Answering social media questionnaires could help identity thieves, police say

getty_122017_facebook

Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — You’ll want to think twice before you enter your best friend’s first name in one of those Facebook quizzes.

Law enforcement officials are warning social media users that those seemingly harmless questionnaires on Facebook and other social media platforms could be furnishing identity thieves with all they need to steal your personal information.

“Please be aware of some of the posts you comment on,” warned the Sutton Police Department in Massachusetts, in a Facebook post. “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, etc.”

“Those are the same questions asked when setting up accounts as security questions,” he added. “You are giving out the answers to your security questions without realizing it.”

According to the Sutton Police Department, “You are giving out the answers to your security questions without realizing it.”

While many of these questionnaires are meant for fun, the Sutton Police Department said hackers are now setting up the pages specifically to get data and to open lines of credit in other people’s name.

The Federal Trade Commission has set up a website for anyone who thinks their data has been compromised.

Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

432775076_913094947489964_8601634145238448863_n

The World On Tap

Join us at The World On Tap event, where you can win one $100 travel voucher to anywhere on Earth through five raffles, one held every hour. Immerse yourself in the diverse world of beer styles from