The Los Angeles Police Department has warned residents to be wary of thieves using technology to break into homes undetected. High-tech burglars have apparently knocked out their victims’ wireless cameras and alarms in the Los Angeles Wilshire-area neighborhoods before getting away with swag bags full of valuables. An LAPD social media post highlights the Wi-Fi jammer-supported burglaries and provides a helpful checklist of precautions residents can take.

Criminals can easily find the hardware for Wi-Fi jamming online. It can also be cheap, with prices starting from $40. However, jammers are illegal to use in the U.S.

We have previously reported on Wi-Fi jammer-assisted burglaries in Edina, Minnesota. Criminals deployed Wi-Fi jammer(s) to ensure homeowners weren’t alerted of intrusions and that incriminating video evidence wasn’t available to investigators.

  • Derin
    link
    fedilink
    English
    45 months ago

    It’s bizarre.

    In my last apartment, I literally had to fight to get a DHCP/ethernet + EDGE (yes, really) connection installed.

    They kept asking me why I want two 😅

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      4
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      wdym DHCP?
      And what’s an “EDGE” supposed to be? I only know that term as the old mobile standard. I believe it was 1G or 2G?

      • Derin
        link
        fedilink
        English
        15 months ago

        DHCP as in it’s an ethernet connection to a residential router that provides the device with connectivity details.

        Normally this isn’t considered as secure as a bad actor can cut the power or connecting cables (e.g. If you’re using dsl) to kick your system offline.

        And, yeah, my old security system absolutely had an old 2G/EDGE modem to connect and send basic signals (as a fallback, in case of the above power cutting scenario). Was great.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          15 months ago

          Sorry but I still dont quite get it. Your apartment gave you basically a network inside their residential sorta ISP?
          At least in Germany, you are responsible for your own internet provider access and (at least to my knowledge) don’t need to jump through hoops to get something else because the house doesnt do it and it’s your problem.
          So if you want a main connection with a WAN-fallback, you just buy a router (or modem router combo) that can do it.
          Only exception might be something like coax-based internet but that’s a problem with the provider.