Burglaries typically increase during holiday times in Manhattan since criminals know many homes and apartments will be empty, some for an extended period of time. Don’t make it easier for the burglars by advertising when you’ll be gone on Facebook or other social networks.
Arrests in New Hampshire earlier this fall underscore the importance of avoiding posts like “Heading home now to spend the holiday with my family. C u next semester, Manhattan” which tell potential burglars exactly when you’re leaving and approximately when you’ll be back.
The article about the New Hampshire burglary states the “alleged thieves carried out an estimated 50 burglaries in and around Nashua, New Hampshire, after gaining intelligence on properties that had been left vacant from status updates on social networking sites, such as Facebook.”
Even though some people use their Facebook status to chronicle every waking moment, resist the urge when you leave town so you don’t have to tweet “House broken into – waiting for the police” when you return.
