A recent survey reveals that nearly one third of Canadians post about their vacations before or during their trips, which insurance experts say could be putting their properties at risk
People who use social media before or during a vacation may be risking home break-ins, a new survey released by Allstate says.
“While technology like smart cameras and alarm systems may offer peace of mind, oversharing on social media can put travellers’ homes and valuables at risk,” Odel Laing, agency manager at Allstate Canada, said in a statement.
A total of 1,603 Canadians participated in the survey conducted by Léger.
It found that 51 per cent of international travellers and 45 per cent of people leaving their province plan to post about it on social media.
Thirty-two per cent of surveyed Canadians said they make posts on social media during or before their travels, which rises to 51 per cent for people between 18 and 34 years old.
Allstate said an analysis of its in-house data over the last decade reveals that property theft slightly rises in the summer, with August as the peak.
Toronto police data for 2024 shows that break and enters were the highest in the summer during August, at 607.
Allstate said that overall, the busiest time for theft is from July until November.
The insurance company has launched a public campaign to educate Canadians on protecting their homes during summer travel.
Allstate also recommends removing geolocation data from pictures in your phone’s privacy settings and to avoid sharing images of street addresses or home numbers.
It also advises against posting trip countdowns and suggests delaying posting trip details online until travellers have returned home.
While setting a social media account to private instead of public is an easy way to control who sees posts, Allstate still recommends keeping travel dates and plans vague.
