That seemingly harmless Facebook quiz you want to take to pass the time may not be so harmless, warns the Better Business Bureau.
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, many people are spending even more time on social media. Facebook in particular is a platform that many users take and share quizzes on.
How well do you know your friends? What beloved TV show character are you? What dessert best matches your personality?
While many are a fun and silly way to fill your spare time, the BBB is warning that some social media quizzes are designed by scammers to obtain your personal information. The questions asked may seem meaningless, but giving up details like your mother's maiden name or the street you grew up on could lead to accounts being hacked as they can be used as common banking and credit card security questions.
The BBB says social media users should be very cautious about the type of information they share online. They've offered the following tips to avoid falling victim to a social media scam:
- Be skeptical: Before you take a quiz, figure out who created it. Is it a brand you trust? Just because something appears to be fun and innocent, doesn't mean there isn't an inherent risk.
- Adjust privacy settings: Review the privacy settings on your social media account. Be strict about what information you share and be mindful of who you are sharing it with.
- Remove personal details from your profile: Don't share information like your phone number or home address on social media accounts.
- Don't give answers to common security questions: Be cautious if the questions in a quiz ask for things like your mother's maiden name, street you grew up on or the name of your high school.
- Monitor friend requests: Don't accept friend requests from people you don't know. Also be wary of a second friend request from someone you are already connected with; the second profile may be an imposter trying to access your data and your friends list.
If you spot a scam on social media, you can report it via the BBB Scam Tracker.