BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Better Business Bureau is warning Facebook users what may seem like a fun and harmless trend of posting old senior photos to honor the graduating class of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, may actually leave you vulnerable to scammers.
The BBB says scammers or hackers who surf through social media sites will see these #ClassOf2020 posts and will now have access to the name of your high school and the year you graduated, which are common answers to online security questions.
Once the scammer or hacker has that information they can do another online search to find more information about you, the BBB says.
According to the BBB other recent viral posts like the cars you've owned, favorite athletes and favorite television shows can leave you vulnerable for the same reason.
"What most people forget is that some of these 'favorite things' are commonly used passwords or security questions," the BBB says. "If your social media privacy settings aren’t high, you could be giving valuable information away for anyone to use."
Here are some tips from the BBB 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 visit the BBB website here.
