Social media has become such an integral part of daily life that many of us barely think twice before sharing where we are, what we’re doing, or what we’ve bought. But while posting holiday snaps or check-ins might seem innocent, these small moments of sharing can sometimes attract the wrong kind of attention. In recent years, more and more evidence has emerged showing that burglars are using social media as a tool — one that helps them identify potential targets and strike when homes are empty. The idea might sound like something out of a crime drama, but as several real-life cases have shown, it’s very real.
It Absolutely Happens
Burglary is one of those things many people think couldn’t possibly happen to them. It happens in films and TV, and in certain parts of the UK, but not to them. Never to them. Unfortunately, that isn’t true. Burglars can strike anyone, at any time, anywhere. And if you’re prolific on social media, it’s now more likely that you’ll become a target.
Let’s look at a few recent examples.
In Crawley, a burglary gang used Facebook to establish friendly relationships with people to get knowledge of their holiday plans. Once they went away, the burglars struck. Over a four-month period, the gang targeted over 12 homes while the owners were away on vacation. In 2018, a family from Nottingham came home from holiday to find their home had been ransacked. Investigators found a number of Facebook posts of holiday snaps and check-ins abroad, which told the criminals their home was unoccupied.
There have also been some pretty high-profile burglaries that were planned using information on social media. For example, Jack Grealish and Ben Stokes (UK sportsmen) have both been the victims of robberies while away from home. In London, socialite Shafira Huang was the victim of a robbery by thieves who had been monitoring her social media posts and learned that the property was unoccupied. They made away with over £10 million worth of luxury items!
Finally, in 1029 a London based organised crime gang were arrested after they targeted a number of high-value homes. It was discovered that the gang compiled details of their potential victims by tracking their Instagram and Twitter posts, saving the ones where luxury items and travel plans had been exposed.
So while it might feel unlikely – it absolutely could happen to you.
How Burglars Use Social Media Against You
Sadly, burglars don’t just scope out houses in person anymore. They’ve evolved with the times, and are highly aware of the advantages social media can give them. After all, people love to share information, and by paying close attention they can figure out what homes are good targets (with lots of expensive items shown off online), how often the occupants are out of the house, and what kind of person they are (and whether they’re security conscious or not). Without going near you or your home, they can build a complete profile of you and your property as a potential target. Now all they need is the right opportunity to break in without the risk of being caught.
That might sound a bit scaremonger-ey, but it’s sadly very true. Think about the kinds of things people share online. Holiday plans, weekend activities. If you have kids of a certain age (which they can see if you share them on social media), they know when you’ll be out for the school run. They can also do some very clever things with tech. For example, they can examining the exchangeable image file (EXIF) data that’s attached to photos. It’s unique to each camera, and that hidden data will include things like:
- The camera name
- The date and time
- GPS coordinates of where the image was taken
Even if you’re not sharing photos, just by checking in at a location (theatre, cinema, restaurant), those check ins contain geotagging data that allows them to see where you are and when, knowing that you’re away from home.
Finally, criminals will also lurk in public social media groups, because they know a lot of people will ask for recommendations or advice. Things like planning holidays, asking advice about home security or even looking for large building works, all can be used to build up a profile of you and your home.
Staying Safe on Social Media
Check your privacy settings: Go through all of your social media and check your privacy settings. The default settings are often quite open, but if there’s no need for your profile to be public then make sure you set it to private. If the main reason you’re using social media is to keep in touch with friends and family, then it makes sense to ensure that those are the only people who can see your posts.
Turn off location tracking: A lot of social media apps will track your location – either while you’re using the app or all the time. Again, these are enabled by default on a lot of platforms. Location information can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, especially if you have children, or high value items to protect. Make sure you turn off location tracing features in any of the apps you use.
Decline any unknown friend requests: This seams simple, but you’d be surprised how often it happens. Criminals have been known to gain access to personal information by carefully infiltrating the social media of friends and families. One of the ways they do this is by sending friend requests. Be very careful of accepting any friend requests from people you aren’t sure you know. If it’s someone you do know and are already friends with, make sure their account hasn’t been cloned or hijacked.
Don’t post in real time: If you are away, resist the urge to post about your travels while you’re on them. We know it’s tempting to share the ‘look where I am’ type of posts, but it’s not worth it. By all means post your photos, but wait until your home to do it. Then you can safely share them without putting your home at risk.
Be careful what you share: If you’re taking photos of or inside your house, be careful of what’s in them. Don’t share images of valuable possessions, or clearly identifiable features of where you are. It’s always best to keep valuables out of the frame, and not share any images that reveal your location.
In the end, burglars don’t need to lurk in the shadows anymore — they can find everything they need with a few clicks. The convenience of social media comes with risks, and understanding those risks is the first step to protecting yourself. By tightening privacy settings, thinking twice before you post, and being cautious about who you connect with online, you can enjoy social media safely without advertising your life — or your belongings — to potential criminals. Staying mindful doesn’t mean living in fear; it just means being smart about what you share and when you share it. If you’d like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.
