The boundaries between cyber security and physical security are becoming progressively blurred. A June 2023 report by Trend Hero estimated that there are approximately 64 million influencers on Instagram across the globe. Influencers are subjected to privacy breaches just as anyone else with an online presence. However, they can be disproportionately vulnerable to breaches due to the sheer quantity and frequency of information they share publicly.
Influencers can expose their physical security through trends on social media platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, and Facebook. Trends include “Get Ready with Me” and “Day in the Life” in addition to more traditional house tours. Innocent participation in such trends can lead to unwanted criminal attention, as oversharing on public social media profiles is the easiest way to leak personal information and compromise one’s physical security. Threat actors might readily identify where an influencer lives and what the inside or outside of their home looks like, as well as determine whether security systems are in place at points of entry.
Influencers are consistently sharing their daily lives online which, in turn, exposes their patterns and daily surroundings to tens of thousands of people who are now also aware of these personal details. Below is a sampling of some recent incidents involving influencers around the globe who have been victims of stalking or home invasions.
- Arizona Native and Instagram travel influencer, Alexandra Saper (“Saper) reported to the NY Post in February 2023 that she had to shut down her business and go into hiding due to an alleged stalker. Saper was previously living in Bali in fear because the alleged online stalker followed her to Indonesia and threatened to kidnap her. Saper subsequently left Indonesia due to fear for her safety.
- TikTok influencer Jo Leanne from Oklahoma City reported in April 2024 that she was afraid to continue living in her apartment after several incidents involving an online stalker. She received messages stating that users knew where she lived. A potential suspect has been arrested in this case.
- In November 2022, Instagram influencer Nour Atta reported he was targeted and attacked for advertising his wealth online. Atta was robbed at gun point in his home and the attackers stole USD 1 million worth of clothes and jewelry.
- In Malaysia, a group of criminals targeted influencers who showed off luxury items during live streams on TikTok. Reportedly, one member of the group would observe the victim’s activities and then notify the rest of the group when the victim was not home, which would prompt a break in. The group used this tactic against a female influencer in Padang Balang, Sentul, on March 4, 2024.
Staying Aware
Influencers should secure their accounts to minimize the risk of breaches by threat actors. This can be done by creating complex passwords that are not reused across various accounts and enabling multi-factor authentication for all online accounts, when possible. It is also recommended that an online monitoring service be utilized to check whether their accounts have been mentioned in dark web forums, niche social media sites, paste bins, and online hacker communities.
Influencers should remain constantly aware of their digital footprint and utilize a service that assists in identifying and mitigating digital, physical, and reputational risks. This will allow influencers to understand their true online presence across the open, deep, and dark web, and recognize how personal information can be exposed to malicious actors.
Clarissa Lopez is a senior associate at Prescient and a current ASIS member based in New York, New York.
