Melbourne: Social networking site Facebook is being used by burglars to find out whether residents are home or not.
According to the Herald Sun, a new insurance agency research shows that updating their posts place house owners at a higher risk of break-ins and theft.
Insurer GIO found about 35 per cent of people shared their location or photos while on holiday, and one in 10 would pinpoint their locations using a GPS tracker such as Facebook`s check-in tool.
Spokesman Duncan Bone said that people should be aware of the risks when "checking in" and updating their daily movements online.
"We have seen cases where police suspect people announcing their location on social media might have played a part in a burglary," the Daily Telegraph quoted Bone as saying.
"You wouldn`t put a sign on your door advertising the fact that you`re not at home, yet that is essentially what people are doing," he added.
Victoria Police said rapid growth in online use raised the risk for people who shared personal information on social sites.
Bureau Report
