Social media crime facts

By publicly posting the details of your life on your social media pages, are you putting yourself at risk of crime? While 'checking in' when you're on holiday or sharing a snap of your new car might seem innocent enough, you don't know who might be watching.

The team here at Swinton is here to here to help you feel more confident while using social media, and remove any nagging doubts you might have about staying safe. Here are some quick questions and answers showing the extent of the problem.

Q: How many Twitter profiles are public?

A: A huge 88% of all Twitter profiles are public.

Q: How many Twitter bios identify where the user lives?

A: 66%* of Twitter users include their location in their bio.

15,508** users proudly posted photos of their new abode, with 1.3% even providing the house number for would-be burglars!

Q: How many Twitter bios show the user’s age?

A: Fewer Twitter users are willing to share their age, with just 5%* doing so.

Q: How many Twitter users have identified when they were out of the house?

A: 11%* of users shared this information, which is a lot of people when the vast majority of Twitter profiles are public…

Q: How many tweets announced when the user booked a holiday, flight or hotel?

A: 2,114** users made it public knowledge when they’d made a booking, and even specified exactly when they’d be away!

Q: How many Instagram users posted photos showing them on holiday, or away from home?

A: 568,703** Instagrammers did this. #careless

Q: How many Instagram users announced their new car by posting a photo of it?

A: 3,941** users showed off their new wheels with a pic.

66%* of Twitter users include their location in their bio.

Q: How many Instagram users’ posted about their new home?

A: 15,508** users proudly posted photos of their new abode, with 1.3% even providing the house number for would-be burglars!

Q: Which UK airport do most people ‘check-in’ at on Facebook?

A: In a classic game of North vs South, Manchester came out on top with over four million** all-time check-ins. This was followed by Heathrow, whose visitors have checked in over three million times.

Ensure your possessions are covered in case of burglary by checking your home insurance policy or speak with Swinton to see how we could help today.

*Study based on over 3,000 tweets and over 3,000 Instagram posts made in the UK based on data from January 1st 2016 – August 11th 2017

**Based on data from 1st January 2016 – 11th August 2017