Taking Facebook Quizzes Could Put You at Risk for Identity Theft

by Kirstin Fawcett

From phishing schemes to a thief pilfering your passport, there are plenty of ways to fall victim to identity theft. And now, participating in Facebook quizzes is one of them. As ABC News reports, the seemingly harmless surveys that populate your feed could wind up providing unscrupulous hackers with the answers to your online security questions.

Popular Facebook quizzes often ask users to answer a series of sharable personal questions, ranging from the name of their pet to their birth city. Some people see them as a fun way to bond with friends, or a way to make new ones. But as one local police department in Massachusetts recently noted on Facebook, many of these queries are similar—if not identical—to security questions used by banks and other institutions.

"Please be aware of some of the posts you comment on," the Sutton Police Department in Massachusetts wrote in a cautionary message. "The posts that ask what was your first grade teacher, who was your childhood best friend, your first car, the place you [were] born, your favorite place, your first pet, where did you go on your first flight … Those are the same questions asked when setting up accounts as security questions. You are giving out the answers to your security questions without realizing it."

Hackers can use these questions to build a profile and hack into your accounts or open lines of credit, the department said. They could also trick you into clicking on malicious links.

Experts say it's OK to take part in a Facebook quiz, but you should never reveal certain personal facts. Take quizzes only from respected websites, and always carefully vet ones that ask for your email address to access the poll or quiz. And while you're at it, consider steering clear of viral memes, like this one from 2017, which asked Facebook users to name memorable concerts (yet another common security question).