Did you know that what you post on social media can put your home at risk? It’s difficult to always keep track of who is viewing your posts, and incorrect information can lead to thieves and robbers the opportunities they are waiting for. Unfortunately, this most often happens when you are impatient to post something interesting, e.g. the vacation you’re on.
The good news is that once you know what to avoid, you can reduce the risk level on your channel while still sharing the right photos, updates, and videos. Before you post, take a look at these danger signs and you’ll be good to go.
Read more: Best ways to hide your home address from the Internet
Sharing travel plans in advance leaves the home vulnerable
Pay attention to the details you share online to stay safe.
Travel is exciting and a great opportunity to post your influential photos in exotic new places, but it comes with hidden risks. By letting everyone know that you plan to be away from home (or are currently traveling), you can give burglars or other opportunists the green light to take advantage of an empty house. You’d be surprised how many people return from vacation to find an unwanted guest.
Preparing your home security for your trip can help with this, but it’s best to play it safe and wait to post your vacation photos. Take some advice from the pros and schedule your instant vacation photos for later when you’re home. Everyone will be able to enjoy photos from your vacation, but a little later.
Important Note: The same is true if you are moving to a new address. Wait until the move is complete before posting.
Real-time location tagging shows you exactly where you are (and where you aren’t).
Geotagged photos or automatic location tagging show where you are in real time when you post. It can be fun to show your friends that you’ve arrived at your destination or stopped by your favorite restaurant, but it also shows everyone else that you’re out and about. right now. The same can be said for posting a geotagged photo, even if you’re just in town.
This precise location data can give intruders and thieves a clue that you are not at home and your home may be open to trouble.
Never post content that makes it easy to tell when you are not at home.
Talking about your daily routine can tell burglars when to show up.
Social media is filled with people sharing their daily routines and habits (do we really need to know about your 6am run?), but if you want to follow suit, be careful about how much you share. For example, don’t reveal the time of day you go to work or the gym.
You don’t want anyone to have a record of when your house or room will be empty. Thieves are already using CCTV cameras to spy on homeowners’ daily routines; don’t make their life easier.
Posting about a big new purchase may attract unwanted glances.
Another common mistake made by social media users is posting an expensive new item that they recently purchased. Sure, it’s fun to show off and share big purchases like a new TV, a new computer, a collection of expensive miniatures, fancy new tools, or new jewelry, but that’s what burglars are after online.
Be safe and keep these special purchases between you and your real-life friends only to reduce the chance of them being stolen.
Read more: 7 Most Common Home Security Mistakes You Should Stop Making
Photos not only give away your location, they also show people what you own.
If you don’t do this, your children may become
Finally, keep in mind that even if you are especially careful on social media, your children (or your partner) may be less careful. Younger social media users in particular may not realize the dangers of posting all sorts of personal information, especially when a video of just a few seconds can get them recognition on TikTok.
So make sure your family also understands these risks and knows that there are certain things they shouldn’t post online—at least not right away.
Does it matter if your social media posts are not public?
If you limit social media access to friends only, your post will be saved. many safer and we highly recommend it. But this is not a panacea for these risks. First, it’s hard to tell who is currently following you and whether their friends have access to their social feed, especially if you have a lot of followers.
Secondly, as mentioned above, other family members may not be as discreet and may reveal details to people outside their circle.
Third, some enterprising thieves may even send spam requests to fake accounts in order to gain access to a huge number of social profiles at once and collect all the information possible. This is quite rare, but that’s why you don’t accept random requests without any connection.
For more information on how to keep your home secure, you should check out our tips on how to live alone stress-free, our extensive home security cheat sheet, and tips for preventing all types of break-ins.
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