Why it's dangerous to post real-time updates of your festivities

It’s the festive season and many people have packed their bags and taken a well-deserved break. 

I hope that you’re enjoying your holiday right now. But I bet that, like me, you won’t completely unplug from social media. 

You may be sipping a cocktail, feeling safe behind the screen of your smartphone. But what if I told you that a simple click, a photo posted on your WhatsApp status, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed, could be inviting criminals into your house?

According to SGA Security chief executive Julius Delahaije, some online followers could be burglars trawling for clues of one’s family's whereabouts. Your updates could hint that your home will remain unoccupied for a particular period of time, based on one’s daily posts on social media.

“Burglars tend to plan most home break-ins in advance. They look out for clues to ‘sweep’ the house clean, targeting the valuable goods when a house is unoccupied. In many cases, they target their victims remotely through social media channels,” said Delahaije.

Burglars also cruise through neighbourhoods for offline clues such as padlocked doors, shut windows, drawn curtains, absence of cars, little or no movements in a house or compound.

“Let us all remain vigilant throughout the festive season. If possible, assign someone to keep checking the house or business property while away,” he advises.

Location tags

He says that if you must post, you should keep the location undisclosed as many social media platforms allow tagging of locations while on the go. This is because geo-tagged updates offer step-by-step clues of your movements. For instance, posts such as “at the airport, “travelling to Malindi”, “having fun at this hotel”, make you an easy target for thieves.

His advice is to take time to familiarise with your privacy settings on all active social media accounts and only divulge your location to trusted audiences chosen by you.

Mr Delahaije also reiterated the need to be vigilant while shopping in malls, at parking lots and to implement the ‘nyumba kumi’ initiative where neighbours look out for each other and their properties. 

With Covid-19 protocols to maintain social distancing in place, it is easy to notice anyone getting too close that could be reaching to snatch a mobile phone, handbag, jewellery and more.

“Threat actors are all over looking for targets. I would also advise making use of technology such as use of CCTV cameras in homes and businesses that one can monitor through an internet-enabled phone or computer from anywhere.”

Other measures to help beef up your personal security include investing in smart door locks, as well as deploying security guards and dogs that keep your house and neighbourhood occupied in your absence.

Mr Delahaije was speaking a day after Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai announced deployment of security officers countrywide to beef up security during the festive season.