Don’t be like the Kardashians, Keep Burglars Away Over the Holidays!

Do you share too much on social media? If you're planning to travel to visit family or you're taking a relaxing tropical vacation, the urge is post something on Facebook or Instagram. But many experts say you shouldn't because you are potentially inviting burglars to what they know is an unoccupied home.

If you're keeping up with the Kardashians, you already know how social media led criminals to right to her location. Shortly after Kim Kardashian flaunted a $4.49 million engagement ring on Instagram last October, thieves tracked her whereabouts to rob her of the ring. Police even warned her younger sister, Kylie, to stop posting her GPS coordinates on Snapchat, because this could lead strangers coming straight to her front door. This may seem obvious, but how often do we do the exact same thing?

Sharing your activities on Instagram, Snapchat, and other sites may be a fun way to let friends check out your experiences, but it also can allow some undesirable to see more than you would want to share, remember the old adage safety first well this should also apply to what you post in your social channels.

Here are five social media don'ts for this holiday season

• Don't post about expensive gifts you received: Avoid posts that show a close-up of a pricey gift.
• Don't share your GPS coordinates in your posts, especially at your home. This gives people your address. If you take a photo with your smart phone and post it online, it may automatically contain geotags with your exact GPS coordinates. You also have the option to disable your phone from adding GPS location information to pictures as well. For example, on the iPhone 6 go to: Settings / Privacy / Location Services / Camera / Choose "Never." While Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter strip out location data from photos, other sites (like Tumblr) do not.
• Don't set your security on social media sites so that your posts are viewable by the "public". Instead, select the "friends only" setting.
• Don't post that you are at the airport, flying to Florida, or sitting on a beach in Mexico. Keep your home safe while on vacation. Don't post family photos of your vacation until you have returned home. Burglars can see this information and know your home is vacant for the next several days.
• Don't post about holiday concerts or school plays you are leaving your house to attend. Post afterward if you must. Never advertise you will be away from your home for a few hours.

In today's digital world we often share too much information–which puts us at risk to be victims of burglary or crime if it falls into the wrong hands.