Nanny Ashley Stanley Terrified After Hacker Takes Over Baby Monitor, Spies On 1-Year-Old

Houston nanny Ashley Stanley was left terrified after learning that a hacker was spying on the 1-year-old that she was looking after. According to Mail Online, Ashley was shocked to hear a man’s voice come over the baby monitor. At first, Ashley couldn’t figure out what the strange noise was. Then she thought that the family was playing a prank on her. It didn’t take long, however, for Ashley to realize that something more serious was going on.

“The security system manufactured by a company called Foscam was installed by Samantha’s parents so they could remotely keep an eye on their toddler at work via their smartphones. The small round camera is trained on Samantha’s crib and can be manipulated to survey the entire room and even the hallway.”

The nanny distinctly heard the man making comments about the baby, saying that she was cute, and even commenting on her “poopy diaper.” Since the incident, Samantha’s parents have completely disconnected the cameras. According to the report, this sort of webcam snooping is considered a federal crime in many areas, and if the hacker is traced, he could face serious consequences.

According to KHOU, Foscam’s COO encouraged monitor users to change their username and passwords. Since the camera can be accessed using a mobile app, making sure that the password is complicated is important to help ensure someone can’t guess it.

“I was kinda really freaked out like maybe someone hacked into the camera, he said something else like you should probably password protect your camera. What pervert has been watching and not said anything? That is the kind of person that I am afraid of. Like who has been watching silently,” Ashley said.

This isn’t the first time that a baby monitor was hacked. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, this sort of thing happened in Houston in 2013. In that case, a man was heard yelling profanities, and the Gilbert’s were not only shocked, but completely frightened. The family had no idea how long the hacker had been spying on them — or their daughter.

“Marc and Lauren Gilbert were horrified when they heard a man’s voice coming from their daughter’s room — in the middle of the night. The voice was saying her name,” reports the Inquisitr.

The Gilbert’s decided to share their story in hopes of warning other parents. Samantha’s parents likely feel the same way. It’s unknown if either family will be using baby monitors in the future.

[Photo courtesy of SVAT Electronic via Wikimedia Commons]