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Original poster

Putting a holiday all over SM while you're still away

136 replies

EhatBow · 01/08/2022 15:42

Doesn't it worry you to tell the world the house is empty for 2 weeks?

People do things like automated lights and curtains to try and make the place look occupied and then spend the holiday posting pictures.

When I was a child my parents wouldn't eveb have milk or papers delivered so they didn't have to cancel them (thereby telling people) when we were away, so I accept my normal may be extreme, but isn't it foolish to go out of your way to publicise when you're away?

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 01/08/2022 15:44

It's only on MN have I ever heard about the curtains and automatic lights.

Most people I know will post when they're away to show their friends and family what they are doing.

TeapotTitties · 01/08/2022 15:44

Depends on how public your SM is and how many people are on it I suppose.

Plus not everyone leaves their house empty.

Original poster
EhatBow · 01/08/2022 15:44

itsgettingweird · 01/08/2022 15:44

It's only on MN have I ever heard about the curtains and automatic lights.

Most people I know will post when they're away to show their friends and family what they are doing.

The devices are sold so they must be a thing IRL?

OP posts:
Original poster
EhatBow · 01/08/2022 15:45

TeapotTitties · 01/08/2022 15:44

Depends on how public your SM is and how many people are on it I suppose.

Plus not everyone leaves their house empty.

All SM is public. Once it's out there it's out there.

OP posts:
yonce · 01/08/2022 15:46

I post on my Instagram, but I'm a private page so only my friends follow.

I have lights on timers (I use them at Christmas for lights, and for holidays) just flicking lamps in different rooms on and off. Someone is at my house twice a day to look after the cats and we have CCTV / alarms (window and door) so there's not much more we can do to protect when we're away.

Tubbyinthehottub · 01/08/2022 15:46

Was it not dead obvious when the milk didn't get taken inside?

EasterIssland · 01/08/2022 15:47

We do both.
only my closest people know where I live so even if they see pics of me in the Maldives … I’d have told them that I was going away on holidays
those that don’t know me and that didn’t know I was anyway going to the Maldives … don’t know where I live so they’ll see that there is light in my house even if I’m in my Watervilla

ShrillSiren22 · 01/08/2022 15:49

I do post the odd photo of my holidays while I’m away but I’m not too concerned about any of my 50 odd friends and family who see them on my private Instagram page would consider robbing me as a result. I’ve got one of the neighbours kids popping in twice a day to feed the cat which is reassuring but also my drive is clearly missing my car so it’s pretty obvious I’m away to any passing baddies.

itsgettingweird · 01/08/2022 15:49

Well yes they are obviously sold.

But I'm saying I know no one IRL who does this!

Plenty who post on SM (FB) about their holidays. On friends pages so not public.

MaChienEstUnDick · 01/08/2022 15:50

My address isn't on social media. It really is as simple as that. The people who know where I live aren't going to rob me, my privacy is up high generally and the odd shot of my sulky teen isn't going to go viral. It's a tiny risk.

easyday · 01/08/2022 15:52

Yea those light timers - used those decades ago too.
My only sm is FB and only my friends can see it. Plus I have no info on my profile saying where I live except very generally. Never posted a pic of the outside of my house, though I guess I have 'checked in' enough places that one could guess the area. I hope my friends aren't burglars though.
Every year the police say don't post your holiday pics on SM etc. if your setting is public, until after you come home.

bigbluebus · 01/08/2022 15:52

Only our friends can see our social media pages. And our house isn't empty when we go away as adult DS lives there.

SummerInSun · 01/08/2022 15:53

Well if you are Tamara Ecclestone, then clearly yes! Burglars knew she was away because she was posting pictures showing the family getting on a private jet for all the world to see.

If you are a normal person, and only your friends see your social media, then no. Most burglaries are going for low hanging fruit - the window left open or front door that's not visible from the street so no one will notice if it's kicked in, no ring doorbell or security cameras, no neighbours nearby, no lights on in the evening and at night. They aren't carefully trawling social media and then trying to match holiday snaps with names and addresses - unless, as above, you have something more than a big TV and a few computers to steal.

Original poster
EhatBow · 01/08/2022 15:54

Tubbyinthehottub · 01/08/2022 15:46

Was it not dead obvious when the milk didn't get taken inside?

That's it, they didn't have a milkman in the first place so they wouldn't have to tell him when they were away.

OP posts:
Quitelikeit · 01/08/2022 15:54

Once it’s out there it’s out there?!?!?

not true. Only people you select can see your posts so only they would know. I’m pretty sure if people had burglars on their friends list they wouldn’t advertise it!

Original poster
EhatBow · 01/08/2022 15:55

Quitelikeit · 01/08/2022 15:54

Once it’s out there it’s out there?!?!?

not true. Only people you select can see your posts so only they would know. I’m pretty sure if people had burglars on their friends list they wouldn’t advertise it!

I see lots of things my friends have commented in for people I don't know?

OP posts:
stayinghometoday · 01/08/2022 16:00

I don't but not sure if it matters. I walk around my neighbourhood every evening and I can point out dozens of houses of which the owners are on holiday. They packed their campervan in front of their house, or the dog is suddenly gone that otherwise barks, or the potted plant has been moved to be cared for by someone else, or the curtains are suddenly drawn when they notmally aren't.

Triffid1 · 01/08/2022 16:03

hahah. This level of paranoia always makes me laugh. My SM is private (some people don't have it set to private so yes, Id' then see comments my friends make on their posts). Plus I don't post my full address on those sorts of things. Although to be fair, I suspect finding my address would not be difficult.

But if you're a normal person living in a normal area in a normal house, the odd burglar is far more likely to be local and have a good understanding of local movements anyway. Not from social media. Just from lurking. if you're going to worry about SM, I'd worry about things like local facebook groups - those are the ones where you should be a bit more discreet.

But if your parents would never even use a milkman due to security concerns, then yes, you have a skewed idea from when you were growing up.

reluctantbrit · 01/08/2022 16:11

FB is set as private, I don't do Insta or anything else. I posted a photo yesterday. but didn't check in or tagged others in the group.

I have the town as a location, good luck finding my house in a town of 200K people. The number of people I am friends with on FB who know my actual address is tiny. We have timed lights for the living room and the alarm is set.

We were burgled once when on a short trip away, 14 years ago and I may had 5 friends as FB just was getting normal. As far as we knew it happened around 8pm and they. came from the back alley. It could have been a day we were out for dinner instead of being away for a couple of days.

If you see your friends commenting on other people's feeds than it's their security and their friends' security which is the problem. Your parent's attitude may definitely has something to do with your view, sorry.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 01/08/2022 16:17

I live in a safe neighbourhood with decent neighbours. I post on fb when we are away. Only have friends but accept that maybe friends of friends might see. I see the risk of being burgled as minimal. Before we go, things of value like jewellery and musical instruments go in the loft space and the ladder to access it is locked to ladder stays in the garden.
I accept the risk but we genuinely don't have much worth nicking.

Original poster
EhatBow · 01/08/2022 16:20

reluctantbrit · 01/08/2022 16:11

FB is set as private, I don't do Insta or anything else. I posted a photo yesterday. but didn't check in or tagged others in the group.

I have the town as a location, good luck finding my house in a town of 200K people. The number of people I am friends with on FB who know my actual address is tiny. We have timed lights for the living room and the alarm is set.

We were burgled once when on a short trip away, 14 years ago and I may had 5 friends as FB just was getting normal. As far as we knew it happened around 8pm and they. came from the back alley. It could have been a day we were out for dinner instead of being away for a couple of days.

If you see your friends commenting on other people's feeds than it's their security and their friends' security which is the problem. Your parent's attitude may definitely has something to do with your view, sorry.

Well I don't know, but there was one summer in the 80s, when every house in the street was burgled except us. (6 houses in total).
It was a time when burglary was more common than it is now.
I think there was operation Bumblebee or something that recognised what a distressing crime it was, where previously it hadn't been taken seriously.

I vividly remember getting home that summer expecting that the house would be ransacked.

OP posts:
Triffid1 · 01/08/2022 16:47

Well I don't know, but there was one summer in the 80s, when every house in the street was burgled except us. (6 houses in total).

It was a time when burglary was more common than it is now.

Well this proves my point that it's not to do with social media - far more likely that there was a local gang in the area who was monitoring the houses or had some other way to keep an eye on things! Grin

RampantIvy · 01/08/2022 16:51

MaChienEstUnDick · 01/08/2022 15:50

My address isn't on social media. It really is as simple as that. The people who know where I live aren't going to rob me, my privacy is up high generally and the odd shot of my sulky teen isn't going to go viral. It's a tiny risk.

Same here.
Do you have Facebook @EhatBow?
Do you not understand how privacy settings work?

StrangeCondition · 01/08/2022 17:05

I don't know how true this is but apparently your house insurance 'could' be voided if you're burgled, and have posted the fact you are away on SM. Again, could be a load of old bollocks but I've heard it mentioned a few times

Seriously79 · 01/08/2022 17:10

I'm away at the moment and have posted pics on SM.

My neighbour is looking after our pets ( she is also the biggest curtain twitcher in the street) I'm more than confident that the house is safe.

DH came home the other week, and she told him before he's got to the front door, that I'd had a 'new man' around (very light hearted) it was actually his dad in a new car.