Easy pickings for bike thieves

Man with bike - distorted for privacy

One problem with living in the information age is that some people are less careful than others when it comes to protecting their personal details online.

Now it seems that the motorbike world is no different, as news comes from Scotland that bike owners are "putting out the welcome mat" to thieves by posting photographs and other information to blogs and social networking sites.

The warning comes from Constable Colin Brough of Tayside Police, who said:

"We have clear indications that motor bike thieves are looking at classified ad sites to target bikes to steal. Unfortunately, some people put too much information on their posting, including photos of the bike that also show the shed or garage door behind and whether there is much in the way of security.

The thieves can then look up the exact location of the bike and we believe they are turning up, with tools if necessary, to break in to the garage or shed and steal the bike."

Many bikers use blogs and social networks to discuss all things motorbike, and Constable Brough says that thieves are trawling through these web pages for targets:

"Many bikers have blogs on these sites that include a lot of information about them, often with photographs showing them on their motorcycles. A lot of these photos give strong clues as to the location of where these bikes are being stored and where they can potentially be stolen from."