Ex-burglar Michael Fraser says there are some easy ways to make your home less of a target
In 2024/2025, there were more than 166,000 home burglaries reported in England and Wales. That equates to an average of 456 a day – or one every 189 seconds, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
For that reason, it is essential making sure your home is safe and secure. And who would know better where the vulnerabilities in your property lie than a former burglar?
Ex-burglar Michael Fraser reveals the primary method that thieves often use to determine when you are away for an extended period – and how you can protect your home.
How do they find out?
Countless Britons have developed the practice of sharing daily social media updates, but they may not realise that criminals appreciate some of those posts even more than their friends do. Security specialists have repeatedly cautioned that live holiday photographs and location tags can signal to criminals that your property is unoccupied, and former offenders have openly confessed to exploiting public posts to plan their raids.
As ex-burglar Michael explains: “As for social media, I call that internet shopping… People foolishly put way too much information up on their social sites, and this makes things so simple for a burglar.”
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The digital hints criminals love
Now working as a security consultant, Michael states the initial move is to ‘think like a burglar’. During a recent police initiative, he toured a property highlighting the mistakes criminals search for – unsecured windows, treasures left visible, basic locks – that make an opportunist’s job effortless.
He also cautions that positioning your calendar near the window could prove perilous, particularly if you jot down your holidays or arrangements on it, as burglars might clock your timetable and then strike when you are not at home.
In one UK investigation featuring interviews with ex-burglars, one offender admitted: “We used to keep tabs on when our followers were away from home. We could find out where they were going and how long to plan the best way of making a move.”
Timing proves just as crucial as the content you’re sharing – live holiday snaps or airport check-ins can be interpreted as a vacancy announcement.
What to display and conceal
Keep real-time travel off public feeds, dodge ‘checked-in at’ posts that confirm you’re miles from home, and ensure shots do not expose your street or layout through reflections or background details. If you fancy posting décor updates, save them to private stories and remove metadata that betrays location.
Surveillance experts at Online Spy Shop recommend following one straightforward rule: tighten your social settings and keep personal information off public profiles.
Michael says: “Update your social media privacy settings. People are surprised when they discover their holiday photos are visible to everyone, not just their friends.”
Make your home a tougher target Burglars often scope out your home for easy access points just by giving it a once-over from the outside. Michael’s guided tours with the police reveal how swiftly burglars spot vulnerabilities, such as:
– Dark entrances
– Keys and handbags on display in the hallway
– Tools left in an unlocked shed
– A single basic door lock
So, it is prudent to invest in a robust security system to safeguard your home. Start with the basics. Ensure that your pavement and the exterior of your house are well lit, free from deep shadows, overgrown bushes, or convenient climbing aids like wheelie bins or ladders.
Consider employing covert recording devices as well. Occasionally, criminals meddle with visible security cameras, but there’s a high chance they won’t even spot a hidden camera disguised as a commonplace object.
Surveillance gurus at Online Spy Shop suggest that covert cameras can serve as ‘hidden witnesses, silently observing and recording illicit activity. Footage captured by these cameras can assist authorities in identifying and prosecuting offenders’.
So, while it is a sound idea to have CCTV cameras, you can couple them with hidden cameras to boost your security and surveillance. Before posting anything on your public social media account, ask yourself what a stranger could glean in 10 seconds from your post. Are you away? Can the street be identified? Does any sign in the picture disclose more than you would feel safe sharing?
Former burglars have revealed that those ‘scraps’ are precisely what they are on the lookout for. It is better to adhere to safety guidelines before sharing on social media, rather than risking substantial losses.