Social networking a bonus to burglars
Confused.com is warning users of social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, that they could eventually face hikes in their home insurance premiums.
The move comes after a burglary ring in the US targeted people who checked into Facebook and broadcast the fact that they were absent from home.
Before being apprehended, the thieves broke into 50 homes and stole $100,000 worth of goods.
The comparison site’s head of home insurance, Gareth Kloet, says: “What’s happened in the US could be the start of a worrying trend and if insurance providers see it as a potential risk, you can bet your home contents on the fact they’ll start pricing for it.”
He adds: “Something like ‘Places’ on Facebook broadcasts people’s locations on a platform which has 500 million users – you don’t need to be an insurance provider to see the risk that poses.”
Confused.com’s top three tips to reduce the risks involved in using social network sites are as follows:
Never post your home address or other personal information such as your home phone number on social networking sites;
Don’t follow people you don’t know on social networks and block others from seeing your profile if you don’t know them;
Turn off location-based services on Twitter and Facebook unless you absolutely need to use them – you will need to go in to your “settings” or account to do this.
Category: Home Insurance News, Insurance News
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