Did you check in on Foursquare or Facebook when you arrived at the restaurant – or at the airport? Your local thieves say “thank you!” 

 

Former burglars say the used social media as a major tool in planning heists. But the actual statistics of just how many scope out their victims' online may come as a shock.

 

In a poll, a staggering 78 percent of burglars say they've used social networking sites to plan their crime ahead of time. Also, 74 percent of convicted burglars admit that once they picked a target, they used services like Google Street View to get an up-close-and-personal look at the victim's home. Street View can provide photos of millions of homes across North America, giving robbers the ability to scope out a location without raising suspicion by doing a drive-by.

 

Here’s the typical M.O. when planning a robbery: Burglars go on Facebook to chose a victim, or research one. There, they’ll find key details about their everyday routines, things like their work schedule, habits, and upcoming vacations. That’s all a burglar needs to plan the perfect crime. 

And when you check-in on Foursquare, the robbers know exactly how much time they have to ransack your house and make the perfect getaway, so I hope you set the alarm.