MILWAUKEE (NBC 26) -- With more people staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, turning to social media can certainly seem like a way to pass the time.
However, the Better Business Bureau is warning the public about scams on social media sites that can steal your personal information.
Taking a Facebook quiz may seem harmless, but the BBB says if the questions ask personal information, it could be an attempt to steal your password.
For example, some quizzes collect personal information by asking questions like: “What is your mother's maiden name?” or “What is the name of the street you grew up on?” These are common security questions for banking and credit card accounts. Sharing this information can lead to your accounts being hacked, and your personal and financial information being stolen, the BBB says.
Not all social media quizzes are a data collection scam, but you should still be careful what you share online.
The BBB advises that you be skeptical of online quizzes. Before you take a quiz, figure out who created it. Is it a brand you trust? It may seem trivial, but it could still put your information at risk.
You can also protect yourself by adjusting your privacy settings and removing personal details from your profile.
The BBB also recommends you not give answers to common security questions and don't accept friend requests from people you don’t know.
