4 Ways Foursquare Can Make You a Victim of Dangerous Crimes
How Foursquare Can Open Up Your Privacy to Criminals
Home Invasions
While you are off blasting your location to all of your Foursquare friends, you might be giving the "green light" to burglars that have been "casing" your house for a robbery. Using the Foursquare social network to check-in to a location can be an indication to dangerous burglars that your house is empty and they can invade your privacy. What's even more dangerous about this crime is that you might return home while the crime is still talking place. Please Rob Me mocks this privacy flaw and how people leave themselves open to crimes on Foursquare.
Muggings
What's even more dangerous than someone invading your home's privacy is someone using Foursquare to attack you. With up to 900 friends on this new social network, posting on Foursquare can let muggers know the exact location to rob you at. I don't mean to be paranoid, but with 900 friends, someone might be "scoping you out" and pegging you for a mugging. Robbery is not a make believe crime and this social network might have opened up your privacy and made mugging a heck of a lot easier.
Sexual Predators
Adults aren't the only ones using social networks nowadays and with no age limitations on Foursquare, young children can be leaking their privacy to a dangerous sexual predators. Even adults can be a victim of sexual crimes when posting on Foursquare. While you're checking-into a bar on Foursquare, one of the people lurking in that dark bar could be a dangerous sexual predator that's waiting for the right opportunity to commit the crime or drug your drink.
Kidnapping
Every now and then there will be a missing persons alert on the news and this is no fluke. Kidnappings are dangerous crimes that happen all over the world every year - and often. Foursquare gives dangerous kidnappers everything they need to invade your privacy and commit their kidnapping crime. Your profile is filled with your personal information including pictures, previous locations and the most recent place you've checked into. While you're opening up your privacy to up to 900 strangers, a kidnapper can be lurking around waiting to grab you up - you'll be like a mouse in an open field, while an eagle watches from above.
Privacy is a major issue on social networks and while these examples might sound a bit paranoid and sensationalized; these crimes can happen. It's important to take care of yourself and your privacy online. Be careful.
For more, read Google Buzz is Bugged: The Major Privacy Flaw Within Google Buzz, Foursquare is the Social Network for Active People, and 8 Coolest Ways to Use Foursquare.
Read my blog for the latest in tech news.
Published by Millionaire Hoy - Featured Contributor in Technology
1 of 2 people in the world named Millionaire, I enjoy writing edgy and and sometimes warped articles (with a splash of humor). I'm from Chicago so I'm always inspired by the crazy things I see everyday. Enjoy. View profile
- Stopping Sexual PredatorsMost sexual predators can observe a group of children for a short period of time and choose a target, and many of them develop their skills in selecting victims through practice and experience.
- Female Teachers as Sexual Predators: A Very Real DangerDespite the media hype about priests who abuse boys, our children are in far more danger from sexual predators in public school than in church.
Will Google Really Separate Google Buzz and Gmail?Gmail members made the switch over to Google Buzz and were overwhelmed by so much spam that there was almost a revolt over at Gmail. The spam (and privacy) problems were so bad...- Sexual Predators Within the School CommunityMost people would agree that sexual predators are a threat to the safety of all citizens...
Teaching Teenagers to Protect Themselves from Internet Sexual PredatorsYou've probably heard the horror stories about Internet sexual predators whose charming communication skills and desire to victimize have ruined families all over the world. Unf...
- 5 Practical Tips to Protect Your Privacy on Social Networks
- Please Rob Me Raises Awareness for Social Networking Privacy
- Privacy and Social Networking: Are We Getting Too Personal?
- What's the Buzz on Google Buzz, the Google Social Network?
- Did Google Buzz Fix the Privacy Flaw on Its Social Network?
- Google Buzz Hit with a Class Action Lawsuit for Its Privacy Issues
- Your Email Inbox as a Social Network
6 Comments
Post a CommentWow, this story needs to be copy edited. So many mistakes.
Foursquare is not the issue here. The real problem lies with the socially inept people that feel the need to tell anyone and everyone what they are doing and where they are every moment of the day. If you are that lonely ....... get a pet. If you think anyone really cares ....... your wrong. Stop your Twitting and Facecracking and get a life that does not revolve around your electronic "CRACK". I see you Reed Todds everyday with your heads down doing this crap while driving, walking through parking lots, in classes, in the bathroom. FFS, do you really think you are that important to risk your life and others.
If you were using Foursquare some random stranger could shoot you in the face, in plain sight, in the street, and without even using Foursquare at all!
That's the old fashioned way
Or, if you aren't using Foursquare, someone could secretly watch your house until you leave, rob it, follow you and mug, rape, then kidnap you.
scary stuff