If you regularly update your social networking profile with details about your upcoming outings, then you might want to rethink your
strategy. Sure, it is fun to broadcast the details of your trip to that swanky resort, but it can have some negative repercussions as well. According to a study conducted by Credit Sesame, nearly four out of five burglars trawl social network sites such as Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook to locate the properties with absentee owners. About 75 percent of the burglars go one step ahead and also check out Google Street View of the target property.
According to the report, about 15 percent of Americans compulsively share their geographical whereabouts. It can be easily assumed that the percentage of British social scene users would be approximately the same. The report then goes on to suggest some steps you can follow to ensure that you do not jeopardize your own and your property's safety due to your social networking habits. The first and the obvious step is to 'friend' only the people that you know in real life. You can also change your profile setting to ensure that your location is not broadcast with every status or tweet.
Other steps would involve refraining from posting your plans about extended vacations. You can tweet to your heart's content, once you are back from your trip. Also avoid posting pictures of your house. The report also states that about 80 percent of first-time burglary attempts fail. But you wouldn't want to be the part of the remaining 20 percent. So, better safe than sorry!