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How Burglars Use Social Media

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How Burglars Use Social Media


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While some break-ins may be spontaneous, many are premeditated and carefully thought out. Burglars will use any tool possible to formulate the best plan for their heist and, over the last decade, a new tool has been brought to their disposal with the rise of social media. By following these simple guidelines, you can take preventive measures and make your social media burglar-proof.

Don’t Post Your Address

This one may seem obvious, but many social media services have a default spot in the “Contact Information” or “About Me” sections for users to fill out their addresses. This instantly becomes public information and allows anyone looking at your profile to connect a name to an address. If, for some reason, you do need to share your address with someone over social media, make sure you do it via private messaging through that service or request another means of communication for sharing the address.

Turn Off Location Notices or “Check-Ins” Linked to Your Posts

Most social media services have an option to automatically disclose the location from which you posted. Many services also allow you to “Check-in” at a location, such as a restaurant or theater, notifying anyone viewing your profile of your whereabouts. While this may be a fun way to share your activities with your friends and family, it also lets everyone know that you currently aren’t home. Typically, burglars try to get in and out of a home within 10 minutes. By posting your location, a burglar can calculate how long you may feasibly be away and initiate their crime.

Lock Down Your Privacy Settings

Almost all social media services give you a lot of control over who can see your profile and posts. Familiarize yourself with the privacy settings on each social media service you use and make sure you are entirely comfortable with them. By filtering who can see your posts, you can enjoy your social media much more comfortably.

Think Twice Before Sharing Your Vacation Details

Social media is all about sharing your life and all of its fun moments, and vacations are no exception. Posting pictures and vacation highlights are great ways to share these moments with friends, but be sure to post anything regarding the trip once you’ve returned home. If you do post anything about the trip before your departure, make sure to leave out any sort of timetable as to when you will be away.

By using a little caution and thinking carefully before each post, you can eliminate the threat of a burglar utilizing your social media for their crimes. Don’t forget that the best way to prevent a burglar, regardless of social media, is to install a monitored home security system. Call 1-855MYSMARTHOME today for a free security consultation.