27 Mar Goofy game or scary scam?
We’ve all seen those “Let’s Learn About You” social media posts with a long list of personal questions – asking about your life experiences, where you’ve lived and even your pets’ names. While these may seem like fun little games to share more about you, scammers can use these posts to steal your private information. Before you copy and paste a fun post to your page, S.T.O.P.
S – Survey the questions
Are they asking you, “Are you or your partner more competitive?,” “Put an emoji next to each thing you’ve done,” or are they asking you to share things like your birthday, first pet, first car, or the name of your third-grade teacher?
Survey the questions. Are they goofy and broad, or are they asking for specific personal information?
T – Think about your answers
If you decide to post a response to one of these trends, carefully consider your answers. For example, when asked, “How long have you been with your spouse?” Answer something like. “27 years,” or “Since we were teenagers,” rather than, “Since July 12, 1997.”
If you are choosing to partake in these kinds of posts, take the time to think about your answers. The more vague they are, the harder it is for scammers to use them against you.
O – Opt for “this or that” posts instead of open-ended questions
When participating in these trends on social media, “This or That” posts (i.e. “Would you rather,” “You or your partner,” “Pick one or the other,” etc.) are less likely to provide sensitive, personal information than posts asking open-ended questions.
While still joining in on the fun, opt for the questions that are less likely to allow scammers to know your private information.
P – Protect your privacy
A great way to do this is to keep your social media pages set to “private.” While you cannot depend on this alone to keep your information safe, being selective of who your “friends” are on social media is an added step towards increased online security.
Protecting your privacy via the settings on your page or how you answer what may seem like a simple social media post are small ways to make a big impact when it comes to preventing potential scams from taking place. For more information on how to keep yourself cyber-safe, please visit https://unisonbank.com/security-tips.
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