Location-based online networking is a burglars’ dream, report says

An increasing number of people are risking burglary by giving away their whereabouts on social networking sites, a report warned.

Communicating on sites like Facebook is like having a conversation in a loud voice “down the pub” and you “never know who might be listening”, the report said.

New location-based services such as Facebook, Places and Foursquare, which allow people to update their whereabouts, are increasing the risk, according to the Digital Criminal report prepared by Legal & General, with the help of reformed burglar Michael Fraser.

These sites and the easy availability of residential addresses for sale on the internet can be used to create a list of targets.

Mr Fraser said: “I have no doubt whatsoever that burglars are using social networks firstly to develop relationships with people to identify likely targets. They gain confidence by learning more about them, what they are likely to own and when they are likely to be out of the house. The emerging popularity of location-based services adds a very worrying dimension to this problem.

“The combination of people being willing to give away valuable information about their possessions and their whereabouts to people they barely know, is a real risk.

“With sites like Google Street View allowing burglars to scope out a property from the comfort of the sofa, and the availability of private residential addresses for sale on sites like 192.com, it is a modern burglars’ dream.”

The report found 38 per cent of people had seen phone numbers publicly visible on a social networking site while 17 per cent had seen personal addresses.

One in 10 people had included their own phone number in visible profile information while six per cent had written it wall-to-wall on pages which are often open to view by people who are not accepted contacts. Researchers also found 82 per cent of respondents were not aware anyone can purchase access to private address information via 192.com, even if the resident is ex-directory, as long as the resident is on the electoral roll.

Legal & General’s Gary Pickering said: “Since we commissioned our first Digital Criminal report in 2009, social networking services have moved on and incorporated even more information about people’s whereabouts.

“While we acknowledge the value of these services, people need to be very wary about sharing information that could put them or their homes at risk, particularly if this is with people that they don’t really know. We’d certainly advise against listing your home as a location on sites such as Foursquare or Facebook Places, for example, to reduce the risk of being a target for burglary.”