Gun owners have been warned against posting selfies with firearms because criminals are trawling social media looking for easy targets.

Victoria Police urged gun owners to avoid publicising their weapons and warned against complacency when it came to the safe storage of guns.

Police said there had been an "influx" of people posting photos of themselves and recklessly advertising their ownership of guns without considering the consequences.

"Some criminals trawl social media networks looking for easy targets and items of interest - including ammunition and other weaponry," Senior Sergeant Andrew Armstrong said.

"It's easy enough to gather personal information through public profiles or unsecure accounts.

"Licence holders need to be responsible.

"Any public display of firearm ownership including stickers on vehicles or house windows can encourage unwanted attention from thieves."

Senior Sergeant Armstrong also said licence holders were becoming too complacent when it came to safe storage of guns.

"With the responsibility of owning a firearm comes the responsibility of storing one.

"If your firearms can be easily accessed you need to improve your security."

Police said firearms must be stored in something made of hard wood or steel that is not easily penetrable and secured with a sturdy lock.

Failure to do so could result in fines from $8,000-$35,000 or a jail term of 12 months to four years.

"We know that the majority of licence holders comply with storage conditions however, there are still a significant number who don't," Senior Sergeant Armstrong said.

"There's a simple solution to this problem - better storage, security and common sense.

"We want to promote a safer Victoria and ensure firearms don't fall into the wrong hands."