Thieves are using AI to target vacant homes using information posted to social media by well-meaning vacationers.

Local tech blogger Kevin Andrews says criminals can use technology to determine where a person is, and how long they might be gone, to determine whether a home is still empty.

He’s cautioning people against feeling compelled to post vacation pics while they’re away.

“Something as innocent as like ‘Day two of our vacation’ can tell people exactly how much longer you’ll likely be away, and even a location text can also reveal exactly where you’re staying in real time.”  He says the safest approach is to assume that “once something is online, you no longer really have complete control of it.”