We are all familiar with the “secret questions” used by virtually all online accounts to either access your account each time you log in or to unlock your account in cases of forgotten passwords or user names.
What we may not realize is that the fun and sometimes interesting surveys, quizzes, and games found on may social media sites ask simple questions that reveal the answers to the same “secret questions” posed by your online accounts!
Examples are What was your first car? Where were you born? While knowledge about identity theft is becoming more prevalent, it is important to spread the word to your friends and family about the fact that these seemingly harmless pastimes on social media are often schemes to gain enough data to successfully steal identities. Bottom line, you and your friends need to resist the urge to participate in those answer-divulging quizzes and stop urging friends to participate as so many of these schemes prompt you to do.
According to KrebsOnSecurity, an internet security expert, “On the surface, these simple questions may be little more than an attempt at online engagement by otherwise well-meaning companies and individuals. Nevertheless, your answers to these questions may live in perpetuity online, giving identity thieves and scammers ample ammunition to start gaining backdoor access to your various online accounts.” He adds that, “Consider, for example, the following quiz posted to Facebook by San Benito Tire Pros, a tire and auto repair shop in California. It asks Facebook users, “What car did you learn to drive stick shift on?” [he] hope[s] this is painfully obvious, but for many people the answer will be the same as to the question, “What was the make and model of your first car?”, which is one of several “secret questions” most commonly used by banks and other companies to let customers reset their passwords or gain access to the account without knowing the password.”
A subscription to an identity theft restoration service can provide the needed restoration service in case a victim needs help to restore their identity profile if they fall victim to such scams relating to online quizzes.
LibertyID provides this identity theft restoration protection. Click here now and “Get Covered”. Remember, just like AAA, you have to get covered before there’s an incident.