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Emirati's house looted after posting holiday pictures

Abu Dhabi - The Emirati family had their home broken into and valuable items worth thousands of dirhams stolen.

Three men, who looted an Emirati family's house while the family was holidaying outside the country, were sentenced to ten years in jail each on Tuesday.
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance also ordered that the men be deported after serving their jail sentences.
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The Emirati family had their home broken into and valuable items worth thousands of dirhams stolen after posting pictures of them while on holiday on social media.
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court heard the family complained to authorities after they returned home from a holiday in Europe and found out when the doors of their home had been broken and their valuable items had been taken away by unknown people.
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The Emirati family told authorities that they spend a week on holiday and when they returned, they were shocked to find doors of their house had been broken, furniture and other things scattered all over the house.
"The burglars had also entered into the family's master bedroom after breaking its door and stole the jewellery and other valuable items worth thousands of dirhams from the safe after breaking it open," said prosecutors.
The men had used iron rods and other tools to break the doors of the house. Cops had investigated the matter and arrested three Asian men suspected of carrying out the burglary.
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Authorities said the family had shared many of their photos while on the trip outside the country with their followers and friends on various social media sites and without putting into consideration that some bad people might also get access to the shared photos and use the opportunity to break into their home well aware that no one was present there.
Police investigations suggested that the men, who allegedly knew the Emiratis, were aware that the family was not home at the time and had travelled abroad, after seeing their pictures on social media.
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The men had confessed to prosecutors that they broke into the Emiratis' home while the family was away for a holiday and stole from there several items.
The Asians, however, retracted their earlier confessions and pleaded not guilty to the charges of burglary when they were taken to court.
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The court, however, convicted the men based of the evidence presented by prosecutors.
What you post online is important
The Al Ameen service of Dubai Police - which makes it easier for the public to report crimes anonymously 24 hours a day - has always urged UAE residents to be careful about what they say and do on social media.
A representative of Al Ameen has told that the information that one publishes on social media can be used by criminals to gain information about potential victims.
"Be careful of what personal information you put online. On the Internet, nothing is private," he said. "A criminal can just search on Google and get to all your accounts."
Al Ameen has dealt with cases of individuals being duped into explicit relationships online and then blackmailed with improper pictures, as well as cases of thieves learning that homes are empty through social media before entering to rob the properties.
"In these cases, the first step was the Internet," the representative noted.
To combat such cases, Al Ameen recommends that geo-locations be disabled and to never send money to anyone or surrender to blackmail.
Additionally, Al Ameen has warned UAE residents against re-tweeting rumours or insulting or defaming people on social media, which could lead to legal action.
Social media dos and don'ts under UAE law
The following tips were issued by Telecommunication Regulatory Authority in 2014.
Do not post other people's pictures or videos without consent: Don't post without asking, whether it's a friend or a photographer. It could be breach of privacy or copyright.
Do not make threats: Posts or comments that are abusive or threatening to other people can land you in court.
Do not post vulgar pictures or of alcohol: Non-Muslims can drink, but keep it under control if pictures are inappropriate. Drunken photos that offend Islamic values or morals of the UAE can lead to legal trouble. Do not post pornographic or material that contains nudity.
Do not tag anyone without consent: TRA warns that tagging without permission can be a breach of defamation and privacy laws, both of which can carry hefty fines and even jail time.
Do not insult religion: The TRA warns against offending Islamic morals and values.
Do not gossip: People could face fines of up to Dh1million if they spread false information.
Do not bully or harass: Users must not post content which includes hate speech, incites violence or which is threatening or contains graphic or gratuitous violence.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com