Stop doing these three things to avoid being tracked online, private investigator warns

Whether you're out for dinner, out for a walk, redecorating the living room, hanging out with friends, cooking in the kitchen, or even away on holiday, the chances are, you've probably got a social media post up to capture the moment.

But, despite our desires to share more about ourselves online than ever before, private investigators are warning that our social media usage is also making us easier to track.

And now a new TikTok video has people spooked, because private investigator, Cassie (@venusinvestigations), has shared the things that you probably didn't realise you were doing that are making it so easy for someone to follow you around.

Stop posting where you are - when you're there

If you're out for a swanky meal, at a park with beautiful scenery, or jet-setting on a golden sands beach, as tempting as it may be - don't post about it until you get home.

"Stop posting from a venue while you're still there. Celebs know this one really well, if you post from the venue, while you're having your entrée, I'll be there following you before the bill comes," Cassie advises.

One commenter joked: "Why are ppl still checking into places? 34 year old adult checking in at Nandos.. stop already lol."

But on a more serious note, not only does it open you up to being followed, it could even increase your chances of becoming a victim of crime, with criminals able to easily see that you're not at home.

Stop letting people you don't know look at your personal information

Most of us are guilty of having people we don't know either following us or as our 'friends' on social media, particularly if it's an account you've had since you were a teenager. But, those background lurkers that we don't really speak to could be causing us more problems than we think.

"Stop accepting friend requests from people you don't know," Cassie tells the camera.

"I get it, you've locked down your profile, you think you're safe, but guess who can still see it? Anyone you've added over the years, whether you knew them or not.

"PIease have these fake accounts they use to research people, called sock puppets, go look at your list right now, if there's anyone on there you don't know, delete them."

Pexels

Moving house? Don't tell everyone

Buying a house is a huge achievement that we should be excited to share, but what could possibly be worse than the whole world knowing where you live?

If you've ever posted a photo of a 'sold' sign in your new garden, you could've immediately given away the game, without even having to reveal the nitty gritty details.

"Yes, you've blurred out the address but all I need is the real estate agent's details", says Cassie. "I can work out what suburbs they cover, I know approximately when you bought the place from when you posted on Insta... I just look out for the cute red door I saw on your Instagram profile or that pretty tree I saw on the side... bam, I've got your address."

Someone added in the comments: "I’m not even a PI and the sold sign is so real. It’s so easy!"

Another said: "The real estate one is so real, I do it all the time when I’m feeling a bit bored."

"I’m not a PI and I always look up peoples houses bc I’m nosey and wanna see what they bought and how much and if I think they over paid or not", another commenter confirmed.

Other users were giving out extra pieces of advice in the comments, with suggestions including not posting your child's school uniform online, not posting from anywhere you don't want to be seen (a quick reverse Google Image search can bring up your exact location, even if you haven't said it), and posting photos of luxury goods online.

Consider us creeped out.

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