Canadians heading on vacation may want to wait until they get home to post photos online, as experts warn thieves are increasingly using artificial intelligence to identify homes that are likely unoccupied.
In an interview with CTV News Montreal on Wednesday, technology analyst Carmi Levy said thieves scrape social media with AI to gain insight into which homes are likely empty at a certain period of time and safe to rob.
“Previously it would have just been a post that nobody would have thought of,” he said. " (Now) it’s weaponized, combined with other forms of information, it can literally create a pick list."
He added that thieves can consolidate the information with other data sources and use the insight to run “analyses” on the houses that appear on their lists.
“Increasingly the likelihood of your home showing up on those lists because you posted to social media is much higher today,” he said. And the likelihood increases every year.
A survey published by Allstate Insurance in 2025 found that 32 per cent of Canadian respondents say they are active on their social media before and/or while they are travelling. For those aged 18to 34, the figure rises to 51 per cent.
The same study also found that 15 per cent of Canadian respondents said they prioritized sharing on social media over keeping their homes safe from a break-in.
“We don’t seem to be getting the message,” Levy said. “We need to recognize that this puts our home in danger when we are away from them.”
It could give insurance companies another reason to not pay out in the case of a break-in, he said.
“If you post on social media, that provides a digital trail of evidence that any insurance company could and would use against you as you submit a claim,” he said.
He added that companies have already been using information they scrape themselves from social media to deny claims by homeowners.
“There’s no such thing as privacy online. Your insurance companies know this,” he said.
