Online quizzes sure seem like innocent fun. But before you take that next personality test, quick survey or “find out what type of BLANK you are” quiz, ask yourself: Do I know who’s gathering this information about me – and what do they plan to do with it?
The more information you share on these quizzes, the more you risk that information being misused, the Federal Trade Commission stated earlier this month.
A lot of the times, these quizzes and/or surveys will ask questions similar to the questions that are asked on online account security. Scammers can post a seemingly innocent quiz, then use your quiz answers to try and reset your online accounts, letting them steal your bank and other account information, the FTC warns.
One major way to protect your personal information — in addition to maintaining strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication — is to steer clear of online quizzes … or just don’t answer them truthfully, the FTC advises.
Another type of online quiz to be on the lookout for are quizzes that offer prizes for completion.
These quizzes may look official, giving gift cards as prizes to some of your favorite online establishments. And once you finish the quiz, you’ll be sent to a page where you are to enter your personal information so that the scammers can send you or award you your prize.
Once they have your personal information, coupled with some of the answers that were provided on the quiz, scammers can wreak havoc before you even know what happened.
If you suspect that an online quiz is a phishing scam, tell a friend. Then, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the author and meant for generic illustration purposes only. RCB Bank, Member FDIC.
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