Burglars Are Watching Influencers' TikToks, Especially When on Vacation
It takes one "fit check" video for a stranger on the internet to figure out where a creator lives.
It’s safe to assume that most people know they shouldn't share their home addresses online. However, people don’t always realize that posting Instagram stories of their backyard, sharing TikToks of their living room interior design process, and even taking a quick video of themselves in the car outside their house is enough data for someone on the internet to figure out exactly where they live.
Many creators post this type of content regularly and face no consequences. But after lifestyle influencer Victoria Paris’ home was broken into last week, it’s important to remember that the volume of public information on TikTok combined with bad actors on the internet can pose serious safety issues for social media creators.
On Friday, Victoria posted an emotional video explaining to her followers that a man robbed her house earlier in the week. She shared security camera footage of the burglar, walking around the perimeter of her home wearing a full face mask.
“I’ve been stalked, I’ve been harassed, I have gotten used to it,” said Victoria. “I think getting robbed has pushed me over the edge…it’s stuff like this that makes me want to stop sharing.”
The next day, she posted a montage of clips from her house paired with a voicemail from her father sharing words of encouragement after the break-in. “the first place I've ever had that felt like a home ill miss it,” read her caption.
It’s unfair that Victoria has to move. After all, her home design — even her eclectic lime green kitchen — contributed to her rise to TikTok stardom. She documented her move from New York to Los Angeles and took her followers along with her on the journey of decorating her apartment. More generally, her openness and transparency on the platform have allowed her to succeed as a content creator — and have helped her afford a nice home.
However, another staple of Victoria’s content is her travel vlogs. Last year, her followers tuned in to her 2-month long “Euro Summer” trip, where she documented her adventures in Italy, Portugal, France, and more. Over the past week, she took another trip to Europe with her brother and posted a plethora of travel content. The break-in occurred during this trip.
Victoria is not at fault for the burglary. Plenty of people (myself included!) post pictures during their travels. It’s hard to blame someone for sharing a view from a beach chair on Carribean Island or posting a photo of a glass of sangria at sunset in Spain. While some may argue that posting vacation photos makes others jealous, that’s not the point — posting vacation photos informs a person’s followers that they’re not home.
Despite experts warning that sharing travel pictures on social media attracts thieves, many people don’t follow this rule. After years of posting vacation photos without consequences, and the growth of social media platforms encouraging being “relatable” and “authentic,” people are encouraged to post more and more information about themselves online.
Influencers are in a uniquely tough position. Not only do they have large followings, but it is their job to post content every day. If a creator has posted photos and videos taken inside or outside their home, it’s easy for a robber to discover their location. It only takes one TikTok that quickly pans across the numbers outside an influencer’s house or a picture of a package where their address is partially visible.
Something similar recently happened to popular YouTube influencer Summer McKeen. In April, she posted a 36-minute-long video about her experience with a stalker. One of the first things he did to make himself known to her was ring her doorbell, drop off a gift bag of Valentine’s Day goodies, and run away. When she opened the bag to discover boxes of chocolate, she saw a note that he had left her asking to meet her at a local movie theater. She was left wondering how this man found her address. He may have used the same tactics as Victoria’s burglar.
Social media creators don’t need to stop posting vacation content or limit the videos they take inside their homes. Rather, it’s important to be aware that even the least obvious videos an influencer takes from inside or outside their home can help a robber find where they live. In December, running and fitness influencer Kate Glavan made a TikTok explaining how easy it is for someone online to find out where a creator lives when they post a “fit check” outside their apartment. She also shared that it’s crucial for runners who use Strava to start and stop runs at locations that are not their home addresses.
It’s summer, and many more social media creators will go on vacation and post photos and videos of their travels. Instead of shying away from posting travel content, it’s important to understand how easy it is for bad actors to find out where an influencer lives. After all, geo-guessing expert Trevor Rainbolt can watch one video and find a person’s exact location — down to the reflection in their sunglasses.