Alabama: Police Warning “Stop Taking Those Facebook Quizzes ASAP”

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Imagine scrolling through your Facebook feed and coming across those fun quizzes everyone's talking about. They seem harmless, right? Well, not exactly. There's a hidden danger lurking behind them that could put you at risk of identity theft if you're not careful.

The police are sounding the alarm about these quizzes.

Even if you think your Facebook account is private, anything you share—like comments on posts or your own status updates—can actually be seen by anyone. This means that when you answer those quiz questions about your first pet or your favorite place, you might be giving away answers to security questions that are used to protect your accounts.

Take the popular "What's Your Elf Name?" quiz, for example. It seems like innocent fun, but when you give your first name and birth month to get your elf name, you're actually sharing personal information that could be used by scammers to steal your identity.

So, what can you do to stay safe?

First, be careful about what you share online, especially on social media. Think twice before answering quiz questions or sharing personal details that could be used to guess your passwords or security answers.

Rachel Rothman, the Chief Technologist for the Good Housekeeping Institute, and an expert on online safety, says...

it's important to use fake information when setting up security questions or filling out profiles.

That way, even if someone tries to steal your identity, they won't have the right answers to get into your accounts.

In short, be smart about what you share online. Even though it might seem like harmless fun, those quizzes could actually put you at risk. So, next time you see one pop up on your feed, think twice before clicking!