ORLANDO, Fla.,None — Wireless cameras are often used to protect our lives and property, but if you have a wireless security camera or a baby monitor, you may be surprised at who could be watching you.
Lisa Jama bought a wireless baby monitor she thought would make her baby safer.
"To monitor the baby and see what she's doing. That way I don't have to walk into the room," said Jama.
She had no idea she was broadcasting her baby's room down the street.
From home surveillance cameras to video baby monitors, all broadcast on public airwaves, voyeurs or burglars can watch what your family is doing inside your home from hundreds of feet away.
A private investigator with MMJ Investigations in Orlando showed how anyone can do it with a several hundred-dollar receiver.
"I fine tune it, and I follow the signal until it gets stronger and the picture becomes clearer. I followed the signal and I saw a baby lying in the crib, sleeping," said the private investigator.
We drove through dozens of Orlando subdivisions and found signals on nearly every street.
"I mean, that's crazy. That's not what you're thinking when you have your baby monitor," said a mother.
The technology has been around a long time, but new technology means better security for you and your family.
New encrypted, digital cameras allow you to watch your baby online and protect your privacy.
And while Orlando police don't know how many crooks may have looked in before they broke in parents can avoid the risk by switching to new cameras or turning their old ones off.
"I had no idea about this, but there's no point to having other people looking into my house, so I'll turn it off," Jama said.
"Well, the scary part, basically, is anybody who has the funds can buy their own little gadget to violate people's privacy," said the private investigator.
Encrypted baby monitors cost between $100 and $300 and can be purchased at nearly any baby store or online. Many models allow you to watch your baby on a home network on your computer screen. And many of these systems come with several security features.