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'Mommy!': Families Terrified After Strangers Hack Their Ring Security Cameras

DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. (CBS Local) -- Multiple reports of Ring cameras being hacked in recent days are raising new concerns about the system's security.

Owners of Ring security cameras in Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Texas have reported incidents where hackers tormented families with racial slurs, encouraged children into destructive behavior and demanded a ransom in Bitcoin.

Ashley LeMay of Desoto County, Mississippi, said she installed a Ring camera to keep an eye on her three daughters while she worked overnight shifts as a nurse. But only four days later, a stranger began taunting eight-year-old Alyssa with music and encouraging her to use racial slurs, mess up her room and break her TV.

"I watched the video and I mean my heart just like... I didn't even get to the end where she's screaming 'mommy!' before I ran inside," LeMay told WMC.

It was just the latest in a string of similar incident. In Cape Coral, Florida, a family says hackers accessed their Ring camera Sunday night and spewed racial slurs at their son.

In Grand Prairie, Texas, a couple was rudely awakened Monday when a hacker took over their camera system and demanded payment in Bitcoin.

And in Brookhaven, Georgia, a woman said she was sleeping in her bed Monday evening when a hacker woke her up.

"I was terrified, she told WSB. "I literally could not move my body."

LeMay admits she had not set up the two-factor authentication for the Ring account, which would have added another level of protection against potential hackers.

Ring also recommends using strong, unique passwords to protect your security, CBS Sacramento reported.

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