Four social media strategies to help deter burglaries

Although it is fun to share photos of your vacation or weekend plans on social media, advertising you are away from home may make you a victim of theft and burglary. Please consider taking the following precautions to ensure you find your house and belongings just as you left them when you return.

1.       Check your privacy settings. Make sure your posts are only being seen by certain “friends” or “followers.” Keep in mind that maintaining a “public” profile usually means the entire world can see your posts.

2.       Control how others can tag you. Even if you have strict security settings, friends may still be able to tag you in posts or photos – exposing you to potential security risks. Manage how others tag you in posts by checking your privacy settings. Decide who can see posts and photos that other people tag you in.

3.       Limit your connections. You likely have high school classmates, casual acquaintances and former colleagues who you have not spoken to in years taking up space in your social network. While social media is great for making big announcements, remember that everything you say may lead to an invasion of your privacy. Advertising your travel details or expensive purchases to all your connections is neither smart nor safe.

4.       Think twice before posting. Whether you’re “checking in” at your favorite restaurant or posting photos from the beach, once you put it on social media, you lose control. Be sure your check-ins are only shared with a select group of trusted friends rather than publicly displayed.

It is important to remember that there is no such thing as total social media privacy nowadays. People who use security settings on their accounts may be at risk of having their personal information shared with unintended audiences.

I hope you and your family find these tips helpful. Please contact me anytime with questions that you may have regarding your coverage to ensure what matters to you is protected.