Hackers Invade SG Homes Through Security Cameras To Sell Explicit Footage On Porn Sites
Some of the footage captures victims as young as 16 years old.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 13 Oct 2020, 06:29 PM
Security cameras in Singapore have been hacked by a group of cybercriminals and 3TB of illicit footage is reportedly being sold online for RM620
According to The New Paper, the group of hackers targeted Internet Protocol (IP) cameras that are commonly used in Singaporean households.
Some of the footage was reuploaded to pornographic sites, with the word 'Singaporean' in the title or are tagged 'Singapore'.
The length of the videos can be between less than a minute and up to 20 minutes. Some are dated as recently as July 2020, to as old as June 2019, reported Mothership.
However, despite the variations, one thing these stolen videos have in common is that they voyeuristically captured unaware Singaporeans in compromising positions, such as people using the bathroom, changing in their bedrooms, having sex, walking about at home in various states of undress, and more.
In one of the videos, which is believed to be recorded in March 2020, a teenage girl can be seen half-naked, wearing only a white T-shirt and panties
The New Paper reported that the girl is captured in the video with school books all around her.
One of the books featured in the video is a Year 10 O-level book used by students preparing for exams. This suggests that she could be only 16 years old.
Meanwhile, screenshots of videos published by various media show young women lounging around while exposing their modesty.
The videos, which often begin with the title 'Hacked IP Camera', can rack up to over 80,000 views each.
The group of hackers is selling the videos at a one-time fee of SGD203 — or approximately RM620
4,000 videos and photos from the hacked footage are provided free as a sample to induce purchases.
The group reportedly has a global following of 10,000 members on social messaging platform Discord.
As of 10 October, the hackers allegedly shared over 3TB worth of illicit content with 70 members who had paid the one-time fee.
Other than Singapore, countries like Thailand, South Korea, and Canada have also fallen victim to the hack as well.
Worse yet, the group also offers VIP members tutorials and personalised sessions to teach them how to "explore, watch live, and even record" hacked cameras.
The group claimed to have access to over 50,000 cameras.
A Singaporean criminal lawyer warned that people who hack cameras can be punished by law even if they commit the crime outside the country
"The Computer Misuse Act has extra-jurisdictional reach, and applies as long as either the accused was in Singapore, or the computer, program, or data was in Singapore at the time of the offence," said criminal lawyer James Ow Yong.
"Where the victim is under the age of 16, the material may be considered child pornography, and such offences attract a higher range of sentences."
The lawyer said those who distribute or sell child pornography can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or caned — or both.
Meanwhile, the police spokesman advised members of the public to file a police report if they identify anyone engaging in such activities.
