Facebook Fiends

Facebook “The Social Networking Site”, the champion of teenage social butterflies and adults alike, has a darker side. The website that has recently become a box office smash, also has become a tool for smash and grab burglary crimes. In Nashua, New Hampshire the police are crediting an alert off-duty police officer “who heard fireworks” with cracking a burglary ring.
The burglars targeted homes that were empty and they knew this from Facebook postings. The Police department issued the statement that they recovered “between $100,000 and $200,000 worth of stolen property”. The department also stated there were “50 home burglaries in the city in August.” Investigators of the department said they had a suspicion the perpetrators were using social networking, Facebook, to identify victims. The victims were the one who posted online that “they would not be home at a certain time.” Capt. Ron Dickerson issued this warning:
"Be careful of what you post on these social networking sites," "We know for a fact that some of these players, some of these criminals, were looking on these sites and identifying their targets through these social networking sites."

Here are some images of what the perpetrators stole:
Images: Thousands In Stolen Property Seized - Photos - WMUR Manchester

The individuals involved were caught by an off-duty officer whom heard fireworks going off. Fireworks which had been reported stole and Capt. Dickerson instructed to be suspicious if heard. When he (the off duty officer) investigated, he found packaging that matched the fireworks taken in one of the burglaries and a cache of stolen goods.

You want a Moral of the story, don’t worry Mama Bird is going to feed you little ones! Facebook while it is a nice tool that enables people to share experiences, photos, and thoughts with other; provide the ability to stay in touch with friends and acquaintances, it is a predators playground. With modern technology and its effect on how we work, socialize, and participate in the culture it also effects crime, and unethical trends. Everyone evolves with the times ladies and gentlemen, even the crooks and sinners of the world. Crime has eolved to take advantage of technology. The three men arrested for these burglaries were technological inclined and adept in social networking site just as much as the next person. We worry so much about identity theft, phishing, virus and protect ourselves with anti-spyware and MacAfee, but we still allow our lack of foresight to be our downfall. A simple post on Facebook, “going on vacation for a week” is all a home invader needs to see, in order to know how and when to strike. We as participants in Social Networks have to be away and think about who can view our profiles and comments; because there are eyes and ears everywhere and we cannot see them.