“What we learned from the detectives is that they had a Wi-Fi jammer and cut out the signal to the Ring camera,” homeowner Mytien Goldberg tells Inside Edition.
A suspected international burglary ring is being suspected of using high-tech devices to conduct surveillances on expensive homes.
A search of the suspects’ car found cameras that had been camouflaged with leaves.
Police say hidden cameras were secretly positioned outside homes so the burglary ring would know when the homeowners had left.
In another incident, police arrested two men they say tossed a Wi-Fi jammer from their car. Wi-Fi jammers are used to knock out home security systems like Ring cameras.
The same man was among those arrested in both incidents.
All of the men are from Colombia. They allegedly traveled into the United States to committed what authorities call “Burglary Tourism.”
One couple is speaking out after their security cameras did not capture thieves entering their home from a second-floor bedroom window because a Wi-Fi jammer knocked their security system out of service.
“What we learned from the detectives is that they had a Wi-Fi jammer and cut out the signal to the Ring camera,” Mytien Goldberg tells Inside Edition.
“About 9:30 my camera went offline and then they exited the front of the house at 10:16 p.m.,” Ala Tabatabai says.
The couple’s home was left damaged after the burglars dragged a heavy safe that was once bolted down in their closet out of their home.
“[Wi-Fi jammers] can potentially take out any wireless system, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequencies,” police sergeant Vahe Abramyan tells Inside Edition. Abramyan says a single jammer can disrupt wireless systems in an entire neighborhood.
Federal law prohibits the sale and use of Wi-Fi jammers but they are being bought online and overseas.
Experts suggest hard wiring security systems so avoid them being knocked out of service by Wi-Fi jammers.
