Over the past several months, it seems that expensive jewelry owned by celebrities has been in the crosshairs of thieves, almost like a new type of bling ring, the notorious group of teens and young adults who burglarized many celebrity homes in 2008 and 2009.
This time, though, authorities are basically pinning the blame solely on the celebrities for making themselves a target.
The message: Stop using the Internet to show off your jewelry!
The problem could be mounting. In October 2016, Kim Kardashian West was famously robbed at gunpoint in Paris by thieves. They made off with a reported $5.6 million in jewelry, including a $4 million ring she had prominently displayed in a selfie less than a week before the robbery (earlier reports that she was robbed of $10 million were said to be incorrect).
In early February, Nicki Minaj's Los Angeles mansion was burglarized and thieves got away with about $200,000 worth of jewelry and other valuables. Nicki often showed off her rings, bracelets and necklaces on Instagram.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, it was reported that burglars broke into Alanis Morissette's Los Angeles-area home last week while she wasn't home and made off with $2 mil in jewelry. Alanis, too, had been posting photos of her bling on various social media platforms and her blog.
Basically, crooks are using celebrities own posts on social media almost as an "open for business" sign.
"It's simple for thieves to find out where people live, and by posting pics of jewelry in the home it becomes a roadmap for a quick hit," TMZ said. "They say the problem is compounded when celebs post vacation photos in real time, because it's like a neon sign to break in."
After Kim was a victim, she vowed to no longer flaunt her wealth on social media, and she's stayed true to that vow.
"Material things mean nothing. It's not all about the money," she reportedly began telling friends, "It's not worth it."