Posting about your trip on social media? Why you should advise your clients against it

Twenty hours ago, a friend shared a post on social media showing a video of waves rolling in on a beach she was enjoying in Ontario. The post included her name and location.

A recent Leger survey commissioned by Allstate Canada finds about one in three Canadians regularly do what my friend does, which is to share beautiful pics of their vacation spots on social media while they’re still at that location. That rises to more than half (51%) of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34.  

Insurers warn these posts may as well be invitations to thieves to rob vacated homes.

“Posting that beach vacation selfie while away could be putting the safety of their property at risk for theft because it also shares that their home is empty,” Allstate Canada says about its survey findings.

In a recent blog post, Intact Insurance cites a Credit Sesame study of 50 ex-burglars in the United Kingdom. “Seventy-eight percent of them used social media to locate houses whose owners were absent,” the Intact blog post observes.

More specifically, the Credit Sesame study in the UK, per a news report by NBC, shows the ex-cons monitored “Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare before they pinpoint[ed] a specific house to rob.”

In Canada, Intact says, “organized burglary networks have been targeting properties for several years in search of valuable objects.”

Also in the news: The day my brokerage was hacked: What I learned

Allstate’s study shows 68% of Canadian social media users plan to leave home for at least a few days this summer. About 74% of Gen Z and Millennials plan to travel, while those aged 55 and older are more likely to stay home.

Thirty-five percent of Canadians in Allstate’s survey report they plan to stay within their province and post about their trip on social media. The percentage of those planning to chronicle their trips on social media rises to 45% among those planning to leave their province, and peaks at 51% among travellers with international plans.

Younger Canadians are more likely to use social media to share either vacation plans pre-event or pics and videos of the places they’re visiting.

“Nine percent post before their trip to share their plans and 28% post during the trip to show they are travelling,” Allstate says of its survey findings. “Young adults aged 18–34 are the most likely to publish content on social media during their vacation (39%). Parents are more inclined to share (37%) compared to those without children (30%).”

Insurers advise those who like to share on social media to turn off any geolocation coding on their pictures, so thieves can’t see they are not at their place. Also, they advise clients not to take pictures of their homes or addresses, to prevent thieves from being able to locate their residences. And if you have to post, maybe best to post after the vacation, instead of while you’re away.

The risk of home theft is particularly acute during the summer months, when people are away, Allstate says its claim data reveals.  

“Analysis of Allstate’s in-house claims data over the last 10 years reveals that property theft rises slightly over the summer, with August reaching a peak,” the company reports. “Overall, the months of July through November are the busiest time for theft, making summer a critical period for home safety.

“As well, the claims data reveals Fridays rank highest for incidents, followed by Thursday, regardless of time of year.”