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Is That Quiz on Facebook Stealing Your Info?

Facebook Quizzes: More than just a game.

We’ve all seen them and most likely, many have participated in them; Facebook quizzes that have flooded our feeds. Seemingly harmless, people perceive them as a fun way to engage with their friends and learn more about their connections. These popular quizzes ask users to answer a series of personal information under the guise that they are “getting to know” the user or themselves better.

Common quiz questions include details like best friend from high school, dog’s name, birth month, or birth city. Unfortunately, the questions are also commonly used security questions by financial institutions or other organizations in order to further protect customers from hackers accessing their accounts. These “fun” personality quizzes can be cleverly disguised behind holiday or pop culture themes but are in fact phishing scams attempting to steal personal information in order to piece together password and security information, which could then be sold on the dark web for use in accessing accounts or opening new ones.

Once users take these quizzes, there is no getting back the information provided. However, users can protect themselves in the future by never participating in any online quiz, as it often takes thieves multiple attempts to gain personal data needed to create a full profile.

In the event personal information has been used to steal your account holder’s identity, a personal Identity Recovery Advocate is standing by to research and resolve any identity theft issue that they may suspect, or evidence of identity fraud that they discover.

The Facebook Quiz

Which Disney princess are you? What city should you actually live in? What food matches your personality? What career should you actually have? We’ve all seen them. Mostly likely we played along at some point. On the outside these playful, whimsical quizzes seem harmless, even fun, but the reality is much darker. These popular quizzes ask you to answer a series of personal questions under the guise that you’re getting to know yourself or your connections better or you are creating something unique and humorous that you will want to share. Common quiz questions request details like your best friend from high school, the name of the street you grew up on, your first pet’s name, your birth month or birth city.

If this sounds familiar it’s because these answers are also answers to common challenge questions used by financial institutions and other companies as part of the security authentication designed to protect customers’ accounts from hackers. So while you are participating in these seemingly harmless personality quizzes you may actually be helping a criminal piece together your password and security information to gain access to your accounts or your email.

In addition, when you click to begin or to respond to questions, the links, image, and other elements within these quizzes may be laced with viruses that can infect your computer, phone or tablet, further exposing you to fraud and theft by exposing your information over a longer period of time. And at a minimum quizzes may be gathering data points about you and your preferences for targeted spam and online ads. While not all quizzes have a sinister motive, it pays to protect yourself and your identity by thinking twice before participating in Facebook or online quizzes. Stick to the mantra: When in doubt, don’t fill it out!

Social Media Content

Help your account holders avoid falling into the trap of online quizzes through information and education. Here are several social media posts that can help reinforce the message in the editorial content.

Post #1 – When it doubt, don’t fill it out. Fun Facebook quizzes could actually be phishing scams attempting to steal your personal data. Skip the quiz, protect yourself.

Post #2 – When in doubt, don’t fill it out. Finding out what type of Disney princess you are could lead to your personal information being stolen. Skip the quiz, protect yourself.

Post #3 – When in doubt, don’t fill it out. What city should you actually live in? This curious Facebook Quiz could be a disguise to elicit personal information that can lead to spam or even fraud. Skip the quiz, protect yourself.

Post #4 – When in doubt, don’t fill it out. What food matches your personality? As you find out, so does a scammer who might be trying to steal your personal information or your identity. Skip the quiz, protect yourself.

Post #5 – When in doubt, don’t fill it out. FB quizzes asking for personal details under the guise of being fun, insightful, or socially engaging can actually be stealing your personal info to sell on the dark web. Skip the quiz, protect yourself.