BURGLARIES- And Social Media

Over the past few months there have been warnings about telling people that you are going on vacation over social media such as Facebook and Twitter. A group calling itself Pleaserobme.com (http://pleaserobme.com/) posted Tweets of people advertising their trips. Their point was that anyone could take that information and burglarize the house of someone on vacation.


Stories in the national media have popped up talking about the potential problem. In early August CNN ran an article about a burglary in Indiana attributed to a Facebook posting (http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/05/facebook-friend-or-foe/?iref=allsearch). In early September, a burglary ring in New Hampshire received publicity when police revealed that some of their victims had posted their vacation plans on Facebook (http://mashable.com/2010/09/11/facebook-places-burglars/).

In the Indiana and New Hampshire incidents the burglars had access to the victim’s Facebook accounts as friends. So, they either knew the victim or the victim allowed the burglar to become a “friend.”

With all of the talk about this “problem” there really have not been many reports of burglars using social media for leads to find empty houses. According to at least one of the sergeants at the Sheriff’s Office, they have not seen a rash of burglaries that they can attribute to social media. So what’s the problem?

First, social media is so new we don’t know quite how to use it. Those of us who might be older probably look on social media with suspicion. We just won’t use anything that we don’t understand. Youth, though, take to this new stuff like honey. Think all of the talk about “sexting.” If this social media phenomenon is truly useful, there must be a happy medium where the old become more daring and find uses and the youth becomes more careful and figures out how to protect itself from harm.

Second, many of the features of social media are designed to share information to anyone who will listen. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, thinks that the more sharing of information the better. Not everyone shares that vision, hence the effort to “strengthen” Facebook’s privacy settings.

Third, criminals use new technology. They use cell phones, texting, and emails to coordinate their crimes. ID theft bloomed with the increased use of credit and debit cards. Online purchasing gave another potential source for ID theft. Devices that thieves can use to easily swipe cards to collect account numbers (in a restaurant, store or at an ATM) have made us more vulnerable. Email phishing schemes attempt to trick us into giving our account information. So it stands to reason that criminals will migrate to using social media.

But have criminals found an effective way to use social media to commit burglary? So far, the most practical method seems to be when the burglar is a “friend” of someone on Facebook or Twitter; and that someone mentions that they are going to be away from home on vacation, going to be gone over a weekend, or going to a bar or lounge. That could provide an opportunity. The burglar probably already knows where the victim lives. If not he could easily do a Google search or look in the victim’s profile.

Most burglary prevention advice consists of keeping doors locked, keeping a house in easy view of the street, and making the house look occupied (pick up newspapers and handouts, keep some lights on). The advice comes from the experience that burglars will check out a (or their) neighborhood for houses that give them the opportunity to enter, take something(s) worthwhile and get out without getting caught or hurt. This means physically going through neighborhoods.

So what to do?

First, don’t discount social media as a method of communicating with your friends or acquaintances. Know its’ capabilities and its dangers.

Second, as in any other aspect of life, be careful of what you say and to whom. Before social media, you probably would not announce to the whole world that you are going on vacation. You might tell only those close relatives or friends. So, on social media sites, take advantage of privacy settings to limit your message to your friends or followers. And be careful of who you allow to be a friend or follower. If you leave your privacy settings open to the whole world then don’t talk about your private life.

Third, when you are away, follow the common sense crime prevention advice that police departments have been giving for decades. When you are away from your house, lock your doors; make your home look occupied (lights on, maybe a radio turned on) and (especially when you are on vacation) have a trusted friend or neighbor pick up your mail and your newspapers and handbills.

Old advice may be just as applicable with new technology and new ways of doing things.

Have you been victimized by a burglar who used social media find you? Was he a friend or follower or did he use a different technique to find you?