A terrifying moment caught on a Ring doorbell camera has sent shivers down the spines of online users.
Brendajas26, a TikTok creator, shared a viral 22-second video of the incident on August 7, revealing that a stranger had accessed her device and taunted her through it.
She hasn’t disclosed her location, but the clip has racked up over 11 million views, sparking alarm among homeowners everywhere.
Stranger Lurks Through Device, Sending Viewer Panic
The unsettling video shows the woman holding her Ring camera inside her home as the stranger’s voice appears to speak directly to her.
“I see you!” the intruder says, repeating the phrase before abruptly turning off the camera.
Thousands of social media users reacted with horror, with one joking, “When your security camera starts doing horror movie auditions,” while another admitted, “Thanks for convincing me to never get a Ring camera.”
Cybersecurity Expert Explains How Hack Occurred
Digital security specialist James Knight told the Daily Mail that these hacks don’t require advanced technical skills.
“There are two ways this could happen,” he explained. “Directly hacking the camera is difficult.
But more commonly, someone accesses the account by guessing the password.”
Knight stressed that without multi-factor authentication, even amateur hackers can exploit such vulnerabilities easily.
Multi-factor authentication sends a secret code to a person’s phone or email during login, adding another layer of protection.
“You’d also need the victim’s email address, which is not hard to find,” Knight said. “You don’t need to be a pro hacker to pull this off.”
Simple Steps Can Prevent Doorbell Hacks
Knight advised anyone using electronic doorbell cameras to choose strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication immediately, rather than just setting up the camera and using it straight away.
Following the hack, Brendajas26 changed her password and reported no further issues.
Some viewers speculated that the incident might have been a technical mix-up, such as a doorbell camera connecting to a nearby baby monitor.
However, the camera owner confirmed that the thought of being watched without consent was deeply unsettling.
“I still very creeped out wondering how long they were watching and what they saw,” she wrote.
The Wider Context of Ring Security Concerns
This is not the first time Ring has faced scrutiny over privacy issues.
In 2023, the Amazon-owned company agreed to a $5.6 million settlement after the FTC accused it of failing to secure private footage.
Employees and contractors allegedly accessed customer videos, which were then used to train algorithms without consent.
The FTC highlighted that these lapses allowed hackers to take control of accounts and cameras, resulting in “egregious violations of users’ privacy.”
Around 117,044 customers received roughly $47 each if they filed claims by May 2025.
Online Community Responds with Advice and Caution
TikTok users offered practical tips for avoiding similar invasions, including regularly changing passwords and even covering cameras when not in use.
“You should keep on changing your password every like 2 months,” one user suggested, while another remarked, “I would have put tape over that camera so quickly.”