SANTA MONICA – Social media in today’s society is beyond massive. People frequent cafes just to get the perfect shot for Instagram, spend hours taking the perfect selfie, and go to events just for the pic. Social media influencers can make tens of thousands of dollars per post, often showing off an enviable life, and many people are obsessed with having the perfect online presence. Showing off the highlight reel of ones life has never been more relevant than now, however, there is a dangerous side to social media that many do not even realize. So, before posting your new Prada flats and Chanel bag next to a plane ticket with the caption Au Revior, off to France, you might want to think again!
In a new crime trend, robbers are using social media to stalk their victims and plan out their next heist. Posting lavish goods, cars, and extravagant photos of your home can put you on their radar. Posting about your tropical vacation, snap chatting your location in Bora Bora, or even posting that you are on way to a nice dinner can make you a target. You are essentially giving a robber all the information they need: one, that you have expensive items of value that they would want and two, exactly where you are and when your house will be empty.
From Keri McMullen in Indiana who posted on Facebook that she was going to a concert and subsequently her house was robbed, to mega star Kim Kardashian, who was robbed at gun point, more and more robberies and home invasions are being linked to social media.
Kim Kardashian has admitted that her social media made her a target. The alleged leader of the group who robbed her admitted to the French police that they planned out their entire robbery based solely off of her social media. Her expensive jewelry was posted on Instagram, and she was Snapchatting herself at home, they had everything they needed. Kim ended up taking a break from social media and now avoids posting expensive items or revealing too much about her current location.
While social media can be a fun way to share your life, it can also be a place where robbers wait in the shadows so exercise caution before posting your entire life story.
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