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4mo ago

Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 44 Months for Swatting Scheme Using Hacked Doorbell Cameras

Kya Christian Nelson orchestrated a nationwide spree in 2020, exploiting Ring devices to stage hoax emergencies, livestream armed police responses, and taunt victims and officers.

FILE – a Ring doorbell camera is seen installed outside a home in Wolcott, Conn., on July 16, 2019. Amazon has provided Ring doorbell footage to law enforcement 11 times this year without the user’s permission, a revelation that’s bound to raise more privacy and civil liberty concerns about its video-sharing agreements with police departments across the country. The disclosure came in a letter from the company that was made public Wednesday, July 13, 2022, by U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Overview

  • Kya Christian Nelson, 23, was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison for conspiracy and unauthorized computer access related to a 2020 swatting spree.
  • Nelson and co-conspirators hacked Ring doorbell cameras using stolen Yahoo credentials to place hoax emergency calls across nine states, including California and Florida.
  • The group livestreamed police responses on social media and used the hacked devices to verbally taunt officers and victims during the incidents.
  • Specific cases included hoax calls in West Covina and Oxnard, California, where armed police cleared homes at gunpoint based on false reports of violence.
  • The case highlighted vulnerabilities in smart home devices, prompting FBI advisories on cybersecurity measures like strong passwords and two-factor authentication.