Most burglars using Facebook and Twitter to target victims, survey suggests

[Jazzy]

The majority of burglars use social media such as the websites Facebook and Twitter to target their victims, a survey suggests.



With many users posting constant updates, the sites can unwittingly provide the thieves with information about recent high-value purchases such as televisions as well as the dates and times when they are out.



Other websites, such as Google Street View, show photographs of individual houses from which the would-be burglars can gauge security and ease of access by looking for alarms and side entrances.



The results were based on the answers of offenders who were convicted of burglary this year.



Four out of five of the criminals said social media websites were being used by burglars.



One of the convicted burglars interviewed, Richard Taylor, said: “We’re living in the age of the digital criminal and people are taking advantage of social media to access information about would-be victims.



“We’ll tell them even when we're going away on holidays. We will let them know that we’re not in. We’re inviting them round to our house.”



Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...witter-to-target-victims-survey-suggests.html



This doesn't surprise me in the least. How about you?

 

[Evil Eye]

Nope, not surprised.

I even read a Donald Duck short about this years ago. (He got an answering machine and other modern tech, needless to say he went on holiday, broke his GPS and came home to a note commenting on the answering machine telling people he'd gone on holiday. Bye, bye, .)