A warning if you purchased certain video doorbells that may have been enticing because they are less expensive.
A new Consumer Reports investigation finds serious security flaws that can allow strangers or stalkers to watch you and your videos. The results are so concerning that Consumer Reports wants people who have them to disconnect them and stop using them immediately.
“We were really surprised to find that anyone could walk up to one of these doorbells and take it over in a matter of seconds, and from there actually view screenshots of the doorbell potentially from thousands of miles away,” said Dan Wroclawski with Consumer Reports.
During Consumer Reports’ extensive security tests, it found security issues with several video doorbells that could make users vulnerable to hackers. While they are sold under different brand names, they all use the same mobile app called Aiwit.
Consumer Reports tested devices sold under the brand names Eken and Tuck but found the doorbells are also sold under many other brand names including Fishbot, Rakeblue, Andoe, Luckwolf, and more. Retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Sears, along with Shein and Temu, sell them.
“Your home is deeply personal and private. If someone is able to view your doorbell camera and see when you come and go, it presents a lot of security risks. For example, an abuser or a stalker could keep tabs on a victim, and it could create a very dangerous situation,” warned Wroclawski.
Experts blame the flood of cheap, insecure electronics from overseas manufacturers being sold in the U.S. as a growing problem.
“We’re seeing a lot of overseas manufacturers create these obscure, cheap, no-name products and then flooding marketplaces here in the U.S. with them. Retailers do very little to vet these products, and it’s very easy to become a seller on one of these online marketplaces,” Wroclawski explained.
Consumer Reports reached out to Eken and Tuck but has not received a response.
If you have a video doorbell that uses the mobile app Aiwit, Consumer Reports recommends you disconnect it from your home WiFi and remove it from your door.
Consumer Reports has evaluated video doorbells with much better security from brands including Logitech, SimpliSafe, and Ring. See the complete list of Consumer Reports’ best video doorbell cameras here.
Consumer Reports has shared its findings with the Federal Trade Commission, which has the power to remove products like these from the marketplace. The agency declined to comment on what action it might take, noting that its investigations are private.
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney, the former director of Investigations and Homeland Security with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, stopped by The Morning Show on Tuesday to walk you through your personal safety when using cameras in and around your home.
Watch the video below for his advice: