Wednesday is the official start of holiday travel, and as you pack up your bags and head out for your Christmas vacation, local law enforcement agencies want to make sure you're being safe back home. Before you post that status about your trip home or to visit family, Rockingham County Maj. C.M. Hess says hold on.

"It's extremely innocent because I think they're actually posting their statuses just thinking that their friends are watching or looking, and they're just not thinking things through while they're putting stuff on the Internet," says Hess. He says it's more than just your friends looking into your whereabouts. "The Internet is very user-friendly and a lot of people are out there actually trying to hack in, or what have you, into their Facebook account, or what have you, so you've got to be extremely careful," says Hess.

Mary-Hope Vass with the Harrisonburg Police Department says they've increased their efforts on this cyber crime now as opposed to several years ago. "We want to encourage people not to post where they will be going if they're going to be going out of town for the holidays and when they'll be leaving. It certainly gives criminals an easy tip on when you're home will be vacant," says Vass. It's not just posting that you'll be out of town. Putting up pictures of full stockings and piles of presents also makes you a target.

"Anytime somebody sees if they know where you live or if they see it online, they certainly see all the items you've just received and it's a good idea not to advertise any of that information," says Vass. Officials with both the Harrisonburg Police Department and Rockingham County Sheriff's Office say they haven't had any burglaries involving cyber crime.

However, they say they would only know if the criminal told them that's the reason they broke into the home. Both departments also suggest safety tips like putting lights on timers, having a friend or neighbor keep an eye on your home, and having someone collect your mail.