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LAPD warns residents after spike in burglaries using Wi-Fi jammers that disable security cameras, smart doorbells (www.tomshardware.com)

submitted 4 months ago by lemmee_in@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world

206 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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.

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[–] credo@lemmy.world 32 points 4 months ago (5 children)

However, jammers are illegal to use in the U.S.

What is the point of adding this bit for an article about burglaries?

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 31 points 4 months ago

They should make burglaries illegal too!

[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 15 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Because it's relevant? Is this not factual information that readers may or may not have known?

The availability of hardware changes by a not-negligent degree based on the legality of acquiring it.

Curious readers likely find information indicating that these shouldn't be readily available at your local big box store to be pertinent information.

[–] turmacar@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

It does and it doesn't.

Any microwave with the door rigged open is a super effective Wi-Fi jammer. Everything coalesced on 2.4GHz instead of licensing their own radio spectrum making absolute mountains of overlap. It's harder jam nearly everything else. ( Not much harder, software radios are super cheap, but you at least need more electronics knowledge than a screwdriver and tape. )

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 10 points 4 months ago

They're extra illegal!!!

[–] communism@lemmy.ml 8 points 4 months ago

Because jammers are not inherently burglary tools. It provides extra information about the technology in discussion.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Ostensibly harder to obtain when they're illegal to stock and sell retail.

Same reason why you see folks in Japan and the UK obsessed with knife crime rather than gun crime. Obtaining a gun is more difficult to do legally, so fewer people carry them.