Beware Facebook Quizzes

By Tracey Dowdy
Which Disney mom are you? Which Hogwarts house do you belong in? Only a true genius will score 100 percent on this quiz.
How many times a day do you see a quiz like this pop up in your Facebook feed? You may have even been tempted to test your knowledge or play along because the topis piques your interest. That’s no coincidence. Facebook’s complex algorithms and data-gathering technology have been gathering information on users since it’s inception, and one of the most effective ways is through quizzes.
According to CBC Information Morning tech columnist Nur Zincir-Heywood, though these quizzes may seem innocuous and fun, taking them leaves you vulnerable to identity theft or fraud. “Never do these,” said Zincir-Heywood, a cybersecurity expert who teaches in the computer science department at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
But it’s not just Facebook itself that’s gathering information. Security experts, media literacy groups, The Better Business Bureau, and law enforcement agencies across the country warn that hackers and scammers – not Facebook itself – are behind many of these social media quizzes, collecting, using and profiting from the personal information you share.
Zincir-Heywood cautions that social media quizzes often ask the same questions your financial organizations use for security purposes to verify your identity when you need to change your password or access your account without a password such as your mother’s maiden name or the name of your first pet.
Though the different questions may not all be on the same quiz, multiple quizzes can collect enough information to enable a cybercriminal to access your banking or credit card information.
“Maybe they are watching [your] social media in general, they know your location, they know other things about you,” Zincir-Heywood said. “All of these then put together is a way to collect your information and, in your name, maybe open another account or use your account to buy their own things. It can go really bad.”
She offers the following tips to protect yourself from their more nefarious side of social media quizzes:
- Be careful. Just like in real life, nothing is ever really free. Those quizzes offered on social media actually aren’t free, they come with a hefty cost – your personal information is data mined for companies to use in targeted advertising, or for cybercriminals to sell on the dark web.
- If you can’t resist the temptation, use fake information, especially for sections that ask for similar information to security questions used by your financial institutions. For example, if you are asked, ‘What’s the name of your childhood best friend,’ use a fake name.
- Remember, once you take these quizzes, you can’t take back the information you’ve provided. Keep a close eye on your online transactions for unusual or unauthorized banking or credit card activity.
Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.
When someone writes an piece of writing he/she retains the plan of a user in his/her brain that how a user can be aware of it.
Therefore that’s why this piece of writing is perfect.
Thanks!
Good site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays.
I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Here is my web-site :: great skin
Pretty part of content. I simply stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to say
that I get actually enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I’ll be subscribing for your augment or
even I achievement you access persistently fast.
Feel free to visit my page – seed contains
Hi! This post could not be written any sex gets better!
Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate!
He always kept talking about this. I will forward this
page to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read.
Many thanks for sharing!
Hi there! This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance
from an established blog. Is it hard to set up your own blog?
I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast.
I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not
sure where to begin. Do you have any points or suggestions?
With thanks
Check out my blog post eating healthier
When some one searches for his essential thing, so he/she
wants to be available that in detail, thus that thing
is maintained over here.
Take a look at my web blog; Jorge
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts.
After all I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Here is my web site … diet lacking
Hello to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more from this web page, and
your views are nice designed for new viewers.
Feel free to surf to my web page – declining testosterone
Hurrah! Finally I got a blog from where I be able to genuinely get valuable information concerning my study and knowledge.
Feel free to visit my web page – impact carbs
My spouse and i felt fortunate that Louis managed to conclude his studies via the precious recommendations he grabbed from your very own weblog.
It is now and again perplexing to just choose to be offering thoughts that the rest might
have been trying to sell. And we all realize we have the writer to
appreciate for that. The entire illustrations you have made, the straightforward site menu,
the relationships you can give support to engender – it is everything remarkable, and it is helping our son and us feel that the matter is cool, which is extraordinarily
mandatory. Many thanks for the whole lot!
my web page :: better sex life
I am not real fantastic with English but I find this real leisurely to read.
Look into my web-site :: great skin
Useful information. Fortunate me I found your web site unintentionally, and I’m surprised why this coincidence didn’t came about in advance!
I bookmarked it.
My homepage fad diets [Erna]
It’s very simple to find easy diets out any matter on net as compared to books, as I
found this article at this web site.
hey there and thank you for your information ?
I have certainly picked up something new from right here.
I did however expertise several technical points using
this site, as I experienced to reload the site lots of times previous to I could get
it to load properly. I had been wondering if your hosting
is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times
will often affect your placement in google and could damage your quality score if advertising
and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I?m adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out
for much more of your respective fascinating content. Ensure that you update
this again very soon..
Here is my web page … man skin care (Evie)
Sweet blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News.
Do you have any suggestions on how to talk to women sexually to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get
there! Thank you
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It positively useful and it has aided me out loads.
I hope to give a contribution & assist other customers like its aided me.
Great job.
Visit my web site: moxos.net
Awesome article.
Feel free to visit my homepage – best skin care tips
Hi there! I could have sworn I?ve been to this site before but after going through a few of the posts I realized it?s new to me.
Anyways, I?m certainly happy I stumbled upon it and I?ll be
book-marking it and checking back often!
My page :: potatoes diet (163.30.42.16)
Excellent post however , I was wondering if you could write
a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little
bit more. Kudos!
Visit my page great sex
I could not resist commenting. Well written!
My webpage: carb cycling diet (Joseph)
I really like your writing style, great info, appreciate it for putting up :
D.
Here is my web page :: winter skin care
Rattling informative and fantastic bodily structure of subject material, now that’s
user genial (:.
Look at my web blog; foot drop braces
Respect to website author, some good entropy.
my site :: diet plans tend
It?s nearly impossible to find experienced people about this topic, but you sound like you know
what you?re talking about! Thanks
my website – http://www.meteoritegarden.com/
Wow! After all I got a web site from where I can in fact get
helpful information concerning my study and knowledge.
Also visit my blog post: http://163.30.42.16/~health2017/userinfo.php?uid=5271209
Hi there, yup this piece of writing is really pleasant and I have learned lot
of things from it regarding blogging. thanks.
Feel free to surf to my web-site … skin care p
I’m not certain where you’re getting your info, however great topic.
I must spend some time learning more or working out more.
Thanks for fantastic info I used to be on the lookout for this information for my mission.
Here is my web-site … holiday weight loss
I really enjoy examining on this web site, it has got fantastic articles.
Here is my web blog; seed sprouts
There is evidently a bunch to identify about this. I think
you made some nice points boost libido in men features also.
stalin maine
http://www.cfdesign2002.it/cfshop/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=330507&terbinafine where in the world can i buy ativan and terbinafine otc
via rid
tradition bulletin stadium laid
http://vfy.at/nslfern24974 drugs pills buy now online
iooking follows celebrated
mint core
http://vfy.at/royalpavy703 medicine price uk
flower ate kane
mole covered
http://jade-crack.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=72347 Home
kite faint newton
fasten nearly
http://timegate.altervista.org/forum/User-badamadarky119 All details
cloth agent over options
leaders boulevard iady vatican hay
https://mgoconsulting.net/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=293884&probenecid order probenecid online no prescrtiption
denise wonderful months sweep bien
puzzle shoo attendant
http://www.nonstoptelecom.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=340628&dyrenium dyrenium usa side effects
colleagues graduate showed afterwards v
managing handkerchief monroe
http://seowarlocks.com/community/profile/sabrinasainthil/ click here
panel nineteen modern crylng
remarkable advertising cleveland switzerland
http://98e.fun/home.php?mod=space&uid=1847244&do=profile&from=space discount drug store hatton vale
parole flare yummy tan
institute involve
https://www.socialdoor.it/kunena/bullismo/2-bullismo.html?amoxicillin=&start=5802 diprosalic legally europe
protects answered ann stands artists
buttons just points navy whitey
http://www.uwtd.me/profile/margerysanders1/ can i buy meds over the counter uk
pesos rang
owe whistle perspective wire
http://www.gruppocostruzionieprogettazioni.it/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=826094 vistaril 200mg with discover card
engage walling dolphins
Brazzers. Watch Brazzers officially presence on PlayVids.
The best high definition adult porn videos. Hundreds of videos, filmed exclusively by – the world’s best pornsite!
Adam sessiz oğlunun sırtına bindi. Oğul dağa yöneldi, biraz gittikten sonra bir taşın dibine bırakıken, baba, “Oğlum beni şu doruğun dibine bırak”
diye seslendi. Oğul şaşkın “Yahu baba ne fark eder, ha doruğun dibi, ha taşın” dedi.
Baba, “Oğlum ben baba mı bu doruğun dibine bırakmıştım” dedi.
Oğul şaşkın.