Selfies are a popular way of sharing good times with friends and family. They’re also a great way for criminals to find out when you’re not at home – and when they can steal your stuff if you’re away. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
Criminals love easy targets. That’s why some smarter criminals study a potential target’s patterns of behavior. They record where a target visits and when that person is away from home, creating an optimal window of opportunity when a target isn’t likely to interfere with a break-in. In the past, this took some legwork before a criminal could reap unimpeded rewards, but not anymore. Now, criminals watch their targets on social media.
Selfies taken at work, the gym, or other locations frequented on a routine basis are patterns a criminal can record. Criminals will note if a person has a spouse, children, or a pet. They’ll look for any indication that identifies a home as unoccupied for an extended period. If a person shares this level of detail to anyone who monitors these posts on a social media page, a criminal could harvest this information and use it to break into the person’s home without fear of getting caught. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
“But a criminal doesn’t know where I live. How can he steal my stuff?”
If you post photos of where you work, go to the gym, or hang out with friends, a criminal can go to these locations to find you, and he’ll know what you look like from your posted photos. From there, a criminal can follow you home and know exactly where you live. A criminal can also use a photo’s metadata to track your location and find out where you live.
Photos taken with a cellphone will embed the Global Positioning System (GPS) location, date, and time a person snapped the photo. This and other information a photo contains, such as camera model and setting, is called metadata, and a criminal can use it to see where you were when you took the photo. A photo’s metadata will give a wealth of information to anyone who wants to track you.
Don’t make it easy for a criminal to target you for the next break-in.
- Avoid posting photos of where you work and any other places you go to regularly. If your routine is hard to track, a criminal might look for an easier target.
- Turn off the GPS on your phone when taking selfies. This will prevent a criminal from using a photo’s metadata to see where you took it.
- Only share photos with verified friends. Keep your profile and page private to prevent a casual observer or criminal from monitoring you.
Don’t let a selfie tempt a criminal to take your stuff. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
Be cautious when taking photos and avoid making it easy for others to track you. Follow the advice above when posting photos on social media to prevent a criminal from creating an accurate treasure map that could lead them to your valuables. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff