Think Before You Click: Facebook Quizzes Could Be Bad News
Summary
While not all social media quizzes are scams, your information could end up in the wrong hands. Learn more from OneMain.
In this article:
From finding out which Friends character you are to discovering which city matches your personality, Facebook quizzes and online surveys are all over our social media feeds these days. Seemingly harmless quizzes can be an entertaining way to connect with friends and family online. But are Facebook quizzes safe?
Think about it. Every time you answer a question about your favorite color or dream vacation spot, you're giving away personal data. And while not all quizzes are scams, your information could end up in the wrong hands. So, before you click "start quiz," consider these reasons why Facebook quizzes could be a bad move for you.
How Facebook quiz scams work
The ploy is simple: just answer a few questions. But sharing personal information like your birthdate, hometown, pet names, street you grew up on or favorite TV show helps create a profile that cyber criminals can use to target you. For example, a hacker could use this information to answer common security questions and reset your password, locking you out of your own accounts.
In addition to seeking out information that you should not share with strangers, Facebook quizzes and tests can direct you to a malicious website that installs malware or steals more of your personal information. Scammers often use that information to impersonate you and target others in your circle of friends and family.
How to protect yourself from the dangers of Facebook quizzes
- Always be cautious about the information you are willing to share. Ask yourself, who created this? What might they do with this information?
- Avoid sharing any information that could be used to steal your identity.
- Be wary of any quiz asking for your email address or phone number.
- Remember that links to quizzes may be malicious, so only click links from trusted sources.
- If you take a Facebook quiz, provide fake information, especially for questions that seem similar to the security questions your bank or credit card company might ask. That way, even if your data is collected, it won't be useful to anyone.
Follow these additional tips to avoid getting scammed on social media:
- Adjust Your Privacy Settings — Review your social media privacy settings to control who you are sharing with.
- Remove Personal Details — Don’t overshare in your social media profile. Things like your phone number and home address don’t need to be that public.
- Monitor Friend Requests — Do not accept requests from people you don’t know in real life. Double check with the requester before clicking “accept.”
“Free” quizzes aren’t so free after all
Facebook quizzes may claim to be free, but you're actually paying with your personal data. If you've already taken a bunch of these FB quizzes, you can’t do much about the information you've already given out. So just be sure to keep an eye on your online transactions and watch out for any unusual activity on your credit cards, debit cards or bank accounts. Stay safe!
This article is for general education and informational purposes, without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any purpose and is not intended to be and does not constitute financial, legal, tax, or any other advice. Parties (other than sponsored partners of OneMain Financial (OMF)) referenced in the article are not sponsors of, do not endorse, and are not otherwise affiliated with OMF.
