Snapshot Post--Mini-Musings on The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly Social Media-Enabled Criminals, Do Ya Feel Lucky?

Humans have a fundamental need to document their vacations. Early in the 20th Century, Kodak built a business around this behavior. Likewise with the publishers of picture post cards. "Wish you were here," became a ubiquitous phrase synonymous with 25-cent postcards sent by vacationing family and friends.

In the age of social media, the Kodak moments and post cards from the tropics have been replaced by photos, videos and text messages sent from a smart phone. "Wish you were here" sentiments are instantly sent to and received by a close circle of people who care.

But what happens when you've embraced FaceBook and Twitter to the point that you're posting those vacation photos and updates for legions of friends and followers, some of whom you don't know at all?

Say hello to social media-enabled criminals. They simply follow your social media footprints, and while you're sipping a fancy umbrella drink on the sandy shores of paradise, they're rummaging through your underwear drawer looking for valuables. (Isn't that where you keep your valuables?)

You can forward the mail, cancel the newspaper, and leave the lights on timers, but if your tweets tell another story, you're vulnerable.

Seems Israel and Noell Hyman, a couple from Arizona, did all those things and were burgled during their vacation. Hindsight being what it is, they blame Twitter. Mr. Hyman, the owner of an online video business that he tweets about regularly, thinks the stolen items (video editing equipment) were so specific that at least one of his followers must have succumbed to his (or her) inner criminal.

A cautionary tale, to be sure. But a potent sign of the times. Read more...

NOTE to any social media-enabled criminal who might read this blog or follow my tweets:

I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six tweets or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

(Apologies to Clint Eastwood for revising this line from his 1971 film Dirty Harry--ever so slightly.)