How to protect yourself from social media burglaries

November 01 2017

Our research has revealed that money and credit cards are one of the most stolen items in UK burglaries, and social media could play a part in the rising number of cases.

Posting personal information on social media along with the most likely items stolen, seem to be intertwined with each other. Popular social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok has seen over 121 million combined hashtags for ‘money’ on the two sites, with some users sharing videos and images of large amounts of cash.

Jewellery (20%) was the second most stolen items, which has nearly 84 million combined hashtags on social platforms, with users eager to show off their belongings. Also, amongst the top items to be stolen in UK burglaries were electrical goods, computers, furniture and watches.

Here’s the top 10 most stolen items:

#	Most stolen item	% of all burglaries	Number of hashtags
1	Money / wallet / purse / credit cards	34%	121 million
2	Jewellery	20%	65 million
3	Electrical goods / cameras	19%	1.5 milllion
4	Computer / computer equipment	16%	8.4 million
5	Household furniture	13%	56 million
6	Watches	12%	19 million
7	Vehicles / vehicle parts	12%	6 million
8	Clothes	11%	80 million
9	Food / toiletries / cigarettes	10%	588 million
10	Documents	5%	290,000

To help you stay safe online, Michelle Bennett, ADT UK Subscriber General Manager, shares her seven tips to staying safe online:

1. Keep personal information private

“When posting online it’s important to not share any personal details to anyone you aren’t familiar with. Accounts can be hacked, so if you find that people are asking for information that you don’t feel comfortable in sharing, then don’t.”

2. Be careful what you post

“Before you post your next selfie or picture, be mindful what it is that you are showing. If it’s a picture of your new car, jewellery or anything that others may be envious of, you might want to think again before putting it on your social account. There is a large community of people that stalk social media accounts before they commit a burglary, as the criminal may want to familiarise themselves with what you have.”

3. Be careful who follows you online

“Be mindful who follows you on social media, if it’s not a close family or friend you may want to remove them before posting items that may make you a target. On Instagram for example, you can choose who sees your stories, so you can filter out anyone who you aren’t familiar with.”

4. Keep your location hidden

“If you have a trip coming up, try not to post about it online until you are back from your travels. People who post while sunning up in another country, put themselves at risk of being a victim of burglary, as criminals are aware that you aren’t at home. Even if you don’t plan on jetting off to sunnier climates, try and remain from tagging your location while you’re out.”

5. Don’t let other people tag you online

“If you’re travelling with a big group or out socialising with close friends, don’t let them tag you in their posts if you don’t feel comfortable of others knowing your location. If your social accounts are public, online criminals may be monitoring your profile, so it’s important to be mindful when thinking about posting online.”

6. Keep your profile private

“If you use your social media account to stay in touch with friends and family, then you have no real need for your online profile to be public. If this is the case, then you should consider changing it to private.”

7. Upload your posts in the future

“If you are away from your home or on holiday, it’s best to not post about your current location, instead, plan to share your pictures and videos once you’re back home. There are people who, if you’re account is public, could be monitoring your account for your location, so it’s important to not give them any information.”

To help keep your home safe from unwanted guests, browse our range of security packages to protect you and your family.