Dangerous pranksters are stealing home security cameras and similar smart home devices to monitor the results of "swatting" attacks, the FBI warned in a public service announcement last week

"Perpetrators use stolen email passwords to log into smart devices and hijack features such as live-stream cameras and the devices' speakers," the FBI announcement said

The FBI did not say whether the intruders are using the cameras to alert police, which some home security cameras are equipped with, or if they are simply using the cameras to monitor what happens after a 911 call is made by phone

The perpetrator "then calls emergency services to report the crime at the victim's home," the FBI added

"When law enforcement responds to the residence, the perpetrator watches the live stream video and interacts with responding police through the camera and speakers In some cases, the offender will also live stream the incident on a shared online community platform

Almost all security camera "hacks" are the result of camera owners reusing passwords from other accounts or using weak passwords that are easy to guess; the FBI has identified this as the primary cause of these new incidents

The best way to avoid being victimized by this new breed is to set strong, unique passwords for accounts connected to security cameras, video doorbells, baby monitors, and other fixed cameras connected to the Internet The best password managers will help you keep your passwords in order

The FBI also recommends that security camera owners use two-factor authentication (2FA) for their accounts so that cameras cannot be hijacked if an intruder obtains the password Ring and Nest is one security camera and video doorbell provider that offers 2FA

"Swatting" refers to falsely reporting a possible hostage situation or other violent incident at someone else's home, which results in heavily armed police officers, or SWAT teams, showing up ready to shoot Pranksters often use phone number "spoofing" software to make it look like an emergency call came from the victim's phone

Online gamers and other knuckleheads have been using swatting to harass people for years, but this is the first time I've heard of smart home devices being used to watch the aftermath

In most swatting incidents, no one gets hurt However, in 2017, a Kansas man was killed by police as a result of swatting stemming from an argument between three online game players that the victim was unaware of

Two years earlier, an Oklahoma police officer was shot and wounded by a home resident after another man posed as a resident and made a bomb threat