your front porch really is some random tweaker and not your nextdoor neighbor or the kid across the street. (Just knowing what happened is remarkably therapeutic, even if your package is gone)

    4. Re:The world continues to surprise me by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      Aren't pretty much all of these permanently tied to an account so they'd be useless to the thieves anyway?

      It's cute that you think that these are equipped with secure enclaves and such like a cellular phone rather than a hard reset like your garden variety WiFi router or IoT device.

      Security is something to add in v4 so that you capture a an additional round of upgrades after the early adopters and first wave mass adopters get burned by having multi-hundred-dollar pieces of equipment wander off.

      You don't need a secure enclave to lock them out. These devices requires you to create an account with the manufacturer, so Ring/Nest/etc will have a record of both the serial number and who owns it.

      When they're hard reset, the serial number doesn't change. All they need to do is prevent re-registration of the same camera again on their system.

    5. Re:The world continues to surprise me by dgatwood · · Score: 2

      This. I've been of the opinion for a while that any hardware costing more than $100 should be required by law to have a lock-out feature that prevents unauthorized use, in such a way that if the user locks himself/herself out, it can only be unlocked by the manufacturer after providing the original proof of purchase or some other plausible chain of custody from the original purchaser.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    6. Re:The world continues to surprise me by Zeroko · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That seems like it might be used by some manufacturers as an excuse to effectively prevent selling of used devices. Which is not to say that it would be a net negative—just that it can be abused.

    7. Re:The world continues to surprise me by sjames · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Then, possibly less than a year after the thing hits the shelves, the company loses interest and you're just out over $100 because they've been "discontinued".

    8. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and yet i have a device that lets me reset your serial and your IMEI. Also, it is still hardware, it doesn't have to be programmed for its service provider. You can create your own hosting and provisions and never have it leave your systems.

    9. Re:The world continues to surprise me by QuasiEvil · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Criminals are, for the most part, not the brightest bulbs on the tree, which is mostly why they're only an inconvenience in the grand scheme of things and not a tremendous threat to civilization. It's certainly not the cops (at least not those around here) who protect us from petty crime.

        I had some idiot break into my truck, in my driveway and in plain view of three different security cameras, and steal a variety of rather worthless items - prescription glasses, my old radio scanner, and (worst) my half-broken 3-year-old cell phone (cracked screen, 802.11 radio no longer worked, etc. but I was still using it). Called the cops, gave them the videos that showed the guy's face, and told them the phone was still on so I could get its location. The phone was getting good coverage (gps was reporting +/- 20ft error), and given its presence in a wooded ravine about a mile away known to be a homeless hangout, I suspected it was still with the thief. Literally all the deputy would have had to do was drive over and I'd call it. Bust the guy, haul him in. Nope. We'll take a report, call your insurance company, we don't plan to do anything. Yet later that day, on my way to replace my sunglasses, they had plenty of time to pull me over for 7 over the speed limit.

    10. Re:The world continues to surprise me by phantomfive · · Score: 2

      In California, if they don't steal more than ~$1000 worth of stuff, the courts won't convict them. So the police have responded by not even arresting them.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    11. Re:The world continues to surprise me by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      That practice should already be prohibited under the right of first sale (though I will admit that there has been some erosion of that right, particularly with digital downloads). That said, it might still make sense to include some additional consumer protections in such a law, to prevent that sort of abuse.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    12. Re:The world continues to surprise me by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      Yeah, clearly, we need more than just one new consumer protection law. That said, this is already a problem even without hardware designed to prevent unauthorized use (e.g. Jibo). There's certainly reasonable grounds for demanding that any product selling for more than some trivial dollar amount should have a guaranteed period of support, with all of the cloud services, etc. prepaid in advance, and some reasonable surety bond that covers paying staff to continue operating that hardware, perform repairs, etc. for that guaranteed period.

      It would also make sense for such a law to explicitly waive those requirements if the company agrees to maintain their server-side stack as fully open source software under a sufficiently consumer-friendly, OSI-approved license and if the company also provides a way for users to easily point their devices at an alternative server of their choosing.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    13. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 2

      I am not a lawyer, but here is how it was explained to me: You can resell it, but right of first sale does not obligate the original company to re-register the device. If they say that registration costs them money (any amount), then unless they are paid again by the new owner, they are not obligated to provide the service. And they do not have to accept payment from the new owner. So I could legally buy a video door bell device from you (company cannot stop that), but the video of my front door would continue to go to your cell phone.

    14. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 2

      Courts? Judges do not decide guilt, so you must be talking about juries. Are you saying your juries find them not guilty unless $1k? How does that happen? Why is your populace so forgiving? Or is it actually prosecutors who will not bring the cases to the court?

    15. Re: The world continues to surprise me by LostMyAccount · · Score: 2

      The court schedules are clogged and everyone involved is fine with a bench trial, so the defense attorney asks for one.

      The jail and prison system reports its expected population levels and how many new prisoners it can take in the next N days. They have to keep space for violent felons, so there's no space for small-time thieves.

      Ergo, the judge doesn't sentence prison time and the system helps this whole process along with a non-custodial plea bargain. Better yet, "everyone" thinks that stayed sentences which are expunged after 2-3 years are better for the criminal and society (no bothersome record to impede jobs or housing), so that's what they get.

      Incarcerating nearly 1% of your population is hard.

    16. Re: The world continues to surprise me by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      We really need to clamp down on that hard. Companies use the excuse of not being obligated to provide services to the second owner to make used items basically worthless, and thereby destroy the second hand market.

      Everything that requires some kind of service to work should have a minimum of 5 years support (longer for long lived things like cars) and that support must be transferable to any new owner.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    17. Re:The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, maybe America should try something else in regard to its massive homeless problem, such as maybe having a social safety net.

      Then your sunglasses wouldn't have been stolen, then you wouldn't have been caught speeding, and then that record wouldn't have stopped you getting that job in 2021, and that job would have led to a CTO role at $2m+ a year.

      All because America buries its social problems.

    18. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 1

      That's a tricky thing to legislate. I don't believe most of these devices are left alone because the company wants to drop customers. But if the devices don't sell well enough, the company goes under, and the service gets discontinued. How do you legislate that a bankrupt company continue to provide services?

      I think instead of the 5-year requirement, just make law requiring that any service contract provided to the first buyer must be transferrable to the second buyer, provided the second buyer continues to pay the original service contract (and if the service is a free service, well, that makes it easy for the second buyer to keep paying). I'd need time to consider secondary effects of such a law -- this is an area where it would be easy to have unforseen consequences -- but it feels to me like that would be the minimal legal requirement needed to make the market function as desired by consumers.

    19. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 1

      For petty theft, there's plenty of punishments that don't involve jail time. Restitution and community service are the most obvious. And the existence of a record is key in the event that future crimes are committed to evaluate fair sentencing then. And let's not forget that a brush with the law for a relatively minor crime can be a big inducement against that behavior for teens, esp. if parents get involved. No, it isn't a panacea, and there are plenty of kids in homes where it would be shrugged off, but it seems surprising to me that it isn't worth pursuing just because of a lack of jail space.

    20. Re:The world continues to surprise me by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      Meth heads will steal anything out of your yard that's not anchored down (and most things that are too). Plants, sprinklers, lawn furniture, dogs, decorative rocks, cement fountains, garbage cans, garbage. And yes this includes security cameras.

      The cure - prep the most attractive items with high voltage - like 1kV DC. You need to know someone with an excavator though.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    21. Re: The world continues to surprise me by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      You could require that in the event of bankruptcy whoever buys the assets has to maintain the service. If the assets can't be sold then the liquidator should use the money available to maintain the service, or release as much information as possible so that people can set up their own servers or install open source firmware.

      I anticipate that one of the consequences of such a law would be that devices become less reliant on central servers, which is a good thing. It should also help discourage companies from abusing an online requirement in order to lock the owner in to their revenue stream or break the second hand market.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    22. Re: The world continues to surprise me by LostMyAccount · · Score: 2

      True problem criminals usually wind up arrested in weeks or months at most, so no expungement is going to hide them. I mostly agree that saddling someone with a lifelong criminal history for a single instance of petty crime is a mistake, especially if complicates jobs or housing -- economics is a big driver towards further criminality if legitimate employment isn't an option.

      The lack of jail space is a real issue. I interned in the legislature and was told by our state's prison director that the sentencing guidelines flexed based on some complex formula involving projected prison space. If you're going to sentence someone to prison, you have to have a place to actually put them. The relief valve was releasing inmates early, mostly males over 40 who were seen as unlikely to reoffend (single violent crime, committed early 20s, no history of discipline problems behind bars). The average length of incarceration for *all* crimes including murder was just 7 years, you take out a handful of people serving life or 30 year stretches and that number dropped a lot -- nobody stays in jail for long for any non-violent offense.

      Prisons are fucking expensive to build and operate as a facility alone, let alone the costs of inmates individually (food, medical, etc). If you want them locked up you have to either be willing to put forward the money to run the institutions right or stop locking people up.

      Frankly, start with the failure that is the war on drugs. Stop arresting anyone with less than an ounce of anything, whether its heroin or marijuana. Just don't bother. If you must, keep arresting actual dealers with kilos/pounds, but the ones in between an ounce and a kilo? Just confiscate the supply, the cartels/bosses will take care of sloppy dealers on their own.

      I'd actually like to see freed up police effort on better patrolling/protection of residential areas and property crime enforcement. That's real quality of life stuff, but I don't have any illusions you can imprison away that problem. Interdiction and raising the risk level to property thieves should help drive down that number, as well as broadening the ability of people to defend their property with deadly force.

    23. Re:The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Should have just taken care of it yourself.

    24. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "For petty theft, there's plenty of punishments that don't involve jail time."

      Like cutting off the hand of the offender. I like your way of thinking.

    25. Re: The world continues to surprise me by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Courts? Judges do not decide guilt, so you must be talking about juries

      Judges frequently throw cases out of court. They're not deciding guilt, they're saying, "this case is silly, go home."

      There is a whole world of legal action you are unaware of. You might want to read a book about law and peek into that world. Real law, not Perry Mason.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    26. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just don't buy a security camera that needs 'a service'. Not only is there the troubles with reselling, or the thing becoming worthless if the service company dies.

      There is also privacy. No corporation shall have images from my security cameras - therefore, no 'cloud solution'. And so no privacy issues. My phone connects directly to the camera - no middleman.

    27. Re:The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it depends on the city, I had 3K stolen from my truck and they whinged about giving me a fucking report so I could go to the insurance company. the ass even told me "this report could hurt our crime statistics" maybe if you assholes would cleanup the petty crime which is done by the same small handful of people! things would get better on their own..

    28. Re: The world continues to surprise me by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      You could require that in the event of bankruptcy whoever buys the assets has to maintain the service. If the assets can't be sold then the liquidator should use the money available to maintain the service, or release as much information as possible so that people can set up their own servers or install open source firmware.

      Simpler laws tend to work better, so I'd suggest the simpler approach.

      For any product with a cost of $100 or more, if that product requires the use of servers maintained by the company or any third party for any significant portion of its functionality, the company shall either:

      • Design the product to allow the use of alternative servers and make the server software available to the end user under an OSI-approved open source license OR
      • Guarantee the continued operation of that service for a minimum period of ten years AND provide a surety bond to cover the cost of that continued operation in the event of the company becoming unable to do so. This guarantee shall not be discharged by bankruptcy, lien, or tort.

      And you're done.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    29. Re:The world continues to surprise me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...aaand, all we gotta do is believe you.

    30. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 1

      I am aware that judges throw out silly cases, but that's most commonly civil cases. The judges in the states I've lived in (not California, the state in question) generally don't toss criminal charges because that would be a finding of fact, and judges are trained not to do that. They may encourage a prosecutor to drop small charges or encourage a plea bargain (that they do A LOT). But if a prosecutor says that a crime has been committed, and the judge sees that the legislative branch has specified that crime as warranting a trial and punishment, then the court is generally obliged to let it proceed. Petty theft is not something that judges have a lot of discretion about.

    31. Re: The world continues to surprise me by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      A finding of fact is not the same as throwing out a case.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    32. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 1

      Finding that a case is silly is a finding of fact about the case.

    33. Re: The world continues to surprise me by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Lol I find your comment silly, but mostly it's pretty clear you don't understand law.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    34. Re: The world continues to surprise me by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 1

      I am not a lawyer, true. I do a fair bit of reading on the subject. If you don't mind, please explain how the judge can evaluate a case and say "this particular case is silly" without knowing and evaluating the facts of the case?

    35. Re:The world continues to surprise me by bonehead999999 · · Score: 1

      That's because the former is a cost generator, while the latter is a revenue generator.

    36. Re: The world continues to surprise me by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Have you ever been to court for a traffic ticket and had the judge dismiss the ticket? A question of fact is a dispute over what happened. The judge here isn't disputing what happened, he is saying, "even if everything the prosecution claims to be fact is actually true, here is what the rules of the law allows me to do." A related topic is summary judgement.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  7. I looked at these. by WolfgangVL · · Score: 1

    And they just scream STEAL ME. Meshes well with the battery operated wireless security cameras.

    The entire thing just looks like thief bait to me.

    --
    You are being ripped off every second of every day, so that advertisers can help rip you off even more tomorrow.
    1. Re:I looked at these. by reboot246 · · Score: 2

      Thief bait . . . . . hmmmmm . . . . . that gives me some ideas. Extra wire which, when broken, unlocks the gate and lets the pit bulls out. Or something along those lines. I guess Claymores would be going a bit too far.

      But I honestly believe that porch pirates deserve killing.

    2. Re:I looked at these. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pepper spray behind the camera.

    3. Re: I looked at these. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Throw in some spray paint and an airsoft claymore at balls level.

      As to the GP, the only thing in my house I couldn't replace in a day would be my dogs. I'd let you steal my tv, laptop, game consoles or whatever you can carry rather than deal with paperwork, but I'd kill you if it was that or let my dog go.

      People who say they want to sick their dogs on other people are twisted.

    4. Re:I looked at these. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ASG mine like Mad Bull filled with pepper spray.
      or something like hot sauce with potency measured in 1-5 million in Scoville scale.
      It is still a food not weapon. just friendly food fight ...
      If you see person running in circles and screaming this is your thief.

  8. Free replacement by NickDngr · · Score: 2

    I have a Nest Hello. If it gets stolen, Nest will replace it for free as long as I file a police report.

    --
    Yoda of Borg am I! Assimilated shall you be! Futile resistance is, hmm?
    1. Re:Free replacement by OzPeter · · Score: 1

      I have a Nest Hello. If it gets stolen, Nest will replace it for free as long as I file a police report.

      Sounds like a business model!

      Yes officer, it sure is strange that I've had 3 doorbells stolen in the last week.

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    2. Re:Free replacement by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      How many thefts before the police tell you to screw off and keep valuable electronics inside your house?

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    3. Re: Free replacement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You file a report. They dont have to do anything with it. They wont. You are missing the point.

    4. Re: Free replacement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You file a report. They dont have to do anything with it. They wont. You are missing the point.

      Yes, it's not the dumb cunt who thinks he's going to make a living filing false police reports and then reselling video doorbells who's missing the point. Thanks for the injection of common sense!

    5. Re:Free replacement by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      The first time. It has a limit of 1 use. And they won't repair the wall that the perp ripped it out of.

      Also your home insurance will go up due to having filed a crime report.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    6. Re:Free replacement by MerlTurkin · · Score: 1

      Then the next one will get stolen. Rinse and repeat. Useless cameras. Just install a normal cam where they can't reach it pointed at the door. Maybe in a spot they don't expect it to be away from the door.

  9. So... who watches the watchers? by ZoomieDood · · Score: 1

    Stay tuned! Maybe thieves will be back for the replacements.

    1. Re: So... who watches the watchers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You always want to leave something valuable out for thieves or they get irked and vandalize

    2. Re:So... who watches the watchers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      they'll be back before then to swipe the amazon and other online orders that end up getting left on your now camera-free porch.

  10. Ring has this covered by sew3521 · · Score: 1

    Ring already has instructions in place if this happens. Good news, they will replace it for free. https://support.ring.com/hc/en...

    1. Re:Ring has this covered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My cock ring was stolen once. Your sister replaced it for free.

    2. Re: Ring has this covered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I found your missing cock ring in your sisters ass. I will leave it on the porch for you.

    3. Re:Ring has this covered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, but it was so small it didn't cost her much.

  11. Ring replaces your doorbell for free when stolen. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What to do if Your Ring Device is Stolen
    Question: My Ring device was stolen! What should I do and is there anything that Ring can do to help me?

    Answer: Yes. Ring has a procedure and policy in place that will help you get a free replacement Ring device as quickly as possible after your Ring device has been stolen. The remainder of this article contains the steps you should follow.

    Immediately report the theft to the police. Before you do anything else regarding your stolen Ring device, you should report the theft to the police. Follow their instructions regarding what you should do until an officer arrives to take your report. They may tell you not to enter your home just in case the theft of the Ring is part of a larger break-in.
    Take pictures of the damage but do not touch the scene before the police arrive. You should take care not to remove or touch any damaged components that remain behind or disturb the ground around the location. By doing so you may disturb potential evidence such as finger or shoe prints.
    Request a copy of the theft report as soon as possible. You will need the police report in order for Ring to provide you with a free replacement device.
    Once you acquire a police report, report the theft to Ring by using the email address Theft@Ring.com. Note that all communications from Ring regarding a reported theft will emanate from this email address. You will need to provide a copy of the police report to begin the free replacement process.
    Once the police report is verified, Ring will gladly provide a free replacement within 7-10 business days.

    Important notes concerning the Ring theft replacement policy:

    The replacement of stolen Ring units is a courtesy service provided by Ring. Ring reserves the right to deny this service at any time due to suspected fraud, malfeasance, or any other cause.
    Notifications of device theft sent to theft@Ring.com must be received within six months of the date printed on the police report concerning the theft of the device. Honoring the stolen item replacement policy subsequent to six months after the theft of a Ring device is solely at the discretion of Ring.
    Replacement devices offered under this policy are offered on a "like for like" basis. The replacement device will be the same make and model as the original stolen device.

  12. Police report transcript by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I reported mine stolen:

    ME: Are you gonna find these guys? I mean, do you have any promising leads?

    Police: Leads, yeah. I'll just check with the boys down at the crime lab. They uh, got uh, four more detectives working on the case. They've got us working in shifts.

    1. Re:Police report transcript by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I reported mine stolen:

      ME: Are you gonna find these guys? I mean, do you have any promising leads?

      Police: Leads, yeah. I'll just check with the boys down at the crime lab. They uh, got uh, four more detectives working on the case. They've got us working in shifts.

      You're Lebowski?

    2. Re: Police report transcript by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No he's The Dude

  13. Why? by Higaran · · Score: 1

    Just why the hell would people steal these things? I guess people will steal anything.

    1. Re:Why? by pauljlucas · · Score: 1

      Because some people do this kind of thing for fun; some do it on a dare; some might get a kick out of the irony of stealing a security camera; some just don't like that you have something they don't. This is why we can't have nice things.

      --
      If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
    2. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe they are practicing to being a good socialist?

    3. Re:Why? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Envy.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    4. Re: Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some people will steal somebody's dirty knickers. Usually to fulfill some sort of fetish.

        These thefts a very likely vandalism, or worse, to eliminate one source of evidence for the upcoming real burglary.

  14. Give Them CLippy The Doorbell Assistant by Crashmarik · · Score: 0

    That way no one would want to steal them.

    1. Re:Give Them CLippy The Doorbell Assistant by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 0

      /Oblg.

      "It looks like you are trying to steal a doorbell.

      Would you like help?

      * With unscrewing it?
      * With the wiring?
      * Reporting that this home has been burglarized and that the owners are screwed?

      [ ] Don't nag me again."

    2. Re:Give Them CLippy The Doorbell Assistant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's so they can loot your porch later.

  15. Good riddance by walllaby · · Score: 1

    Serves em right, the paranoid dweebs.

    1. Re: Good riddance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spoken like the rich white privileged prick who knows where the bad areas are so he can avoid them. Would ball up on the floor in tears if his trust fund ran out and he had to live in a bad area.

    2. Re: Good riddance by walllaby · · Score: 1

      I live adjacent to some high-crime rate areas, which are coincidentally adjacent to the police station. I've never had a package stolen from the house I rent out of, but it could definitely happen. I consider myself privileged to be able to have most of my stuff delivered to where I work, or neighbors who are nice and move the packages inside the building.

      I usually see these cameras in nicer areas where people really have little reason to fear their packages will be stolen but feel it necessary to protect their home one step further. Its their right to do so, but I hate walking up to a friends' door and being surveyed by camera. It screams privilege to me.

    3. Re: Good riddance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How else can the nosy old retirees and stay at homes warn the neighborhood a darkie is wandering around leaving packages on the porches! Quick, share it with the neighborhood. Protect your tribe!

    4. Re:Good riddance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Found the guy who is too poor to afford one and jealous of those who have them. Loser.

  16. Ring gives free replacements by Miamicanes · · Score: 0

    If your Ring doorbell gets stolen, they have a form you can submit to them along with a copy of the police report. Upon receiving the paperwork, they'll send you a free replacement doorbell and blacklist the one that was stolen.

    https://support.ring.com/hc/en...

  17. Excellent by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    I had no idea they did that, very cool and impressive...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  18. Don't need one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A raspberry pi with motion detection and webcam in the window is all that's needed.

  19. It's Electric! by Zorro · · Score: 1

    Wrap in an aluminum shell wired to the house mains.

    110V isn't usually lethal but it will make your arm go numb for hours.

    1. Re:It's Electric! by ELCouz · · Score: 1

      I think in the US you could be sued for that...even if you are the theft.

    2. Re:It's Electric! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Not sued. Convicted of a felony. Most states outlaw lethal booby-traps. If it actually kills somebody, it's usually charged as capital murder.

    3. Re:It's Electric! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Got to move to South Africa where cars are armed with flamethrowers and its perfectly acceptable to top the brick wall around your yard with jagged glass shards. Granted the crime is more severe there and their government is cracking down on people who look like me.

  20. The po-po doesn't care by RhettLivingston · · Score: 1, Insightful

    A couple of days ago, Teslarati reported a case in which a Model 3 caught video of a thief breaking in that showed both his face and his license plate. From the article:

    the Tesla owner noted that he was simply informed that an officer might look into the incident

    The emphasis on "might" is mine.

    Given that replacing the rear window on a Model 3 will likely cost quite a bit more than your typical video doorbell, I'd be surprised if you even get a "might" from the officers on the doorbell. In fact, they'll likely be annoyed if you make them do a report.

    1. Re:The po-po doesn't care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They will not do anything. I had my back door kicked in and returned home during the breakin. First off the lookout was amazing relaxed about it. She pleasantly said she was picking up her daughter (she was parked in my driveway), I said no her daughter was not there, she had the wrong house. She left. I thought nothing of it until I came in the house and noticed it ransacked in the computer room. The perp had managed to stow a telescope and laptop on the side of the yard on his way out. I called 911, and then while on the phone went back outside to see if any neighbors had seen anything. Then I saw the bitch come back to pick up the loot. Needless to say, when she saw me she took off. Kudos to the police, when I told the operator the woman had returned a unit showed up in about 2 minutes. But that was it. Patrol officer looked around and said there was nothing they could do. Theft when no one is hurt is just not a priority.

    2. Re:The po-po doesn't care by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      The police generally don't care about shit like that. I've had my vehicle broken into and they basically told me to take it up with my insurance company. Unless you live in some kind of small town where nothing happens and something like that is the news for the next month, the police are probably massively behind on murder, rape, or other more pressing cases. Unless they happen to be there to arrest someone while they're committing a crime, the odds of getting anyone are slim. At best they catch the perpetrator on something else a while later and somehow manage to be able to tie them to your case and even that is unlikely.

    3. Re:The po-po doesn't care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually most of the police are behind on revenue generating traffic enforcement, so have no time for actual crimes against persons or property.

    4. Re:The po-po doesn't care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      black bitch I bet.

  21. social de-evolution by sdinfoserv · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Police "suggesting" that people record serial numbers and "patrol" craigslist, fb market place, eBay, store bulletin boards.. what nonsense. Either the police actively will work a crime or they won't. Apparently personal property crime has become such a banality, law enforcement have abdicated their responsibilities. We as citizens shrug with little recourse other than conscientious objectors, must accept the fact the US is one step from anarchy.
    This reminds me of the early 1970s when crime was so bad all the cops could do was recommend you get a gun to protect yourself.

    1. Re: social de-evolution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There also the decision of whether to track down the murdering gang member or try to get somebody's cheap Chinese made crap back that many PDs have to make.

      Maybe if this was some rich little town where they will send you 10 cop cars in less than 2 minutes they would try to get it back. Just about everywhere else, they will take a report so MAYBE they will try to track down the thief if there was a large amount of recent property theft in your area.

    2. Re:social de-evolution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sanctuary cities and not going after criminals.

      Waste and trash in streets.

      RV parked in streets.

      Tents allowed to block roads and bike paths in a city.

      Police want to actively will work all crime in their city/state but are held back by inner city politics.

      That's a really shitty poem you stupid right wing cunt. Doesn't even rhyme!

    3. Re:social de-evolution by jbmartin6 · · Score: 1

      Just upload the picture of the thief to Facebook, which will auto tag it for easy public shaming.

      --
      This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
    4. Re:social de-evolution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Police "suggesting" that people record serial numbers and "patrol" craigslist, fb market place, eBay, store bulletin boards.. what nonsense. Either the police actively will work a crime or they won't. Apparently personal property crime has become such a banality, law enforcement have abdicated their responsibilities. We as citizens shrug with little recourse other than conscientious objectors, must accept the fact the US is one step from anarchy.

      This reminds me of the early 1970s when crime was so bad all the cops could do was recommend you get a gun to protect yourself.

      See Warren v. District of Columbia, basically cops/police are just overpaid janitors now, that is when they are not participating in criminal enterprise themselves.

    5. Re:social de-evolution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Waste and trash in streets.
      Tents allowed to block roads and bike paths in a city.

      Seattle dweller?

    6. Re:social de-evolution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This reminds me of the early 1970s when crime was so bad all the cops could do was recommend you get a gun to protect yourself.

      They have always and will continue to suggest this. Even my cop friends recite the joke/adage "when seconds matter, the police are just minutes away", and when they say it, they're being deadly serious. They'll try to show up as soon as possible, but their response time is limited by physics. You being armed can be what makes the difference between whose chalk outline gets drawn. Even better: it's less work for them to deal with a self defense killing than a murder, so the cops are happy for you to be armed. Just make sure to not be armed when they get there.

  22. Killer by JBMcB · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I assume they then blacklist the serial number of the stolen camera rendering it useless. This is what all electronics companies should do. Make it absolutely clear that any stolen device with a serial number that needs to talk to home base to operate becomes useless once stolen.

    Ideally, if you try to configure a stolen device, a big flag comes up on the phone/tablet/computer you're using to do the setup informing you the thing you are setting up has been stolen and is a useless piece of junk. Even better, QR code on every device you can scan with their app and see if it's been recorded stolen or not.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
  23. you guys are really hung up on SNs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    serial numbers? loooool

    Yes, that is what keeps your items yours. That's why you have all yours written down, right?

    Look, flashing hardware or even soldering a bypass...an 8 year old could do it.

    The question is what is the point when you can just make your own really easily. Maybe a week of slow learning and a day to make it for an absolute beginner with zero schematics.

    Drug addicts or other criminals or people using the address for drops or vandals. No one wants a used doorbell cam. they are cheap and there are tons of hidden camera devices that work just as Ring.

    Let the Jones' fight it out with the vandals and nothing in the world will make it important.

  24. Killer Coupons by Pitawg · · Score: 1

    So I should take my phone with my app over to see your cameras, and scan them into my app. Report with the app, these, my scanned camera list of my hardware was all stolen. Please disable it, if you cannot melt them on top of the perpetrator in possession of them.

    But they were mine, you attempt to say. No, no. You sold them to me, and stole them back, to repeat with more victims.

    Have a paper weight. They would not waste money on a department of humans to sort out the messy tales. They will just disable, and give you a coupon.

    1. Re: Killer Coupons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I take it you haven't actually setup any of these cameras

  25. good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We have a ring and I have been wanting a Nest instead.

    Ring is still fucking sending data to China. Bastards.

  26. Cheaper hardware is the answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Get a Raspberry Pi and wire a cheap decent resolution webcam through the wall.

  27. \o/ by easyTree · · Score: 1

    Those images are usually available through mobile apps connected to the doorbell, which might help police track down the person responsible for the theft. However, there's no guarantee that officers will be able to find the thieves, especially if they steal the device while keeping their face and other identifying features covered while on camera.

    Deep-fake donuts into the images to encourage improved recovery rates.

    --
    Requiem for the American Dream
  28. Three words: "Warranted against theft" by rednip · · Score: 5, Informative
    Ring Warranty

    If your Ring camera or doorbell product is stolen at any time after your purchase, Ring will replace the stolen device at no charge to you. This theft protection is not transferable and applies only to the original consumer purchaser. Coverage of this theft protection is limited to one (1) replacement only for each Ring camera or doorbell product that you have purchased. Theft protection does not apply to any products purchased from third party sellers on eBay and other online marketplaces. Any claim based on theft of your Ring camera or doorbell product must be submitted within fifteen (15) days of the theft and include the original sales receipt, and a copy of a police report evidencing that you reported the theft to the police. Failure to report the theft to police voids this theft protection

    --
    The force that blew the Big Bang continues to accelerate.
    1. Re:Three words: "Warranted against theft" by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      It would be better to only allow a camera to work with the originally mated master device. That would make the camera useless with any other master device.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  29. Value? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So how much can they get for a near potato ripped off of a door frame?

    If I were a thief, I would be looking for bikes, or stuff in the tool shed, or even the typical crap you find on a porch. Just about anything would be worth more than a pinched door bell cam.

    A smart thief would cover his/her face and the lens before ripping off a homeowner.

  30. Duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I had this same idea when Ring first came out. A terrible neighbor of mine in the condo where I used to live installed a Ring doorbell outside his place. The problem was that its placement was near a corner of a wall as you walked up to his front door. This meant that a potential thief could reach around and steal it without ever being seen in the camera. Otherwise, a ski mask and dark clothing would work to prevent identifying a thief. And the voltage on these is so low that a thief can easily clip the wires with their bare hands.

    There needs to be some better locking mechanism to prevent video doorbells from being stolen.

  31. The Link to the Article Offer Dubious Advice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When visiting the link for this article, a message appears on the screen if you have adblocking on: "You are seeing this message because ad or script blocking software is interfering with this page. Disable any ad or script blocking software, then reload this page."
    Does anyone else think this sort of thing is dangerous and unethical? I know this is why my dad got infected once, as he at some point took one such websites advice and disabled the adblocker I'd put in place. He never enabled it afterwards, and his machine was full of badness.

  32. thats just a small reminder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you don't combat crime with 'ill buy fake security fantasy', you combat it by fixing your degenerate broken 'criminal making' society.
    Happy citizens = practically no crime.

    No other way. But what do i know, please continue on your slippery slope to hell in doggie eat doggie land.

  33. Can the doorbell companies mark a doorbell stolen by EnOne · · Score: 1

    I would think that the doorbell companies could mark a doorbell as stolen by the MAC address or another internal identifier. The same way that cell phone companies or laptop companies do. Then stealing the doorbell would make them worthless.

    --
    Calvin:Do you believe in the devil? Hobbes:I'm not sure man needs the help.
  34. alternative security. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A couple of my neigbours work from home and one is on maternity leave.... And I have a big chunky knocker on my door....And we know the post lady quite well as well as the staff in the building opposite.

    So I doubt anyone is going to make off with the method of calling on my house anytime soon, and no batteries or apps to have to contend with.

    Sometimes high-tech solutions aren't always the best.