Burglars Using Social Media to Identify Target Properties

Over 75% of convicted burglars, questioned in a survey, describe how social media platforms and sites like Google street view play an important part in their burglary planning. Read our latest post to learn more.

Many people are obliviously unaware of how the postings they make on social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, are putting them at risk of become targets for criminals. Several years ago, a UK security firm surveyed around 50 convicted burglars, asking them questions about how they identified their targets. The criminals disclosed how they would find vacant homes from Facebook posts in which homeowners talked about being away on vacation. They also reported how they would use Google street view to assess the identified homes to determine access points, the proximity of neighbouring properties and whether there were any security precautions, such as alarms or CCTV, around the properties.

Notable Cases of Social Media Informed Burglaries

In Crawley, West Sussex, a burglary gang is reported to have used Facebook to establish friendly relationships with people in order to gain knowledge of their holiday plans. Over a four month period the gang targeted more than 12 homes while the homeowners were away on vacation.

There have been some very high profile burglaries, based on information gained from social media. UK sportsmen, Jack Grealish and Ben Stokes, have both been the victims of robberies while away from home. And in London, socialite Shafira Huang’s home was burgled while she was away with thieves stealing over £10 million worth of luxury items. Police believe that criminals had been monitoring her social media posts from which they’d learned her property was unoccupied.

In 2019 a London based organised burglary gang was arrested after targeting a number of high value homes. Police investigations revealed how the gang had compiled details of potential victims by tracking Instagram and Twitter posts in which luxury items and travel plans had been exposed.

In 2018 a family from Nottingham returned home from their holiday to find their home had been burgled. Police investigations identified Facebook posts, showing holiday photos and check-ins, that effectively told the criminals their home was unoccupied.

How Burglars Exploit Social Media

Burglars are highly aware of the advantages provided by social media platforms and the information people often love to share. When people announce their holiday plans and display the expensive items they own on social media, this can be an open invitation to criminals. If someone has been sharing details of the wonderful, expensive jewellery they own or other expensive items in their home, on social media, criminals may have already built a profile of that person and property as a potential target. All they need is the right opportunity to break in without risk of being caught.

Revealing holiday plans on social media is clearly extremely risky. Criminals are continuously on the lookout for properties to target and will search for public posts in which people announce their vacation plans and dates. When they discover an address is going to be unoccupied they know they have time to gain entry and take whatever they can find.

Real time posts in which people share images directly from their holidays are another way criminals identify potential victims. People love to share their exciting holiday experiences directly from the places they are visiting. But these posts can be an open invitation for criminals to target their homes. One of the ways in which criminals use social media to target homes and business properties is by examining the exchangeable image file (EXIF) data attached to photos. When a photo is taken with a digital camera or smartphone the image file includes hidden data that typically includes the camera name, the date and time and possibly the GPS coordinates of where the image was taken. Burglars can use this information to confirm someone is away from home.

Another important element of real time social media information, used by criminals, is geotagging and check-in posts. People love to share details of the restaurants they are visiting and the sights they are seeing. Geotagging exact locations and check-in posts effectively announce when someone is away from home and where they are, making their property a viable target for burglars.

Public social media groups in which people discuss their holiday plans are also sometimes monitored by criminals. Neighbourhood watch groups, for example, in which people disclose their holiday plans and seek guidance on home security, can also be used by criminals to discover property targets.

Reverse image searching is another digital facility that can be exploited by criminals. A selfie image, shared online, can be used to identify other social media platforms from which the image has been shared. This insight can be used by criminals to build a profile of a potential target.

How to Stay Safe on Social Media

There are some sensible precautions that everyone can take to minimise the risks associated with social media.

Tighten your Privacy Settings

Start by making certain your privacy settings, on every social media platform you use, keep you safe. If there is no need for your profile to be public then make certain it is set to private. If the main reason you use social media is to stay in touch with friends and family it makes sense to make certain these are the only people who can see your posts.

Turn off Location Tracking

Social media apps like Snapchat have location tracking enabled by default. If there is no need or desire to share location information it is worth turning off location tracking features in any of the social media apps you like to use.

Decline any Unknown Friend Requests

Criminals are known to have gained access to valuable personal information by infiltrating the social media friend networks of targets. Be extremely wary of any friend requests and only engage with accounts of those you know and trust, making certain their accounts are genuine and have not been hijacked.

Don’t Post in Real Time

While its always tempting to share ‘Look at Where I am’ posts, don’t do it. Delay posting until you return from your holiday when you can then safely tell people ‘Look at Where I have Been’.

Carefully Consider Your Shared Photo Content

It makes sense not to share images of valuable possessions or clearly identifiable features of where you are. Wherever possible, keep valuable possessions out of the frame and don’t share images that reveal your location.

Pay Attention to Essential Home Security

Paying attention to online security is vitally important. But equally, home and property security should not be overlooked. It makes sense to ‘think like a burglar’ and assess your home or property security in the same way. Take a look at your home from Google street view and ask yourself whether it looks secure and protected. What external security measures can be discerned from the street outside your home? Burglars are known to be deterred by properties that exhibit clear signs of security such as alarms and CCTV cameras.

We’ve previously published a helpful breakdown and checklist for securing your home while away on holiday. Here’s our updated, summary list of home and property security recommendations.

• Don’t over-share details of when you plan to be away on holiday. Only tell people who really need to know.
• Endeavour to make it look like someone is at home. Leaving some lights and maybe a radio or TV on electrical timers, to switch on and off, can help. And a helpful neighbour might be happy to regularly pop in to water the plants and maybe draw and open some curtains.
• Cancel deliveries, such as milk or newspapers.
• Ask that helpful neighbour to pick up your mail.
• Install a home security system. Property alarms and CCTV cameras (with warning signs) are a powerful deterrent.
• Consider employing a property monitoring service. Some professional monitoring services offer 24/7 property monitoring via installed cameras.
• Strengthen your perimeter security. Potential burglars will seek security weaknesses that can be exploited so it makes sense to make certain all gates and entrances are locked and secure.
• Make certain all doors and windows are locked and secure.
• Don’t overlook garages, sheds and outbuildings. Make certain these are locked up as securely as the main house and consider installing alarms and monitoring cameras.
• Install motion activated lighting around the home and outbuildings. Burglars like to work unseen so a well illuminated property can deter them.
• Make certain there are no valuables that can be easily seen through windows or outside in gardens.
• Make certain all important, personal documentation is securely locked away.
• Don’t put anything in the household rubbish that exposes your holiday plans. Shred or destroy anything that might be used by a criminal.
• Check and double-check everything before departing on your vacation.

For more information on Burglars Using Social Media to Identify Target Properties talk to Insight Security