We’ve all seen these seemingly harmless, fun questionnaires on Facebook – “In honor of Valentine’s Day answer these questions about you and your significant other.” The post will go on to ask questions like where your first date was, what is your anniversary, and so on. It’s not just Valentine’s Day either, these types of posts can spread around Facebook anytime often with different themes. People love to reminisce, and these questions may seem totally innocent, but there can be an ulterior motive to the original poster wanting everyone to share in which city they met their significant other. These questionnaires are often used by scammers and hackers to steal personal information and gain access to sensitive accounts.
1 – You’re Giving Away The Answers to Common Security Questions
One of the main dangers of answering questionnaires on Facebook is that many of the questions asked could also be used as security questions. Security questions are typically used by banks, online retailers, and other organizations to verify a person’s identity in case they forget their password. The problem is that these questions often ask for information that can be easily found on social media platforms, such as your mother’s maiden name, your first pet’s name, or the city where you met your spouse.
If a hacker were to gain access to this information, they could use it to impersonate you and gain access to your accounts. For example, if your security question is “In which city did you meet your significant other?” and you have answered this question on a Facebook questionnaire, the hacker now has this information and could use it to reset your password and take control of your account.
2 – It’s Not Just Reposting Questionnaires That Can Put You in Harm’s Way
Accidentally sharing security information doesn’t have to be limited to just answering and reposting long questionnaires. Social media accounts that regularly post entertaining memes or uplifting quotes may inadvertently put you at risk by asking you to comment on their post with something like your “rapper name.” This name is formed by combining “Lil” with the name of the street you grew up on. For instance, if you grew up on Main Street, your rapper name would be Lil Main. Unfortunately, many users innocently comment on these types of posts, revealing the answer to a commonly used security question, the name of the street on which they grew up.
3 – You Can Become a Target For Other Scams
Some questionnaires may ask for your email address or phone number, which can then be used for spamming or phishing. Phishing scams are attempts by hackers to trick you into providing personal information, such as your password or credit card number, by pretending to be a trustworthy source.
4 – You May Be Putting Your Loved Ones in Danger Too
You may be putting others in danger by accidentally sharing the answers to common security questions. If you and your spouse, siblings, or children have the same answer to security questions, such as the city where you met your spouse or the name of the street you grew up on, then answering these types of questionnaires could put all of you in danger. This could lead to identity theft, financial loss, and other types of harm for all parties involved. Therefore, it’s important to be cautious about the information you share on social media and to think about how it could affect not only yourself but also those close to you.
To protect yourself from these dangers, it’s important to be cautious when answering questionnaires on Facebook. Here are some tips to help you stay safe:
- Be wary of questionnaires that ask you to comment or repost their questions with your answers.
- Don’t answer security questions on Facebook questionnaires, as this information can be used by hackers to gain access to your accounts.
- Be cautious of posts that ask you to combine any personal information about yourself (For example: Your rapper name = Lil + the street you grew up on)
- Beware of clicking on links that redirect you to external sources for taking quizzes or questionnaires on another website. Just because your answers are not publicly posted, it does not mean that the creators of the quiz are not collecting and utilizing that information.
By following these tips, you can protect yourself from the dangers of answering questionnaires on social media and keep your personal information secure. Remember that the best way to stay safe online is to be vigilant and cautious, and to always be mindful of the information you share.
Are you ready to take control of your online security? At allesTEK, we understand the importance of protecting your business and personal information in the digital world. That’s why we are dedicated to providing solutions that safeguard against all types of threats and scams. Contact us today to take control of your online security.