This harmless gesture that we all tend to do in our new apartment is not without risk …
When we finally found the ideal apartment in which to settle after months of research, we can only celebrate this moment of life. Whether it is student accommodation, its very first apartment, a roommate with friends, or the purchase of a house to enlarge the family, everyone has more or less the same reflex: to announce the happy news to those around them. But the way of telling it to his loved ones can sometimes play against us.
Indeed, it is more prudent to warn your family and friends by phone, by communicating your new address or to invite everyone to a rack. Because a simple photograph may be enough to be robbed! And generally, we tend to share everything on social networks. Most of the time, to celebrate its installation or the purchase of real estate, many are taken in selfie, in front of the house or in the living room, key in hand. This is why this is a big mistake.
Very efficient software would allow thieves to copy the key identically, from your simple image. For them, nothing could be simpler! Since 2008 already, the University of California in San Diego had developed “Sneakey“, Software that can imitate the keys from visuals, even of poor quality. Now, it has become very simple for crooks to reproduce the outline of the key numerically, then to create it physically with a 3D printer.
It is therefore advisable to keep your keys out of sight, in the same way as your confidential information, your papers or your credit card. And don’t forget that it also works with car or office keys. Once the key is reproduced, any malicious person will have no trouble regaining your location, especially if you are used to publishing a lot of photo of your routine …
