Man sues Ring after creep hacked device, taunted kids

Cloud-connected cameras are on the rise, but a new lawsuit means Amazon might have to finally get serious about securing them.

An Alabama man has taken legal action against security camera company Ring after he claims a creep hacked his device and taunted his kids, according to a report.

John Baker Orange filed a class-action lawsuit on Thursday against Amazon and the security product, claiming the camera system is “fatally flawed”, CTV News reported.

Mr Orange said he installed the device over his garage to “provide additional security” for his home.

But someone breached the Ring’s security system when his three children were playing basketball on the driveway, he said.

RELATED: Amazon Ring camera used to spy on 8-year-old girl

The hacker allegedly spoke to his kids over the speaker system and encouraged them to move closer to the camera.

Amazon-owned Ring makes security cameras and video doorbells. There are fears the company could use the cloud-connected cameras to build a private surveillance network.

“Ring does not fulfil its core promise of providing privacy and security for its customers,” the suit said. “Ring failed to meet this most basic obligation by not ensuring its Wi-Fi enabled cameras were protected against cyberattack.”

Ring didn’t respond to request for comment on the suit, CTV reported.

The suit comes after a Mississippi family claimed that someone hacked their Ring security camera in their daughter’s bedroom.

Footage on the device revealed that a stranger had been talking to the eight-year-old girl while she was in the room by herself, news station WMC-TV reported.

“I’m Santa Claus,” the person can be heard saying. “Don’t you want to be my best friend?”

A Ring spokesperson said at the time the app’s own security system was not compromised and encouraged users to use a two-factor identification system.

The man placed a Ring camera above his garage for home security. Instead it was used to terrorise his children.

“While we are still investigating this issue and are taking appropriate steps to protect our devices based on our investigation, we are able to confirm this incident is in no way related to a breach or compromise of Ring’s security,” the statement said.

“Due to the fact that customers often use the same username and password for their various accounts and subscriptions, bad actors often reuse credentials stolen or leaked from one service on other services.”

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission