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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think my neighbour is bloody stupid?!

32 replies

IAMweasle · 25/08/2022 13:21

She has just posted a picture on her Facebook of her 2 kids in their airport outfits outside departures with the caption 'Off for 2 weeks in the sun, well deserved. I'll have a drink for you all on the beach!'

She's got 400+ FB friends, very few who she is actually personally friends with (we socialise together too so I know she has a very small friends circle IRL)

She's basically advertised to half of our area that her house is empty for a fortnight 🙄😑

I Pmd her and said this and she told me not to be daft and everyone posts holiday photos.

Yea, when they get back surely?

OP posts:
Original poster
IAMweasle · 25/08/2022 13:22

She doesn't even have an alarm or anything 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
Isseywith3witchycats · 25/08/2022 13:24

its well known you are advertising your house is empty i always put holiday pics on FB when i come home

BogOffTraceyBeaker · 25/08/2022 13:24

Exactly what I say when people go on This Morning’s page and say we’re off to Crete no airport delay.
google their name and you’ll be able to get the address . Poke around on SM and places you’ll find out if they have family etc a little detective work and hello new TV

PrettyIndigo · 25/08/2022 13:24

Someone my DH works with was robbed 2 weeks ago while on holiday for this very reason. They came home to their patio doors boarded up and loads of their valuables and £300 missing. Culprit still not found! They have gone much quieter on social media already. They were the kind of people to post EVERYTHING. literally every shopping trip, every weekend away, every holiday. Think they have learned their lesson

10HailMarys · 25/08/2022 13:26

400+ FB friends, very few who she is actually personally friends with

And who therefore do not know her home address, so will not know what house to burgle.

I Pmd her and said this

How very patronising of you.

Yea, when they get back surely?

You're obviously not on social media much if you think it's unusual to share pics/check-ins/status updates while travelling.

BigChesterDraws · 25/08/2022 13:28

Not everyone’s house is empty when they are away. Dog sitter, house sitter, someone with a key popping round regularly to water plants and check on the place…

If people are only Facebook friends with her and not real friends it’s unlikely they will know her address.

Travel agents can see thousands of addresses and when the occupants are away and when they are coming back. Would you be concerned to give a travel company your address when making a booking? You probably don’t even think about it.

MugginsOverEre · 25/08/2022 13:30

I'll sometimes post pics while we're away or heading off but will always make sure to thank the house sitter who's moved in. "I hope the master (The cat) isn't too demanding!"

We don't have a house sitter of course. I don't mind people knowing I'm having a holiday but I do mind people knowing my house is empty. Tbf, it's cctv'd up to hell, (with notifications sent direct to my/DH's phones) the neighbours are in 24/7 so keep an eye and I do have a cat sitter.

It is silly to advertise an empty house to people you don't know. My FB friends are my actual friends and family and it's locked down tightly too)

10HailMarys · 25/08/2022 13:31

PrettyIndigo · 25/08/2022 13:24

Someone my DH works with was robbed 2 weeks ago while on holiday for this very reason. They came home to their patio doors boarded up and loads of their valuables and £300 missing. Culprit still not found! They have gone much quieter on social media already. They were the kind of people to post EVERYTHING. literally every shopping trip, every weekend away, every holiday. Think they have learned their lesson

If the culprit wasn't found and has therefore not explained how they committed the crime, then you have absolutely no way of knowing whether it was through social media that they discovered the house was empty.

In fact, it almost certainly wasn't. Burglars know simply from making a few observations of a house whether the occupants are likely to be away. They don't need to scour Facebook for people who are going on holiday and then track them down via the electoral roll. Chances are they just noticed the curtains hadn't moved for a few days or something.

CryCeratops · 25/08/2022 13:34

I always wait until I’m back home before putting holiday photos on Facebook.

But it’s not at all unusual to see people posting holiday photos, updates etc on social media while they’re still away.

TwoNightStand · 25/08/2022 13:36

I think it’s a stupid thing to do but maybe a few likes are more valuable to her than her home or maybe she just being burgled won’t happen to her. It’s up to her, I wouldn’t have said anything.

Original poster
IAMweasle · 25/08/2022 13:36

10HailMarys · 25/08/2022 13:26

400+ FB friends, very few who she is actually personally friends with

And who therefore do not know her home address, so will not know what house to burgle.

I Pmd her and said this

How very patronising of you.

Yea, when they get back surely?

You're obviously not on social media much if you think it's unusual to share pics/check-ins/status updates while travelling.

They will know her address because she's got one of those plaques on her front wall that's visible in her recent pictures!! She's taken pics of the kids outside her front door

'17 Brighton ave'

Type thing and her profile gives the area, Birmingham

Most of the people are friends of friends so local to 'Birmingham'

OP posts:
CryCeratops · 25/08/2022 13:38

Oh she’s actually got her address showing in the photos?!? 😮

That’s a bit daft!

Onlyforcake · 25/08/2022 13:41

It's next level in terms of not following basic home security advice .... But "Airport outfits?" I'm imagining those kids dressed in those velour tracksuits with something massively awful scrawled over their arses

Original poster
IAMweasle · 25/08/2022 13:42

CryCeratops · 25/08/2022 13:38

Oh she’s actually got her address showing in the photos?!? 😮

That’s a bit daft!

I know 😭 One of the comments is 'your address is on these, babes' and she's just responded with a laughing emoji

I don't think she even realises how much she gives away on SM. She posts about her son getting a new PS5 and newTVs and such.

I just think it's daft but she insists everyone does it.

I'm feeding her cat so hopefully I don't walk into a trashed house one day soon 😒

OP posts:
FourChimneys · 25/08/2022 13:43

Friends of my parents were burgled by the taxi driver who took them to the airport. He went straight back with a mate and took thousands of pounds of stuff. Caught on cctv fortunately.

On the very rare occasion we have had a taxi from the door we always shout something like "Bye, I'll let you know when we arrive" to an empty house, and possibly mention the person who is (not) there to the taxi driver.

I belong to an activity-based Facebook group and their advice is not to post holidays until you return.

Original poster
IAMweasle · 25/08/2022 13:44

Onlyforcake · 25/08/2022 13:41

It's next level in terms of not following basic home security advice .... But "Airport outfits?" I'm imagining those kids dressed in those velour tracksuits with something massively awful scrawled over their arses

I don't know why I called them airport outfits. They're just normal lounge wear sets but matching. They look cosy for the plane!

OP posts:
SolasAnla · 25/08/2022 13:45

CryCeratops · 25/08/2022 13:38

Oh she’s actually got her address showing in the photos?!? 😮

That’s a bit daft!

Yep but even an "innocent" picture can be used to help geolocate you

Tech has moved on
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50000234.amp

Original poster
IAMweasle · 25/08/2022 13:45

FourChimneys · 25/08/2022 13:43

Friends of my parents were burgled by the taxi driver who took them to the airport. He went straight back with a mate and took thousands of pounds of stuff. Caught on cctv fortunately.

On the very rare occasion we have had a taxi from the door we always shout something like "Bye, I'll let you know when we arrive" to an empty house, and possibly mention the person who is (not) there to the taxi driver.

I belong to an activity-based Facebook group and their advice is not to post holidays until you return.

My husband always shout into the house (to nobody) when we leave 'make sure you feed that big dog' 😂😂

OP posts:
PrettyIndigo · 25/08/2022 13:45

@10HailMarys

They had someone round twice a day looking after the cats and opening/ shutting the curtains morning and night. They also put pictures of the cats they had been sent from home on Facebook saying ' dolly is being so good for aunty Joan, miss her loads' etc. It wasnt rocket science to work out joan was there twice a day ( obv name changed)

Police think it was someone who knows them and who knows the layout of their house

Original poster
IAMweasle · 25/08/2022 13:47

Even if her address wasn't visale people could easily find her.
Her kids are on with their uniform. The parks they go to. Her places of work. Her car is visible with registration. She sells alot of bits and Bob's so they could get her address pretending to want to buy something. Or just plain old googling her name. For someone savvy it's more than enough info to find their address.

OP posts:
VerifiedBot2351 · 25/08/2022 13:47

Keep an extra eye out on her house while they are away.

Moddo · 25/08/2022 13:53

I've read on here that can invalidate the house insurance but not sure if it's true or not.

Roselilly36 · 25/08/2022 14:01

Extremely daft thing to do IMHO.

MugginsOverEre · 25/08/2022 14:07

DH and I shout into the house as well when we're leaving.

No one needs to know it's the cat we're saying "I'll be back at 8!" to....

But really. She would want to know. She's a demanding creature.

frankie001 · 25/08/2022 14:18

When I lived alone and a takeaway arrived, I always used to shout out to my empty flat “foods here!”, as door closed. To be fair that was more to make sure the delivery driver didn’t think I was being greedy with a huge order!