Ring Doorbells are becoming popular because they let the owner see who is at their door without having to open the door first. Many people install doorbells on their front door without any precaution, forgetting that someone may want to steal the doorbell itself!
Thieves can be anywhere; they can steal anything they find that has any worth. Your Ring Doorbell is expensive, and while they help protect your home, you should also think about protecting them. In this article, we will talk about some methods to prevent Ring Doorbell theft.
Why Do People Steal Ring Doorbells?
They can fetch a fair price in the black market
Stealing an old ordinary doorbell is not worth a thief’s time and effort because they are relatively cheap. Ring doorbells, on the other hand, are expensive, which makes them prime targets for an easy robbery. A Ring Doorbell may cost you upwards of $200 as they are fitted with high-quality cameras.
The thief can get less than the retail price, but still a reasonable sum for the stolen Ring doorbell. The components of Ring doorbells are also not cheap, and thieves can sell them individually for a significant price.
To destroy evidence of break-and-enter
Another reason thieves might want to steal the Ring Doorbell in front of your door is to destroy the evidence of breaking and entering. Ring Doorbells capture the video footage of any movement in front of the door.
Many people may not know that the footage is not stored inside the doorbell and will try to damage or steal it in order to get rid of the evidence.
The motives of stealing Ring Doorbells vary; sometimes neighborhood hooligans might just be trying to prank you, while other times, it may be something more nefarious than that.
Is It Easy to Steal a Ring Doorbell?
Stealing a Ring Doorbell is not easy, but a person can steal it in less than 30 seconds if they have the correct tools and necessary knowledge to steal a doorbell.
Usually, the Ring Doorbell has a back-plate that provides an excellent means of securing the doorbell to the wall. However, if the thief has the right tools, they can use them to remove the security screw of your Ring Doorbell.
After removing the security screw, thieves can easily remove the anchor screws and take your doorbell for themselves. Some thieves also pry the doorbell off quickly using a lever or other tool; doing this can damage the wall as well as the Ring Doorbell.
The theft of a Ring Doorbell can only happen when you are careless about its security.
In some cases, the thief steals the rechargeable battery instead of the whole Ring Doorbell. Thieves can easily steal the battery, but the Ring Doorbell captures their action before removing the battery, so you can identify the persons later on.
However, some skilled thieves may prevent Ring Doorbell from capturing the video and stealing the doorbells without leaving any proof behind. It would be best if you worked on your security system to avoid the loss of your Ring Doorbells.
How Can a Person Steal a Ring Doorbell Before It Captures Video?
A skilled and determined thief can steal your Ring Doorbell before it captures any video. The doorbell company designs Ring Doorbells that capture video footage as soon as they detect any movement.
This means that the Ring Doorbell can capture video when somebody tries to steal it. However, some people use a Wi-Fi jammer to disrupt the connection and functioning of Ring Doorbells and prevent it from capturing video.
A Wi-Fi jammer helps thieves block the signal to and from the Ring Doorbell and steal it easily as they don’t have anti-jamming detection ability.
Luckily, some anti-jamming detection devices such as Ring Alarms are available to pair with a Ring Doorbell. With Ring Alarms, you can have a cellular backup system that can alert you if the thief tries to disable your Ring Doorbell.
You can also use PoE (Power over Ethernet) cameras that still sound the alarm even if the thief uses a Wi-Fi jammer to break in.
Can a Person Hack a Ring Doorbell?
Yes, a person with hacking skills would be able to hack a Ring Doorbell. The Ring Doorbell also appears on lists of most-hacked devices as per several reports. A person can hack your Ring Doorbell if they have access to your Wi-Fi.
Though hackers cannot hack all doorbells, they can hack smart Ring Doorbells. If you pair your Ring Doorbell with other smart devices, the hacker can hack those devices to disable your Ring Doorbell.
You can prevent your Ring Doorbell from getting hacked by following safety recommendations and guidelines such as:
- You should ensure that your Wi-Fi network is strongly protected by setting hard-to-guess passwords.
- You should use a Wi-Fi network with excellent encryption or security standards.
- You should avoid giving access to your doorbell and Wi-Fi network to someone you don’t trust.
Some thieves can pry the doorbell off and gain access to your Ring Doorbell using the orange button on its back. The button is used to set up the connection between the doorbell and the Wi-Fi network. If someone gets access to this button, they can gain sensitive information to change the Wi-Fi settings and hack it.
How Can You Prevent Your Ring Doorbell From Getting Stolen?
You can prevent thieves from stealing your Ring Doorbell by adhering to the following tips:
Attach your Ring Doorbell to the wall using a strong adhesive
Most people attach the Ring Doorbell to the door frame or wall using only a couple of screws, making it easy for thieves to steal it. You should avoid mounting it using ordinary methods.
You should attach the Ring Doorbell directly to the wall using high adhesive materials, including plaster, stucco, or cement. This will make it harder for thieves to steal the doorbell.
Have an extra camera
You should always have a backup camera for your home security. Ring Doorbells have cameras that thieves can jam before stealing them. It is better to have an extra pair of eyes available in front of your door or window.
Having an additional camera can make a thief back off from stealing your doorbells. In the event that a thief still steals your doorbell, you can use an extra camera that monitors the front door of your house for the subsequent investigation.
Use a protective cover
You can install a metal locking plate or a grid box secured to the wall or the door frame. You can also use a stainless steel box to cover the Ring Doorbell, but you should avoid covering the camera’s lens. Limiting your Ring Doorbell’s camera view is not ideal as it will lose its purpose.
Keep an eye on your notifications
You should check the notifications on your phone regularly as the Ring Doorbell sends a message when someone tries to get close enough and trigger the motion sensors of the doorbell.
You should keep your smartphone somewhere handy as you can get notifications of every situation and react quickly when something happens.
Display a sign
You can display a sign near your Ring Doorbell to warn thieves against stealing your doorbell! According to a study, people and places that display a sign that has a warning message such as “You are being watched” or “You are under surveillance” notice a reduced rate of stealing incidents.
What Should You Do When Ring Doorbell Theft Happens?
Some thieves still steal your Ring Doorbells after using all the prevention methods. If someone has stolen your expensive Ring Doorbell, you should know what steps to take.
According to Ring Doorbells’ manufacturers, they will provide you with a similar replacement model for free if your doorbell gets stolen. You can prove that your Ring Doorbell was stolen to the people at Ring by showing the 30 seconds of video footage that it captures at the time of theft.
However, you should follow these steps after your Ring Doorbell gets stolen by someone, including:
- You should report the whole incident to the police immediately and help them find the thief by providing all your evidence.
- You should take pictures of the stolen doorbell or where it gets stolen from. You should avoid touching anything on the scene until the police arrive when taking pictures.
- It would help if you asked the police officer for a copy of the report on the stolen doorbell as you will need it to claim a doorbell replacement from the manufacturer.
- You need to report the incident of a thief stealing your doorbell to Ring within the period of 15 days after the incident.
Final Thoughts
There have been incidents of people trying to steal Ring Doorbells as they are pretty expensive; the cost of one Ring Doorbell is around $200. You can prevent your Ring Doorbell from getting stolen by a thief using the tips from this article. If someone steals your Ring Doorbell, you should report it to the police right away and get in contact with the Ring manufacturers. Reporting as fast as possible helps police find the thief and ensures that you will receive a replacement doorbell promptly.
