As more and more of us run our lives through social media, it can be easy to forget the real-life risks that your tweeting can create.
A new website, PleaseRobMe.com is warning oblivious users that posting their whereabouts via portals such as Twitter and Facebook can be more than just an irritation to friends – and can, in fact, advertise your home to burglars.
Please Rob Me
The rise in different social network location-based services, such as Foursquare, allows you to tell others your exact location at any point in time. This makes it abundantly clear that you are not in your home – not the type of information you want falling into the wrong hands.
In light of this, Please Rob Me has gone to great lengths to stress the dangers of highlighting your whereabouts on the internet – listing a catalogue of details about those who have revealed their houses to be empty. The development is particularly terrifying when placed alongside a recent study, which found that 41 per cent of people divulge personal information to complete strangers online*.
Darren Black, head of home insurance at Confused.com, says that “criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their information gathering, even using Google Earth and Street View to plan their burglaries with military precision”.
And that’s not all. He added that home insurance providers assessing claims are starting to take information revealed on the sites into account, noting that “we may, in future, see insurers declining claims if they believe the customer is negligent”.
Want to know how you can better protect yourself? Then follow these simple tips.
It can seem a real hassle to keep your home secure, but here are some cheap and easy ways of ensuring that your home is indeed your fortress.
1. Stay social but stay safe
Most importantly, perhaps, to those of you bursting to tell the online world of your activities, be careful of divulging too much information.
Similarly, it’s crucial to keep a keen eye on your ‘friends’ list - an increasing number of thieves have been known to add you as a buddy just to check your suitability as a victim.
2. Keep your home locked and possessions hidden
The obvious one – or at least you would think. While we know that unforced entry is one of the most popular forms of burglary, a huge number of people still do not lock their doors and windows when they leave the house. On top of that, hiding your possessions from view is an excellent way of preventing a would-be thief from taking the plunge.
3. Buy a burglar alarm
Yes, we all hate it when they wake us up, heads throbbing, at 4am, but we don’t dislike them half as much as those nasty robbers. Keep it set each night and whenever you leave the house – and don’t forget to have it tested every three months.
4. Fit a timer switch
Nothing puts a burglar off more than a busy household. If you’re going away and feel the need to tweet about it, the least you can do is give the impression that someone else is in. Timers are available for most products, meaning that you can have the TV, radio and lights programmed to make a burglar think that someone’s having a right old knees-up while you’re away.
NB: One crafty way of keeping the robbers at bay is by investing in a clever little invention called FakeTv. This gadget will simulate the light output of a real LCD TV, all using a fraction of the energy. What’s more, Confused.com customers can find out about a very special offer designed just for them by visiting www.faketv.co.uk/confused.
5.Don’t keep your spare keys under the doormat
Burglars are canny sorts, and the good ones know all the tricks of the trade. Places that you might think are super-secret hideaways could, in fact, be a gift-wrapped invite to enter your home while you’re away. Our message is simple – leave it with a friend or neighbour, NOT outdoors.
*Research from Legal and General’s Digital Criminal report
