Most of us are guilty of clicking on certain posts that pop up on Facebook. Often it’s by accident, sometimes it’s just to satisfy curiosity and other times it’s to share with others.
But for the quizzes that we see on our Facebook Newsfeed, often it’s a chance to test our wits and just seems like harmless guilty pleasure.
But police in Massachusetts are warning that this is anything but harmless and could expose us to all kinds of scammers.
https://www.facebook.com/613994781980789/photos/a.671633059550294/1671309176249339/?type=3
The Sutton Police Department in Massachusetts shared a post that should make us all stop and think.
In the department’s warning post it said that some of these quizzes are actually set up by hackers to access your data.
Revealing our security details
“[These questionable posts] ask what was your first grade teacher, who was your childhood best friend, your first car, the place you [were] born, your favorite place, your first pet, where did you go on your first flight, etc …,” the post read.
“Those are the same questions asked when setting up accounts as security questions. You are giving out the answers to your security questions without realizing it.”
The post has been shared more than 800,000 times.
Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist for the Good Housekeeping Institute, said these posts may not seem like a big deal on their own.
“A nugget of information in isolation may not seem like a big deal, but combining that with other data that may be out there can result in a greater threat,” she says.
“Be mindful of photos or posts that could give away information about your location or self (like your birthday) and consider if you are posting something that could be used to locate you offline or make it easier for someone to figure out any of your passwords.”
This is important information for all. Please share to warn others.
