Read one man's dramatic story about how he intercepted a burglary at his parents' home with the help of Vodafone’s security cameras and instant alert service.
On a dark summer’s night, Ben Wood was sitting in his house when suddenly an alert came through on his phone.
It warned him that motion had been detected by his parents’ security camera 50 miles away. Heart pounding, he watched the footage on his phone and saw three men walking across his parents’ garden.
“Three guys in hoodies were walking up the edge of the driveway, off the gravel to ensure they didn’t make any noise,” says Ben, who works for industry analyst CCS Insight.
“Next thing, I hear a big bang and off goes the alarm. Obviously, I immediately knew someone was breaking in the house.
“Then there was panic.”
Ben had to act quickly. He called the police and the neighbours to alert them. He also informed his parents who, thankfully, were away at the time in France. They were asleep when he told them, but were soon wide awake watching the security camera’s live video feed on their smartphones.
“Within minutes the police arrived,” says Ben. “They were brilliant, immediately dispatching a local car and a dog unit. But it was quite clear by this point that once the alarm went off [the burglars] legged it.”
‘Perfect solution’
The issue with a number of security cameras on the market is that they require mains power and a Wi-Fi connection, which can be problematic if the camera is positioned quite a way from the house, as in Ben’s parents’ case.
But Vodafone’s security camera uses a battery that lasts for at least three weeks and a 4G mobile connection.
“The best thing about the V-Cam is it’s so easy,” says Ben, “There are no worries about whether the Wi-Fi will work outside; it’s easy to move wherever you want it placed; and it has a battery that will last for 20 to 25 days.
“It is the perfect solution for my parents.”
Not only did the alert and footage from the camera enable Ben to act quickly, it helped his parents improve security at their house to prevent it happening again. The app that’s paired with the V-Cam also enables customers to share live and historic footage with multiple phones, so friends and family can have real-time access, too.
Ben also owns a V-Cam which he uses to monitor his garden. Thankfully, not all intruders are of the burglar variety….
To purchase one of Vodafone’s smart cameras head over to Vodafone’s online shop.
