Are Facebook Posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous? Let’s face it: social media platforms offer a fun way to connect with friends. Unlike sending an email, it requires less effort to share an attachment and compliments. If you have hundreds of followers, companies use technology to make sure fans engage with their posts. We have all seen social media quizzes that ask one to participate in a poll – it’s never a big deal.
So, are Facebook posts that ask personal questions dangerous? They may seem innocent but are prime examples of sharing sensitive data online. In this post, we’ll shed light on this ambiguous issue. While the questions may seem harmless enough, there are potential hidden dangers for those who respond.
Are Facebook Posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous
Are Facebook posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous?
There are specific questions designed to gather enough personal data on you to put you at a much higher risk of identity theft. Some of the pointed questions asked by data-harvesting scammers are:
- What is the name of your furry friend?
- What was your first job?
- What is your favorite movie of the time?
- Do you remember your first-grade teacher’s name?
- What was your first car?
- Where did you go on your first flight?
- Who was your childhood best friend?
- What is your mother’s maiden name?
- Where did you meet your spouse?
Do these questions sound familiar to you? They should. These questions are very similar, if not identical to, many of your online accounts. Many of these questions started as bank security questions and are now used on many various online sites.
While the average person may view these types of questions as a fun way to share and bond with others, in reality, you are feeding information to potential hackers. You are likely sharing details that will help criminals discover your passwords by giving away your personal information.
Are Facebook posts that ask personal questions dangerous across all social media platforms?
Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, answering specific questions leaves you vulnerable to hackers. It may not seem like a big deal, but these innocuous questions mimic what financial institutions ask, and you don’t want anyone to have access to your banking information, do you?
Stop for a moment and think about how much of your private information someone could find on the profile pages of your favorite social media sites.
Now add the answers to all those questions to the list and see how easy it is to figure out your password.
Are Facebook Posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous?
By using nostalgic and quirky questions, hackers know that you’re likely to answer them without realizing the threat. When you’re bored at home, these quizzes can be fun and a great way to connect with friends.
But let’s face it – there’s always a sinister reason behind them. The information gathered is a goldmine for identity thieves, and they will use your information for other nefarious purposes.
With enough data, hackers will not only breach your existing accounts, but they will also have everything necessary to open new accounts in your name, including loans and credit cards.
Are Facebook Posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous
To be on the safe side, you should avoid responding to any site that asks personal questions, especially sensitive ones. The bad guys are hoping you see them as a way of bringing back memories, but it’s up to you to ensure you’re fully protected.
Although not all Facebook posts are scams, there’s no way to tell which ones are legitimate. For this reason, no matter the questions, you should always look at it from a criminal perspective.
Cybercriminals are ruthless and won’t care what is going on in your world. All they care about is gaining enough information about you to breach your online identity and get access to money.
So, if a question relates to or sounds like a security question, you should not fill it out. If a quiz looks suspicious, it’s probably is. So the safest route is to avoid the quizzes entirely and not answer any historical or personal questions.
Are Facebook Posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous
Viral memes that have questions are another thing to avoid to keep your personal information safeguarded. Yes, they are cute, and yes, they are funny; that’s why they went viral.
But when you answer the question, someone else is keeping your answer and compiling it with all the other information you may have given away in the past.
It would be best to be extremely vigilant about the photos you post since hackers can use them to access your location online.
For example, never post vacation pictures while you are still on vacation. If you do, everyone will know your home is vacant and vulnerable. Do you get the picture?
Are Facebook Posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous?
Experts recommend that you give fake information during password recovery prompts. When asked about details about your birthday, your first pet, favorite teacher’s name, or mother’s maiden name, you should provide fake answers. Keep a written list of your misinformation answers for untraceable future use.
Always remember, everything you post on social media channels is public, no matter how secure the settings are, so be very selective about what information you are sharing.
Are Facebook Posts that ask Personal Questions Dangerous?
Remember, quizzes are generally a fun way to take a trip down your memory lane. If you have free time on your hands, enjoy taking a look at everyone’s responses. Then stop and think about how many of those responses are likely to be either security question answers or parts of passwords.
Once you realize how serious the consequences may be, your desire to answer the questions will disappear and be replaced with the desire to tell your friends to quit answering them too.
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