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How Your Social Media Posts Are Inviting Criminals into Your Home This Christmas

Introduction

The festive season, particularly the period surrounding Christmas, is a time of celebration and pleasure.

Nevertheless, it also presents distinctive challenges in the context of crime, particularly those that are influenced by social media activities. Indeed, your social media activities serve as a beacon and a magnet for fraudsters, perpetrators, and low-level criminals such as burglars and drug addicts.

It is imperative to understand how individual online behaviours can unintentionally elevate the risks associated with our personal lives and businesses to protect and safeguard against potential threats.

The promotion of crime via social media

Social media platforms have become an indispensable part of daily life, offering opportunities to connect with others and share experiences.

However, the oversharing of personal information, such as travel plans or expensive purchases, can provide criminals with valuable insights.

Publicly announcing holiday travel plans, for instance, can increase the risk of a break-in by signalling to potential burglars that a residence will be vacant.

Statistics highlight the issue

Recent data underscores the connection between crime and social media activity during the holiday season:

  1. Burglary Rates Are Up: According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), home invasions are most prevalent during the summer, particularly in December, and frequently occur during the day.To obtain entry, thieves occasionally pose as service workers. The number of break-ins increases during the summer months due to vacant residences and the opening of windows and doors during holidays.The presence of valuable Christmas objects in homes is a contributing factor to the highest burglary rates in December.
  2. Increase in Online Shopping Scams: (according to the Daily Telegraph) The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 17,000 complaints of non-delivery products during the 2020 holiday season, resulting in a total of over $53 million in losses.
  3. Financial and emotional consequences
    During the holiday season, social media facilitates crimes that have significant consequences.

    • Emotional Impact: The significant emotional distress that victims frequently experience, such as feelings of anxiety and violation, can overshadow the excitement of the holidays.
    • Financial Losses: In addition to the immediate loss of valuables, individuals may be required to pay higher insurance premiums and the expenses associated with repairing damages.
    • Reputational Damage: Businesses may experience financial downturns as a consequence of falling victim to cybercrimes, which can erode consumer trust.

Preventative strategies for reducing risk

Consider the following strategies to protect yourself from crimes exacerbated by social media during the Christmas season:

  1. Restrict the Sharing of Personal Information: Refrain from publishing real-time updates regarding travel plans or costly purchases. Share this information exclusively with individuals you trust and consider modifying your privacy settings to limit the number of people who can view your posts.
  2. Enhance Home Security: Install surveillance cameras and alarm systems to establish robust security protocols. Make sure to secure all entry points and consider using timers for lighting to create the illusion of occupancy.
  3. Provide Family Members with Information: Engage in a conversation with all household members regarding the potential hazards of excessive social media sharing, with a particular emphasis on the necessity of discretion during the holiday season.
  4. Maintain awareness of common scams: Become familiar with common scams, such as phishing emails and phony online bargains, to more effectively identify and avoid them.
  5. Conduct Consistent Financial Statement Monitoring: Review bank and credit card statements on a regular basis to spot unauthorized transactions, which will help you respond quickly to any detected fraud.

Conclusion

Social media offers numerous advantages, but it’s crucial to exercise caution when disseminating information, especially during the holiday season.
Individuals and businesses can experience a more secure and safe holiday season by comprehending the potential hazards and implementing proactive measures.

This post was written by Mario Bekes