By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
Every day, many of us unwittingly provide an open invitation for people to enter our homes. Sometimes, it may be more than just homes and possessions which are endangered; it can be innocent children or other loved ones.
Those we open our doors to are often strangers, while other times, they may be our own social media friends. Whoever they may be, we have given them the invite to take our children, help themselves to our valuables or stake out our property for future visits.
Joe Wood, Chief Deputy of Operations for Clay County Sheriff’s Office, explained how what we share on social media is an information outlet. “The sad fact is, criminals are on it every day, looking for their next target. Predators pay attention to social media,” he said. “Some work all day trying to scam others. If I am looking for a bad guy, I often do some social media searches to get more information because it is so easy to find things which lead me to someone.”
He added, “Even if you think it is only your friends who are seeing it, others can often see it, too. Plus, we all have friends on social media who are people we do not know well.”
Wood advised minimizing identifying information placed on social media. For example, pictures of children with a sign which reads, “first day of school at Hayesville Elementary” tells the world the child’s location. A picture of a child wearing a baseball jersey standing near a ballpark sign also makes it easy to figure out their community’s name.
“Your address is a public record. They can find your home easily using a county or city map,” he continued. “We are our own worst enemy by opening the door and showing our routines.” When too much is shared, predators can figure out when and where a person goes to work and when they return home. In other words, the predator will plan the visit based on whether the intention is to go when your home is empty or when you or someone else will be there.
In addition, we should never share on social media about when we will be out of town. Each time we share vacation pictures from afar or post pictures showing our family driving away with luggage stacked on the car roof, we are announcing our itinerary to the world. If someone is traveling with us, we have extended the invite for our companions’ homes to be visited. “When people leave home, they should share vacation photos after they return,” Woods said.
Americans will spend more than 56 billion dollars on home security in 2024. That dollar figure will jump to around 93 billion dollars by 2030, according to the Consumer Affairs Journal of Consumer Research. While those security systems can work well, we can ensure better safety for ourselves, our families and our homes with a few simple steps.
Check the privacy settings on social media accounts or follow the instructions on Facebook’s privacy checkup. On a cell phone, tap the three little dots on the right beside your edit profile button. On a laptop, tap the downward arrow beside the tiny profile picture on the top right of your home screen. Click settings and privacy and privacy checkup. The privacy center will explain more about these settings. For less tech-savvy folks, a teen or young adult can often be very helpful with navigating social media settings.
For vacations and other time away, Woods advised using a smart device to turn things like a porch light or music on and off at your home. A lamp or two plugged into a simple timer can work well, too. Even better, have someone check on your home regularly while you are away. Have someone make the house look occupied by moving patio furniture or changing the position of a parked vehicle.
For kids with cell phones, Woods suggested adding an app such as Life 360 to their phones. A tracking device can be placed on cars for those who drive. Discuss safe social media guidelines with young people on a regular basis. Even though they may know more than you do about using the technology, they are not always as aware of dangers.
Recheck your settings regularly. Also remember, technology changes rapidly. Dishonest people and online predators keep up with changes which means they are working on the next best way to outsmart the rest of us.
This article is one in a series on scams and safety issues related to technology.