In today’s connected world it’s never been easier to update friends and family at Facebook  about the great vacation you’re planning  or to send down an update from the theater or restaurant that you’ve just arrived at in the hopes that someone you know might be there.

It’s great to have the ability to use technology for connecting in the real world, but it also presents a risk to those that are in the habit of regularly “Checking In” at Foursquare or giving away too much information on social networking websites.

By participating at Social Media websites, everyone has accepted  some amount of transparency in order to share what’s going on in life, but with this transparency comes the chance that “friends” might be watching your Profile or status line for ill will.

By disclosing details such as dates of your all inclusive Caribbean vacation or announcing that you’re away from home, you could be alerting criminals that there’s a perfect window of opportunity, literally - at your doorstep.

With the knowledge that you’re away, criminals can easily break in and steal whatever they like while no one is looking after your house.

Even insurance companies are taking strides to make clients aware of the dangers of posting sensitive information about your whereabouts online. This effort is being done to reduce the amount insurance claims made as a result of home invasions that are made after people make internet postings that alerts others that they’re away from home. This includes live time photo uploads from mobile phones and location based updates that reveal where you are geographically.

Giving away too much information online gives thieves the timeline they need to make you their victim. Always take great care in what information you disclose online to protect yourself and your family from being victimized as a result of it. Have fun with social media, but never forget that there are risks associated with using it and choose your updates carefully!