What NOT to share on social media websites if you are planning a vacation.
You have been planning this vacation for what seems like forever, and now the time finally comes where you can leave everything behind….. work and personal responsibility will be a distant memory for at least few days……RIGHT??? You have so many things to do, such as pack your belongings, pay the bills and, most important of all, spread the news of your vacation to all your friends on your social network….. RIGHT???? Well WRONG. Better think twice about that last item. If fact, if you are smart scratch that all together. Before you tell everyone on Facebook, Twitter and other sites of your planned time away from home, consider everyone else who might read your posts.
According to a story in a local Daily Newspaper, two men broke into an elderly woman’s home after her granddaughter had posted information, including pictures of casino winnings on Facebook. Luckily, the men left without harming the woman, but it makes the point that you simply cannot put personal information like this on a social network. Even if you set your status updates to private, almost anyone can access your information once you post it online.
If you still don’t believe it, visit PleaseRobMe.com. to drive home this point a little more. We all want to share the excitement of special occasions with our friends but do it over the phone or better yet….wait untill you get back. Another thing, don’t tell everyone with a message on your answering machine or a voice mail either. Sharing pictures of your vacation on Instagram can wait until you make it safely back home. If you value your home and property, understand the dangers of posting your personal information online. In the “old” days, we had to tell our children not to talk to strangers. Now, we have to add the part about not sharing vacation plans on social media either.
If you have 1,000 friends on Facebook or hundreds of Twitter followers, consider how closely you know each of those people. Only tell your closest friends, family members and neighbors of your planned absence away from home. If you accidentally leak your vacation plans online, update your status and comment so that it looks as though you have made it back home. It’s also a great idea to have a home security system and, of course, homeowner’s insurance that is paid in full.