Due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting social gatherings down, many graduating students and their proud family members are sharing their senior portraits on Facebook and other social media sites. The Better Business Bureau says doing so could cause a security risk.
The BBB warns that senior portraits can allow scammers and hackers who see the post to have access to the person’s name, high school, and graduation year – which are common online security questions. Using that information, an internet search can reveal even more data, such as family members, birthdate, and even home address.
Other recent viral personal list posts include all the cars you’ve owned, favorite athletes, and even television shows. Many of these “favorite” things are commonly used for passwords or security questions.
BBB has the following tips to keep you safe on social media:
Resist the temptation to play along. While it’s fun to see other’s posts, if you are uncomfortable participating, it is best to not do it.
Review your security settings. Check your security settings on all social media platforms to see what you are sharing and with whom you are sharing.
Change security questions/settings. If you are nervous about something you shared possibly opening you up to fraud, review and change your security settings for banking and other websites.
For more information about privacy concerns online, see BBB’s scam alert on Facebook quizzes.
For tips for staying safe online, read BBB’s tips on staying cybersecure.
Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker.
