WE’VE all idly filled out a Facebook quiz when bored at home or at work on a quest to find out what superhero or “Friends” character we would be.
But while answering a few trivial questions about ourselves might seem harmless, the viral tests could be helping scammers to raid your bank account.
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In an op-ed in the International Business Times on Tuesday, money coach Judy Heft warned of the perils of completing social media quizzes.
They often ask users to answer a series of personal questions ranging from the name of their first pet, their mother’s maiden name, or the town they grew up in.
Heft, who has been a professional financial organiser for 26 years, says they’re sometimes used by fraudsters to find out important information about you.
That information – such as your address and date of birth – can help them crack security questions used as authenticators to protect your bank account.
“The quizzes only need a small amount of information to start getting down to business scamming you,” Heft wrote.
“Sometimes they get what they want by redirecting you to a site that downloads malicious code to your computer.
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“Other times the quiz itself is the culprit, perhaps teasing your mother’s maiden name out of you by charting your family tree or drawing a bogus family crest for you.”
She added: “Also suspicious are quizzes and apps that rate things according to ZIP code — with ZIP code being a common question credit card processors ask for remote transactions.”
Judy suggested that it is best to steer clear of social media quizzes to avoid getting caught in a scammer’s web.
Furthers steps she recommended to avoid identity theft include being wary of having to create profiles on websites you’ve never been to before and keeping photos of the inside of your home off of social media.
Heft isn’t the first expert to warn of the potential dangers of filling out Facebook quizzes.
Last year, Australian cops shared a list of common questions crooks use on social media to break into people’s online accounts.
They include asking where you grew up, your first pet’s name, the street you grew up on, your favourite sports team, your mother’s maiden name and more.
These answers are often people’s passwords and the questions are similar to security questions asked by banks and other institutions.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had received four reports of Australians hoodwinked by Facebook quizzes. No losses were recorded.
“Scammers often use fake online quizzes and surveys to obtain personal or banking information,” an ACCC spokesperson said.
“Never provide personal or financial information including passwords, to anyone you don’t know and trust.”
Every Facebook Messenger user warned to turn security feature on NOW
In other news, personalised smart guns, which can be fired only by verified users, may finally become available to U.S. consumers this year.
Scientists are embarking on a mission to unravel the mystery behind dozens of grisly child mummies buried in an underground tomb in Sicily.
Police have caught an Italian mafia henchman who’d be on the run for 20 years after spotting the fugitive on Google Maps.
And, one of the best-preserved fossils ever found has confirmed that young dinosaurs burst from their shells just like baby birds.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
