Think Before You Accept That Facebook Challenge
posted
on Wednesday, September 2, 2020
in
Security & Fraud Information
A common trend on social media — particularly Facebook — involves accepting a challenge that involves the user posting a photo with specific personal information. While the challenge itself is not likely to be a scam and carries nothing but good intentions, it can give cybercriminals access to personal information they can use to steal your identity.
The #Classof2020 challenge is one example.
To show support for students who missed traditional graduation festivities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people posted their graduation photos with the name of the school and the year they graduated. Unless your Facebook settings are set to private, cybercriminals can use this information, which are often the answers to common online security questions to hack into your accounts. This challenge in particular raised enough red flags that the Better Business Bureau issued a warning about it.
Fortunately, changing your security settings on Facebook to no longer display this personal information is relatively simple. Just follow these steps:
- Log in to your account.
- Go to settings (Click on the upside-down triangle in the upper right-hand corner on a desktop or the three horizontal lines in the lower right-hand corner of your mobile device).
- Click on “Privacy” on the left side of the page.
- From there, you can adjust your settings to control who you want to see your information.
You can also control what profile information you want visible to people who aren’t in your “friends” list. Simply edit the “About” section on your profile to control with whom those items are shared. The more security you use, the safer your personal information will be.
Social media can be fun, but it can also give cybercriminals access to your data, which is a valuable commodity in their line of work. By utilizing the security functions built within the major social media platforms, you can protect yourself from becoming a victim.
The security of your financial information is very important. To learn more ways to keep your personal data secure visit our Security & Fraud Newsroom for tips on how to be suspicious, protective, proactive and informed on protecting yourself from financial fraud.
Northwest Bank offers many security features to keep you informed about the transactions happening in your accounts.
For more information and tools to help you spot and protect your accounts visit our Personal Security Center and Debit Card Fraud Protection Pages.
Tips are provided by the Iowa Bankers Association