Selfies, Burglaries and Insurance

December 23, 2019

Before posting photos of you and your family on vacation, be aware of the risk. More and more insurance companies are discovering a correlation between posting real-time vacation photos on social media and an increase of home burglaries.

Every time you or a loved one post real-time vacation photos on social media, you’re essentially alerting potential thieves that you aren’t home, putting yourself and your belongings at serious risk.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, over two million homes in the U.S. are burglarized every year, resulting in financial losses totaling over $14 billion annually. With costs so sizeable, more and more insurers are keeping a close eye on this issue, assessing the risk that social media poses for homeowners.

As bizarre as it may sound, it’s possible that future insurers may consider your real-time vacation posts as a form of negligence. You may be negatively impacting your own homeowner’s insurance by increasing the risk that your home is broken into and your belongings are stolen.

As you spend holiday vacation from home, remember the risk you run when you post vacation selfies in real time. The 20 “likes” you may receive online are not as important as keeping you, your home, and your belongings intact.

Source:

BT.com

Consumer Reports

U.S. Department of Justice