Oak Creek police warning homeowners about surveillance scam

OAK CREEK (WITI) -- Oak Creek police are warning homeowners about a surveillance operation they say they are not a part of -- an operation they are calling a scam.

Surveillance video can be critical in solving crimes, but Oak Creek police are warning residents about a scam targeting homeowners.

Scammers are calling people, claiming to be police, and offering a free installation of surveillance cameras inside homes.

"The police department would not go out and offer to install cameras themselves," an Oak Creek police official told FOX6 News.

Installing surveillance equipment is a job Benjamin Hartley has been doing for over a decade. He's the lead service technician for Midwest Security and Fire.

"Installing a camera system is a very involved process. There's a lot of labor involved with it," Hartley said.

Hartley advises homeowners to do research -- and says if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

"If it's being installed by somebody who is not reputable, they could in theory log back in to your own camera system and see when you are or are not at home," Hartley said.

Most surveillance cameras can be accessed remotely, which could become a problem if the video gets in the wrong hands.