ZoneMinder Forums

Hi there

I'm not a technical kind of person but have had problems with persistent breaking and entering. I have changed my locks c 12 times (to no avail) and installed a combination of wired and wireless cameras. I got 2 sets of signature keys - still to no avail.

I researched how anyone could get in and found that bump keys and bump hammers were easily available so that mystery was solved. However, when I viewed my cameras, no one could ever be seen.

What I did notice was that the recordings would show doors opening and closing of their own volition, thus indicating missing frames on the playback. On other occasions, the playback showed lines across it, indicating some kind of interference. On separate occasions, the recording looked as though it was "piped" - particularly in sterile environments like our hallway.

I decided to turn off our wired/wireless system as I was told that someone living in close proximity would be able to log on to our system, thus they could view our movements, and be assured they house was empty.

I then installed a simple PIR camera which took 2GB memory cards. I have had 2 cameras which have both gone the same way: the timer mechanism has broken (worked perfectly when I was a home but broke soon after the house was unoccupied). I then noticed that the playback was once again missing frames.

Could any of you CCTV enthusiasts please throw some light on how this might be achieved. I have a very good idea of who is doing this and they live in close proximity to myself, thus they would be able to ensure everyone is seen off the premises before they act.

Further, if anyone knows how an ERA Locca system could be circumvented, please let me know. I have fited one of these and am prepared to believe they have currently managed to bypass this.

Kind regards.

i doubt anyone is going to post that sort of info in a public forum even if it was possible. Looks like a post fidhong for how to defeat a system to me.

There are many ways in which a system can be compromised.
Physical access, where some one has access to the recording devices where they can remove the video events, like your PIR cams for instance. Someone knowing that they are cams could easily remove the card, place in a computer and erase the events. If the setting is to motion detection for these cams, then it is simple to just delete the events on the card within a given time frame.

Same goes for almost any other digital recording device where recording only takes place during events, although a VCR would be more obvious as you would have a duration of blank spots.

Wireless devices can be jammed to create interference as well as someone within range can record your video, then turn around and feed it back to feed the looped video back into your system effectively overriding your actual camera. Wired Cameras require physical access to the feed line in order to loop video and is more difficult to do, unless of coarse the feed line is easy to access. Someone that has had access to your feed lines could also extend your feeds to make them easily accessible before they enter, in which case you would need to retrace all the lines for suspect cams to make sure this is not the case.

One thing you might consider is having events emailed or sent to an off site location, although this is not fool proof either as someone could just as easily disconnect your phone/cable lines and disable your Internet access, so that leaves making things redundant. A dummy recorder if you will. You could add another recorder someplace else, so that when your perp thinks they have removed all the recordings from your one device, you have the other that only you know about to review.

From what you describe, and if it is the case it sounds like someone knows your setup and in which case they know you. The less they know, the less they will be able to compromise your system.

You might contact James above and he might help you set something up as he is in your neck of the woods and does this as a professional.

Is anything missing, or are the doors just opening and closing? Perhaps you have a poltergeist.