Parents across Australia are checking their baby monitors after a concerned grandmother shared a spooky warning on Facebook.
According to the grandma, the Mirabella baby monitor, sold at Kmart for $99, was seen ‘slowly scanning the room’ and turning off when an adult noticed the activity.
Hacked baby monitor claim
The grandmother shared an image of the baby monitor as well as what exactly happened. She writes in a widely-shared Facebook post:
If anyone has this baby monitor from Kmart throw it out now.
Over the last few weeks my son and his partner have noticed it change position.
Last night my son woke up at 2am to find it on and scanning the crib and their room really slowly where they were all sleeping.
My son watched it, then after watching it slowly scan, he looked directly at the camera, and it turned off immediately, after it saw him looking at it.
It is not motion-sensored, it has been hacked.”
The warning has been seen by thousands of concerned parents with many commenting that they have since ‘hidden’ their own Mirabella baby monitors.
‘Heard a deep man’s voice’
This isn’t the first ‘hacking’ claim Mirabella’s baby monitor has faced.
Back in 2021, a Melbourne mum claimed she woke up in the middle of the night and heard a strange man’s voice coming from the Mirabella baby monitor.
She told Kidspot,
My partner Daniel and I were sleeping, everything was quiet and dark. Then I heard it – a really deep man’s voice that doesn’t belong to anyone that I know. Out of the blue, I heard him say, ‘Mmmm… that’s a cute one.’ I was frozen. I was so scared.”
The Melbourne mum returned the monitor to Kmart for a refund and reported the activity to Mirabella.
Mirabella responds to hacking claim
A spokesperson for Mirabella acknowledged the hacking claim back in 2021 and has said they have received no other claims to date.
They also urge any customer who experiences a hacking incident to report it to Mirabella so the company can examine the baby monitor for any faults or tampering.
We understand that security, privacy and safety are serious concerns for consumers and particularly, parents with children. Our cameras/baby monitors are manufactured to international industry standards for a global market and to the best of our knowledge, a secure device,” Mirablella spokesperson.
In regards to the recent hacking claim, the spokesperson explains that that particular camera has an ‘activity zoning’ function that can be turned on in the app, which will cause the device to follow any movement in the room.
The camera also cannot turn on or off as the post suggests. It will have a red light if the room is dark for night vision and that red light will turn off if the bedroom lights are turned on.”
Hacked baby monitor prevention tips
Having your baby monitor hacked is a common concern for every parent. There have been stories about baby monitors being hacked around the world, and, let’s face it, it’s a pretty scary thought! Knowing someone is watching your baby or even talking to your baby while they sleep. Yuck!
Below are a few tips to help reduce the risk:
- Make sure your wireless router is secured and make sure your WiFi network is password protected.
- Create a strong password, not just for your WiFi but for your baby monitor too.
- Keep on top of firmware updates on your monitor. Register your baby monitor to keep on top of any updates, recalls, etc.
- Disable remote access. This allows you to view your baby through the internet when you’re away from home which is super handy but also not recommended from a security standpoint.
- Opt for a non-WiFi baby monitor.
1 Comment
There has been reports of baby monitors being hacked in the past. They are………not……….exclusive to Kmart .
There is a… few….. brands that have been mentioned too. Unfortunately I didn’t write them down as I don’t know anybody who has one. One Mother who reported checked and discovered there was a car parked in the other side of the street. What made it even more serious was the fact that she was changing her baby’s nappy.