Blogging about Gold and Silver then telling the world you’re going on Holidays? Sounds like an invitation to get robbed to me. Not the smartest move you could make on Social Media but every day people post nice holiday pictures and advertise the fact that they aren’t at home so even the dumbest crooks can probably figure out that an easy score is at hand. ![commonsense.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmeiaHv6HrnxjhkR6ZPhJS5LdUjMjj9BHqBCxCccanQNpL/commonsense.png) [Source](http://www.commonsenseuseit.com) So, how do you protect yourself? Well, for a start you could decide not to post about Gold and Silver, or you can decide not to advertise the fact that you’re on Holidays. But if that’s no fun there are other things you can do too. Staying Anonymous is one thing you can try (and I’ve tried) but for a resourceful criminal there are ways to figuring out who you are and I don’t really rely on my Anonymity to keep my belongings safe. ![anonymous.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQxgfyGq8cUrNJcSKSreJeoNHRXjtQ4a4zJSoWxESfgb9/anonymous.jpg) [Source](https://images.alphacoders.com/260/thumb-1920-260141.jpg) As a stacker, the first thing you should always do is ensure your stack is stored securely. Maybe a vault or a safety deposit box, even buried under a slab of concrete will do the trick, but there are always a couple of pieces that you just like to look at or have close by. I have a couple of sentimental silver pieces that I don’t mind having on display because they are lower value and they are good conversation starters. But even so, I don’t want them to get stolen. ![sdb.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdp6tHVeW3KRhjuQiwW24CdDRC73vY4741SmXk26Skexm/sdb.png) [Source](https://www.sharpspixley.com/image/small/boxes2.png) A good alarm system is always a good idea for any home where there are some valuables stored, but that can be expensive and cause other headaches. Anyone who has been phoned in the middle of the night with a false alarm on holidays knows how much of a pain alarm systems can be. But there are other, more organic, choices you can make. Some people own animals, particularly dogs, who are EXCELLENT at warning of intruders as they have excellent ears and noses. They can pick up unfamiliar sounds and smells and will alert the whole neighbourhood that something is afoot. I don’t have a dog myself, but my next door neighbour’s dog is always barking when something is up and while that can be a pain in the backside when I’m home, I’m thankful of that fur ball when I’m away! ![guarddog.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPZtd4fWzowx9vGmbGYoezEP5MzCJVmfJxM559f7wsaj6/guarddog.jpg) [Source](http://cdn.hiconsumption.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Best-Guard-Dogs.jpg) Another good organic choice is your neighbours themselves. It can really pay to be friendly to your neighbours even if they are a bit strange. You might not want them sticking their head over your fence every 5 minutes, but when it comes to neighbourhoods – You’re in this together. They have just as much vested interest in making sure there are no crooks lurking about as you do, so it’s a good idea to have a good relationship and watch either others backs a little bit. ![neighbour.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbk8P1MLBxJoHZoiZiTorwEVbtaTkLPePgaMNkZyybTeZ/neighbour.jpg) [Source](https://media-exp2.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAkLAAAAJDBiMjRmMGEwLTQ3Y2ItNDIzMC04YzIxLWYzZmNlNDJiNTFiNw.jpg) The other thing you can do is take your sentimental metals out of the house when you’re away. Taking them on holidays is probably a bit of overkill and you might be risking them even more doing that, but you could drop them off at family of friends. Maybe you’ve got someone feeding the pets, checking the mail or watering the garden while you’re away and if there is a little box of stuff for them to keep an eye on too, it’s not a big ask. The crooks might not know your metals are gone, but if you can limit any theft to basic household stuff like electronic devices (TVs, Computer) then that’s damage control and insurance will cover you for that – whereas getting cover for metals is a lot harder and usually a lot more expensive! ![insurance.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYN23mBaqoekcqw4sZqecBbMoQSeWyETCGMbhZfKN9SYC/insurance.jpg) [Source](http://www.adviserratings.com.au/media/48544/insurance-claim-rejected.jpg) You can never eliminate the possibility that you’ll be robbed while you’re away as kids and junkies don’t really use a lot of risk/reward assessment when deciding to break into a place, but you can minimise the risk of being targeted by professionals by being a bit smart and not naive. In this information age it is very easy for someone to identify and track you, so if you’re posting about Precious Metals and Holidays on Social Media you are making yourself a target. **Stay one step ahead and…** **…enjoy your Holiday!** ____ ![steemsilvergold.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcrrAKhneQkmgH5Q8ebnrvWBV39rVYW3xtMcrNQn41DU4/steemsilvergold.png) ![TeamAust_buggedout.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSfn8N9CPKHUUsqp7KUXwbUJEyT96qLw91AWdz2gTiVcr/TeamAust_buggedout.png) **Images and Credits** http://www.commonsenseuseit.com https://wall.alphacoders.com https://www.sharpspixley.com http://hiconsumption.com https://www.linkedin.com http://www.adviserratings.com.au