An influencer and art collector who had more than £10million of jewellery stolen from her home in north London may have attracted the attention of crooks by flaunting her wealth online, friends have claimed.
Shafira Huang’s Instagram profile had been packed with pictures of her flaunting a variety of designer handbags, ultra-luxe fashion and priceless jewellery as she jetted around the world attending fashion shows and snacking on exotic food.
However, she has scrubbed her social media and made it private after her £38million mansion in St John’s Wood was raided by a solitary thief who made off with millions in jewels, handbags and cash in a stealth raid lasting less than 20 minutes.
Police are hunting for the masked thief, who snuck through the house on Avenue Road undetected on December 7 while house staff members were inside.
But friends and experts say Huang may have made herself a target with her enthusiastic Instagramming to 13,000 followers – and many others.
One said the influencer, who is the cultural ambassador of the Halcyon Gallery on Bond Street, knew that she could become a ‘magnet’ for criminals by flaunting her unimaginable wealth online.
Nevertheless, she and property developer husband Sishou are said to be extremely shaken following the early evening raid – believed to have been carried out using a ladder from an adjacent property which is undergoing extensive renovation.
Experts, meanwhile, have warned other ultra-high net worth families to take care not to show off online, as tempting as it might be to do so in the social media age.
Influencer Shafira Huang had shown off her enviable wealth on Instagram, where she had 13,000 followers
She showed off her ostentatious wealth for years – but has since scrubbed her profile and made it private
Mrs Huang’s home in Avenue Road, north London was broken into on December 7 by a masked man who stole £10.4million of prized jewels (pictured)
A friend told The Times: ‘There will be people who sympathise with Ms Huang, and those who may say, “If you expose yourself you become a magnet”… you will always encounter these opinions and that’s fine.
‘She is rightfully enjoying her position in life, entertaining friends and socialising … the unfortunate advent of drawing attention is part of the position, I guess.’
Among the items stolen were priceless one-off items of jewellery, including a 10.73-carat Graff diamond ring as well as pieces by Hermes and De Beers.
Some of the missing pieces had previously been posted on Instagram by Ms Huang, including a bangle in the shape of her name, encrusted with jewels, and a glittering watch she wore meeting Philippe Delhotal, creative director of Hermes.
She captioned that post, which showed her wearing a mixture of eye-bogglingly expensive-looking bracelets: ‘I’m glad that my styling of “daily mixing & stacking” has won Philippe Delhotal’s favor.’
A gold, sapphire and diamond Van Cleef & Arpels necklace also stolen in the raid had been seen around her neck as she rode around in the back of a Rolls Royce, posing for the camera in a freeze-frame of exquisite wealth.
Other Instagram posts featured captions such as ‘You can be exquisite, you can be feminine, you can be creative and you can be cute.’
But Chris Marinello, head of Art Recovery International – a body that tries to reunite the owners of priceless art, jewellery and even Nazi-looted objects with their possessions – said anyone who vaunted their wares online was putting themselves at risk.
‘Many people do this on vacation but I suggest you wait until you get home and post, “Here I am in Ibiza with all my diamonds”,’ he said.
‘If you do it while you are there, (criminals) will hunt you down and steal from you. And you should never do this from inside your home — it’s irresponsible and you’re looking for trouble.’
CCTV images show the crook – dressed head to toe in dark clothing and a canister of some description in his hand – emerging from a doorway, his face almost completely obscured by a mask.
He is then seen stealing across a landing seconds before a housekeeper emerges from a nearby lift.
Avenue Road is home to largely international tycoons and other ultra-rich individuals who have snapped up homes for millions of pounds at a time
Shafira Huang and her property developer husband Sishou were not at home when the raider struck on December 7
A composite image shows how the thief walked across a landing at 5.29pm (left side of image) before a housekeeper emerged from a lift one minute later (right side)
Many of the pieces were unique, one-off items (left), while the sapphire, gold and diamond necklace on the right was also among the valuable goods stolen
Shafira Huang flaunted her wealth online, including in this image taken in the back of a Rolls Royce. She is wearing the gold, sapphire and diamond necklace that was stolen
A bejewelled clasp (left) and sparkling watch (right) stolen in the Avenue Road raid on December 7. She had previously shown off the watch online
Csaba Virag, a spokesperson for the family, said he believed the raid had been pre-planned, given the crook appeared to come armed as he made his way in via a second-floor window.
‘He was a lone wolf but also a Spider-Man, as it was quite a mission for him to climb up to the roof and descend from there to the second floor before breaking into the entrance,’ he told MailOnline yesterday.
‘There are footprints on the roof that I have seen.
‘A lot of the neighbourhood is under construction and some of the properties are for sale. There is a large construction site on the garden side of the home and thief highly likely came through that property.’
The break-in has prompted a large appeal from the Metropolitan Police, as well as a concerted effort from the family to raise awareness of the goods taken in the hope that they become ‘too hot to handle’.
However, while some of the handbags may prove difficult to sell on without the proper documentation such as certificates of authenticity and packaging, there is a risk the jewels will be broken down and their constituent parts sold off.
And since the raid took place on December 7 – more than three weeks before an appeal was made for their return – there is a chance the goods have already been fenced or moved abroad to be sold on the black market.
Nevertheless, the Huangs have offered a £500,000 reward for information that leads to the capture and conviction of the thief, and 10 per cent of the stolen jewels’ value in exchange for their return – up to £1.5 million in all.
Shafira Huang pictured at Paris Fashion Week last January. She was no stranger to attending fashion shows and other high society events
Shafira Huang attending an art exhibition at the Musee National Des Arts Asiatiques – Guimet in Paris in 2019
Shafira Huang (right) with internet personality Luna De Casanova and luxury shoe store founder Innes Dudakova at a Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture event in Paris in 2022
The burglar entered through a second-floor window and made off with £10.4million worth of custom jewellery, including a Graff 10.73-carat diamond ring
Avenue Road in St John’s Wood is one of several ‘billionares’ rows’ in London, once home to stars such as Robbie Williams, Rihanna and Anthony Joshua.
Homes there sell for an average of £15.1million according to data published by Lloyds Bank at the end of last year.
Its inhabitants are now largely foreign tycoons who have snapped up ageing townhouses, often razing them to the ground to create ultra-luxe new-builds to sell off or rent out for thousands of pounds a week.
Neighbours on the street have said the robbery has left them concerned they could be targeted next.
One, who has lived on the street for over 30 years, said: ‘It has spooked people that the robber could get in so easily.
‘Every home on this road has lots of security with cameras. There have been break-ins before but what is most concerning is that the police have said he was armed.
‘That is terrifying and makes me think about my safety.’
Det Con Paulo Roberts, of the Metropolitan Police, who is leading the hunt for the burglar, said: ‘This is a brazen offence where the suspect has entered the property while armed with an unknown weapon and violated the sanctuary of the victims’ home.
‘The suspect has stolen £10.4 million worth of jewellery, much of which is sentimental and unique in its design, and therefore easily identifiable.
‘We urge anyone who was in the area of Avenue Road, NW8, and saw anything suspicious to please come forward.
‘Also, if you have seen this jewellery since, someone has offered to sell you it, or you have any further information, then please also contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously.’
