Chinese victim of camera theft spends two weeks spying on man who robbed him
Original owner was able to access surveillance footage after thief installed it in his bedroom and forgot to change the IP address
A man from eastern China who installed a stolen surveillance camera in his home was detained after being reported to the police by the original owner who was able to watch his every move.
The suspect, identified only as Chen, is accused of stealing the camera from an office building in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, earlier this month, internet news portal Dazhongwang reported on Thursday.
Unfortunately for him, after installing the device in a bedroom at his home, he forgot to change its IP address, which meant the original owner, surnamed Zhang, could still access it and see what it was filming.
Over the next two weeks, Zhang was able to monitor the everyday activities of not only Chen, but also his wife and children, the report said.
It did not say why he took so long to report the matter to the police, but after he did so, they tracked Chen down and detained him this week.
A separate report by Shanghai Morning Post quoted Chen as saying he stole the camera to use as a security monitor for his toddler.
Police officer Xu Wenjie said the footage, a small portion of which was shared on the newspaper’s website, was very revealing.
“There were scenes of the family getting ready for work and school, and even changing their clothes,” he said. “The images were crystal clear.”
