Woman forced to change locks after huge mistake. Picture: TikTok/Tabs Swatosh
A US woman has been forced to change the locks at her new home after making a huge security mistake.
Influencer Tabitha Swatosh recently moved from Los Angeles to Nashville, Tennessee. She has been documenting her relocation on TikTok.
The 24-year-old social media star’s house move turned into a nightmare when she made the grave mistake of flashing her front door keys to her millions of followers in a video documenting her first day in the home, Realtor reports.
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TikTok influencer Tabitha Swatosh was forced to change the locks at her new home because of a major security issue. Picture: TikTok/Tabs Swatosh
In the clip, an excited Ms Swatosh can be seen telling her 14.9 million followers that she has set up the gas and electricity at the property, and needs only to pick up the keys before “the house is mine!”
The video then cuts to a clip of the influencer’s boyfriend, Michael Sanzone, and their close friend, singer Alex Warren, packing up her belongings, before she opens the doors to her new property — happily flashing her keys at the camera in the process.
Several of her followers were quick to point out how easily she had compromised her safety.
First, many users warned that using the same keys as the previous owner can be risky because it’s impossible to tell whether the former residents have given up every single key they made.
Second, sharing an image or video of your keys online can enable would-be thieves and criminals to make a copy, leaving your home at serious risk of a break-in.
“Please update locks, get a security system, stay safe,” one person wrote in response to the clip, while another added: “Don’t forget to change the locks and any door codes!”
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The 24-year-old influencer made the mistake of flashing her house keys in a video shared with her 14.9 million TikTok followers. Picture: TikTok/Tabs Swatosh
According to security experts at US website Nighthawk Strategies, many keys may have an inscription of the brand of lock it is used.
“Additionally, the number of ‘bittings’ or pointed notches on a key can tell an observer how many pins are inside its corresponding locking mechanism,” the website states.
“In theory, a criminal could use a picture of a key to recreate a physical key using various methods, including 3D printing or an online-based locksmithing and key-cutting service.”
Luckily, Ms Swatosh’s mistake did not go unnoticed by her loved ones — with her boyfriend later revealing in a video posted to his account that he had hightailed it to Home Depot to get a new lock for the front door of the home.
“So we just got a new place and within five seconds, Tab already posted the keys, so come with me to Home Depot to replace the locks,” he said, while striding into the store.
Once inside, he explains that he wanted to “eliminate the locks” altogether to prevent the influencer from making the same mistake again. He revealed plans to install a keypad and numerical code.
He then shared a video of himself installing the new lock and keypad, which took about an hour. The new system appeared to be in good working order once it was finished.
“This should do the trick,” Mr Sanzone said with a triumphant twist of the door handle.
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Swatosh’s boyfriend later revealed in a video posted to his account that he had hightailed it to Home Depot to get a new lock for the front door of the home. Picture: sanzone/TikTok
After an hour of work, the new handle and electric lock were installed. Picture: TikTok/Michael Sanzone
Ms Swatosh has faced a number of hurdles since relocating from Los Angeles to Nashville.
The TikToker explained in a video that she and her roommates had opted to end the lease on their Tarzana, California, home at the end of December.
After her close friends got married and moved into a new marital home, Ms Swatosh and her boyfriend decided to follow them to Nashville.
However, their plans hit a snag when the couple were told by her real estate agent that the home she had signed a lease on had been sold.
Sharing the news in a tearful TikTok video, she told her followers that she’d learned of the shocking development only after her movers began packing up all of her belongings.
“I’m actually so confused,” she said tearfully in the video.
“They have my deposit, and in writing. And now my movers are here with nowhere to go. I have nowhere to go.”
Thankfully, just days later, her real estate agent managed to secure her another property.
“It’s going to be a great fit,” the agent told Swatosh over the phone.
“It might not be perfect, it might not be everything you want, but it’s a gorgeous house.
“It’s going to fit you great. I really think for what you’re looking for, it might even be a better fit for you.”
Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and were republished with permission.
English (US) · 