Don't be a victim of crime this Christmas

Enjoy the holidays but be careful, who knows who may be watching

Christmas is a time for joy, laughter and celebrations; many of us take the opportunity to forget about work and head out of town for precious moments with loved ones.

And while you perfect the ‘cosy around the tree’ insta pic, invent a new tiktok dance to Mariah Carey, and upload country walks #Holidays - showing the world how relaxed you are, just take a minute to think who may be watching you.

• Burglars

  • Obviously criminals don’t need to monitor social media to discover you’re gone; no noticeable movement, lights that remain off and no car in the drive can be huge neon signs. But, opportunists are savvy, and if you post your holiday plans online and you’ve previously posted details of your street, even if it’s a post of the rain falling, criminals can find landmarks which will direct them straight to your empty property.

• Identity Thieves

  • You may have nothing to hide, but you should think twice about sharing too much!! Don’t think that these scoundrels won’t scour your socials for titbits - such as a full name here, an address there, a birth date elsewhere, a credit card that isn’t as blurred as you think. With software out there that can scan for such details you need to make sure none of it is accessible. (Although you can’t stop some companies from selling it so… *shrug*)

• Scammers and Phishing experts

  • Cybercriminals can use information from social media to create targeted phishing attacks, pretending to be someone the victim knows or trust. For example you post that your super excited you are flying to Dublin and hope Ryan Air doesn’t make you stand in the aisle it may give a hacker a bright idea to send you a scam email saying they are from the airline and to add more details just by clicking here. Does it mean you should stop posting about any brands? Nah, just don’t be so quick to click through!

• Social Engineers

  • If Beyoncé asks you for money through insta or WhatsApp, it may be comical, you screenshot and send it to your chums, but if it’s a parent or a friend and they message from a new number, with a picture of themselves, lines can get blurred. Best bet is to call that chum or family member on the number you have saved and see if it’s legit.

• Package Thieves

  • OMG my Chanel shoes are on their way - eek #Christmasforme. Advertising high-value items through posts can attract thieves looking for package delivery opportunities. Consider not sharing details about expensive purchases or deliveries.

• Trackers

  • Tagging your location is a must to get some exposure, make all the people jealous of where you are and what you’re doing. But, have a think when to post - criminals can find where you are and where you are not (like at home). If someone decides to stalk you they have the upper hand - they know what you look like, probably where you are sitting, what you are wearing and what you’ve bought. It’s great to share - just lesson the chances of being a target by waiting before you post.

In a nutshell, be vigilant, be clever and keep posting your best life - just make sure no one else can take it!