In the digital age, we share nearly every aspect of our lives online. We post vacation photos, check in at local businesses, and share our recent purchases. While this helps us stay connected, it also creates a trove of information for criminals. Burglars are no longer just casing a neighborhood in person; they are using the internet to track homeowners online and identify their next target.
They use clever and sometimes surprisingly simple digital techniques to learn your habits, assess your wealth, and determine when you’re not home. Protecting your property now means protecting your digital footprint. Here are six odd ways burglars track homeowners online.
1. Analyzing Your Geotagged Photos
Many people don’t realize that their smartphone camera automatically embeds GPS coordinates into the metadata of every photo they take. When you post that picture of your new TV or expensive artwork on social media, you might also be posting a precise map to its location. This is known as geotagging.
Burglars can use simple online tools to extract this data from your photos. If your social media profile is public, they can see exactly where you live and what valuable items you own. It’s like giving them a guided tour of your home’s most valuable assets.
2. Monitoring Local Buy-and-Sell Groups
Facebook Marketplace and other online yard sale groups are great for decluttering. However, they can also be a goldmine for criminals. When you post an item for sale, you often include photos of it inside your home. These pictures can reveal a lot more than you intend.
A burglar can see your home’s layout, other valuables in the background, and even the quality of your locks. Furthermore, if you arrange for a buyer to pick up the item, you are inviting a stranger to your doorstep. They can use this opportunity to assess your home’s security in person.
3. Using Google Street View for a Virtual Casing
Before ever setting foot in your neighborhood, a burglar can take a virtual walk down your street using Google Street View. This powerful tool allows them to examine your home from multiple angles. They can see what kind of windows and doors you have, identify potential entry points, and spot any visible security cameras.
They can even use the historical data in Street View to see if you’ve made recent upgrades, like adding a new car to the driveway. It gives them a comprehensive, risk-free way to scout a property and plan their approach without attracting any attention.
4. Scraping Public Records and Real Estate Sites
A surprising amount of personal information is publicly available. Burglars can search online public records to find out who owns a property, its assessed value, and even your property tax history. Real estate websites like Zillow are another key resource for criminals.
These sites often have extensive photo galleries from when the house was last sold. This gives a burglar a detailed floor plan and a look inside every room. They can see the layout, find the master bedroom where valuables are likely kept, and identify potential blind spots long before they approach your home.
5. Following Your Fitness and Route-Tracking Apps
If you use a fitness app like Strava to track your runs or bike rides, you could be broadcasting your routine to the world. Many users start and stop their tracking right at their front door. Over time, this creates a detailed map that leads directly to your home.
Furthermore, it tells burglars exactly when you are away from the house and for how long. If they see you regularly go for a one-hour run every morning at 7 a.m., they know they have a predictable window of opportunity. It’s a key way they track homeowners online without their knowledge.
6. Watching for Vacation Posts in Real-Time
This is one of the most common and dangerous mistakes people make online. Posting photos and updates while you are still on vacation is like putting a giant “Nobody’s Home” sign on your front lawn. It’s a direct announcement to burglars that your house is empty and vulnerable.
Even if your profile is private, you can’t be sure who is in your network of “friends” and their connections. A savvy criminal will monitor these posts, knowing they have days or even weeks to break in without the risk of being interrupted. It’s far safer to wait until you return to share your travel memories.
Your Digital Security Is Your Home Security
The methods burglars use to target homes have evolved. They are now as likely to use a laptop as a crowbar. To protect your home, you must be as vigilant online as you are offline. This means turning off geotagging, being careful about what you post, and setting all your social media profiles to private. In today’s world, the best way to secure your front door is to secure how you track homeowners online—starting with yourself.
Have you ever thought about the security risks of your social media posts? Share your thoughts below.
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