Posting pictures of your trip out-of-state on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites is certainly a fun thing to do. You get to show your friends, and others, where you went and what you saw.
In the old days, you had to take a camera with you on your trip, using film. Then you’d get home from the trip, and either take the film to the local store for processing, or send away for prints. Days—or weeks—later, you’d have photos of your trip to show friends and family.
Times have changed. It’s possible to “check in” wherever you go these days, so if you take a trip from Hartford to Los Angeles, for instance, anyone with access to your social media news feed can see where you are in “real time” as you post pictures from your layover in Chicago or your beach day at the Santa Monica Pier.
A potential burglar can follow you on Twitter and see that you’re away from home. He or she might be able to deduce, from other pictures, exactly where you live and what items you own from other pictures and posts you’ve made public. As seen in the infographic below, it takes a burglar about 2 minutes to break-in to a home, and about 10 minutes or so to steal your stuff.
No one wants to be the victim of theft. But social media is deftly used by thieves to find and rob people who innocently, but naively tell too much online.
If you live in Connecticut, there is a service called Metroguard’s Housewatch you can employ to guard your place when you’re away from it. The trusted folks at Metroguard handle key-holding, alarm response, emergency and scheduled let-ins, and exterior patrols. Think of them as a trusted family member, albeit one who is trained in security. They’re able to watch your house for you when you’re not there.
Be careful what you post online, because not everyone viewing your information can be trusted. If you can have a trusted company like Metroguard keeping tabs on your house, you’ll have peace-of-mind.
To learn more about the potential dangers of posting your whereabouts on as social media, please check out the infographic below.
Social Media Infographic Provided by CreditSesame.com