Parents Warned Of Baby Monitor Danger
BOSTON (CBS) - Like many new parents, Monica Halsey didn't want to let her newborn son out of her sight for even a second.
That's why she bought a video monitor to keep an eye on the baby while he slept. Monica never anticipated what she saw on that monitor.
"When we were looking at the monitor one day and it wasn't our son on there. We saw an image of a little girl," she said.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.
The baby Monica saw happens to live next door.
"I'm looking at a crib, but it's not my son and it's not my son's room," she added.
This unsettling discovery made Monica wonder, if she could see into her neighbors' house, could someone see her baby? The simple answer is, yes.
"This broadcasts just like a television broadcast," explained security expert Robert Ing.
"You really don't know who has access to this and the whole thing is these units are capable of sending the signal blocks away, not just down the street or next door," he added.
Eng said these signals are fairly simple to intercept.
"Anyone with a similar receiver could pick this signal up. They could put it on the internet. It could be used to invade one's privacy," he said.
Digital video monitors offer more protection than the traditional analog versions, because their signal is encrypted, but even that's no guarantee. They also cost more than the analog versions.
Experts say if you are concerned, stick to an audio monitor or at least shut the device off when you are not using it.
