How burglars are using social media (infographic)

26 Jun 2013

Users of social media may be in advertently helping burglars find empty homes to target, according to a new infographic that also provides tips on how to keep thieves at bay.

In the days before Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter, burglars would read obituaries to figure out which homes might be empty at a certain time, the infographic produced by Distinctive Doors and published on Visual.ly reveals.

Today, check-ins and Google Streetview, for example, can inform burglars when a potential victim is not home and pinpoint where they live. Social media can also clue burglars into what possessions a potential victim has – if the potential victim shares a photo of their shiny new laptop on a social network, for example – and how long he or she will be away from his or her property.

It’s not all dire information, however. The infographic also outlines steps social media users can take to keep their homes secure. For instance, share vacation photos on social networks after the vacation, and make use of technology, such as timers on lights inside the home.

Infographic

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com