It is not uncommon for SmartSecurityPeople.com to discuss social networks and all of the potential pitfalls associated with them. We usually gear our articles toward helping readers learn about putting filters on the information they are disclosing so they don’t fall prey to identity theft or burglary. However, we recently came across a story that shows how the addictive nature of social networking actually worked in favor of someone that recently had their house burglarized.

Apparently, a burglar was in the midst of his crime spree and happened to see a computer located in the bedroom that he was ransacking. Most burglars would have exclaimed “jackpot!” and added the computer to their stolen pile of goods. However, this one exclaimed “Totally Awesome!” and quickly logged into their Facebook account to see what everyone was up to. The question that comes to our mind is did this robber update their Facebook status to something along the lines of  “…Robbing a House…”? If he was a fan of Twitter, we wonder what his tweets would have looked like:

• Just broke in the upstairs window
• Here is a twitpic of the tree I scaled
• Whew.. no alarm and no dogs!
• Lots of cool jewelry in the bedroom
• Hey look a new computer from @bestbuy
• Hmmm.. Does it have internet?
• Might as well check my Facebook…

As the story reads, the end result is that this burglar stole a couple of diamond rings and forgot to log out of their Facebook account before leaving the house. The police were able to quickly track this person down because he lived in the same neighborhood as the victim. He is currently in custody and faces one to ten years of prison for the theft. The good news for him though… Facebook just recently opened it’s membership to the entire U.S. prison population!

According to police, a man was robbed in the Shadyside(the name alone should probably make you cautious) district of Pittsburgh and relieved of his wallet, cell phone, and ATM Pin number. The thieves held him up by gunpoint, which was later found to be a BB gun, and threatened him to hand over all his stuff and then instructed the victim to “get out of here”.

The victim quickly reported the crime to the police and utilizing the GPS feature of his Apple iPhone, he was able track the path of the robbers after the armed robbery incident. It appears that the robbers spared no time to head to a Wal-Mart and spend the victim’s money in his bank account. After their shopping spree, they stopped by an Eat-n-Park restaurant to grab a bite to eat. Obviously all their festivities from earlier in the day had caused them to build up quite an appetite.

Utilizing the GPS tracking, the robbers were quickly detained by local authorities at a BP station as they were trying to put gas in their 2004 gray Dodge Caravan (sounds more like a family mobile than a get-away car!).

The good news about this article is that the thieves were apprehended and the victim is safe and sound and his property is back in his possession. What is really amazing about this story is the victim’s use of current technology to aid police in the capture of the robbers. How ingenious to use your cell phone’s GPS capability for tracking purposes after it has been stolen.

So.. what the writers of SmartSecurityPeople.com are wondering… If you are ever robbed of your wallet, cash, purse, etc.. would you volunteer to give your phone to the thieves as well if you knew it could be potentially used to track them down? Our initial response is no way, we would use the phone to call for help. However, given the positive outcome of the story above.. we are not sure. What would you do?

Steve Houseworth & U.S. News and World Report recently chimed in with their top 8 ways to help protect your home and the valuables inside. Here is what they suggest:

1. Sign Up: While home security systems are great tools for preventing burglaries, they can be quite expensive. For a more affordable alternative, Houseworth recommends a little trickery: putting a home security sign in your yard without actually obtaining the service.

2. Beware of the Garage: Garages are a common entry point for burglars, Houseworth says. Open garage doors serve to advertise your belongings to passersby, which increases the likelihood of theft. So, homeowners should make sure their garage door remains closed anytime they aren’t present.

3. Be a Neighbor: Neighbors can play a key role in preventing home thefts. Homeowners on friendly terms with their neighbors are less likely to be victimized by other members of their community.

4. Keep Valuables Outside of the Bedroom: A burglar on the hunt for valuables in a home will make the master bedroom their first stop-since that’s where the cash and jewelry are most commonly stored.

5. No Land Escaping: Burglars prefer to target homes that have hiding spots and escape routes in the yards, and abundant bushes and trees make for great cover, Houseworth says. As a result, yards with less shrubbery and more open spaces aren’t particularly appealing targets

6. Install Motion Sensors: Light is a great deterrent for nighttime break-ins. Houseworth recommends homeowners install motion sensors on outdoor lights that turn on automatically if someone triggers them.

7. Radio Running: Noise helps prevent burglaries as well. Houseworth leaves his radio on all day so that would-be burglars think that someone is at home.

8. Free Police Inventory: For homeowners looking to go a step further, Houseworth suggests contacting the local police department and having an officer stop by the house for a safety checkup.

Here is what SmartSecurityPeople thinks about these suggestions:

1. Yes, definitely. Even if you can not afford a professionally monitored alarm system, try and look like you can. If you have a close family member or friend that is contracted with an alarm service provider, they may be able to get extra signs for cheap (or free) and share them with you.
2. Garages are always targeted as great entry ways for burglars. Keep yours protected. Don’t leave the door open unless you have to. Also, if you have a windowed side entry door into your garage, think about upgrading to a solid non-windowed door (steel if you can afford it).
3. Good fences make good neighbors but that doesn’t mean you should not be friendly. The better you know your neighbors and the better they know you, the safer of a neighborhood you will have.
4. Seems like pretty sensible advice… We guess a good follow-up question would be which room should you put your valuables then? the kitchen? the living room? in storage in the basement?
5. Bushes and trees in the yard certainly do provide additional hiding places for a burglar but well positioned bushes (Rose?) under windows could certainly help to deter some burglars.
6. Yes.. every house should have a motion sensing light. If you don’t, go get one this weekend. If you don’t think they will fit with the exterior decor of your home, splurge and get the fancy one.
7. You know.. We have a family member that has been doing this for years and we never knew why… We recently inquired about the radio and they stated the exact same safety reasoning. They live in the country and they assumed the radio(located in the garage) would always make it seem like someone was home even if that was not the case.
8. We are not sure what city they live in but it is certainly not like most of the ones we have experienced over the years. The police are great at doing their job but helping someone analyze their home for potential break-in points seems to be going above and beyond the call of duty. However, our curiosity has been sparked and we may drop a call to the local police force to see what they say. We will keep you posted on that one.

SmartSecurityPeople.com recently provided the “Top Ten Ways To Protect Your Home“. Since we have ten and U.S. News & World Report only provided eight, you can see that our list is far superior. In actuality, both lists are very informative and probably only skim all the possible suggestions out there. So, if you have additional tips that you have utilized (or witnessed a friend or neighbor using) please feel free to share below. The more we all know the better.