Mr Fraser, a reformed thief, said: "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that burglars are using social networks to identify likely targets.
"They gain confidence by learning more about them, what they are likely to own and when they are likely to be out of the house.
"I call it 'internet shopping for burglars'. It is incredibly easy to use social neyworking sites to target people, and then scope out more information on their actual home using other internet sites like Google Street View, all from the comfort of the sofa."
"Criminals who put together the jigsaw can use it for identity theft or burglary. It is just as dangerous as leaving your windows or doors open at home."
While I wouldn't discount this altogether, the figures are pretty clear on most burglaries. They are crimes of opportunity not planning. Burglars generally strike within one mile of their home, and thus usually within their own social/economic group. That is, not people that can afford to go to Mexico on holiday. But hey, don't tell the readers of the Telegraph, it spoils all their middle-class paranoia fun.
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