Fraud Alert! Beware of Exploitive Social Media Quizzes

November 30, 2022

by Christian Phillips

Social media quizzes can be engineered to ask questions that will provide answers to online security questions, making the quiz-taker more susceptible to identity theft attempts. As digital media platforms expand, consumers must be capable of identifying harmful quizzes.

How does it work?  
Some social media quizzes are designed to entice consumers by elevating their sense of curiosity. Here are a few examples of quiz titles.
  • “What celebrity do I share the most qualities with?”
  • “How will things turn of for me in the new year?”
The quiz will include seemingly innocuous questions that are supposed to generate “accurate” results. When users access social media quizzes through external links, third-party access can be authorized to the device.

Warning signs:
Be apprehensive of questions frequently used as security questions for your online accounts.
  • What was the name of your high school mascot?
  • What street did you grow up on?
  • What was your first job?
  • What was the model of your first car?
  • What is your mother’s maiden name?
  • What is the name of your best friend?
Answering the above questions can authorize access to online accounts, potentially revealing nonpublic information to the scammer.


Preventative measures:
Don’t include nonpublic information on your social media accounts. Phone numbers, emails, dates of birth, and addresses should not be visible on profiles. Confirm whether or not the device is up-to-date on the patches and system upgrades. Security issues can be condensed when the proper safety features are installed. Furthermore, update online passwords to strengthen account security. Passwords should contain eight to twelve characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols. Enabling two-factor authentication for online accounts is also recommended.

[Final Thoughts]
Not all social media quizzes are designed to corrupt personal information. The chances of malicious intent increase when the quiz fields are more calculated toward revealing nonpublic information. If you recently participated in a social media quiz, verify the status of online accounts that store nonpublic information.

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