An important PSA you should be aware of

One of the many things people do on Facebook is to answer online quizzes. Some are interesting, some may be amusing, but all those have one thing in common: they are not exactly safe, and they can compromise your privacy if you are not careful enough.

To further educate us, PSBank launched its Be Aware campaign, which consists of tips to keep you safe on the internet. In the case of online quizzes, here are a few reasons why you should avoid them:

Online quizzes may carry malware. Clicking on the game’s link may also download malware into your device without your knowledge. Such malware could be designed to gather sensitive information from your device—including bank account login details and other personal information that the hackers can use to steal your identity online. Another malware could redirect your Internet access to legitimate websites by intentionally pointing your browser to phishing sites that look like the authentic site but is designed to collect your login details and browsing habits.

You give more than just your “answers”. By playing the free game, you explicitly allow these firms access to your public profile, email, friends list, etc. Whenever you submit your answer, you help these firms create a more accurate and personalized profile about you. This is one of the reasons why you often stumble upon advertisements and spam messages that match your pool of interests. That wasn’t a coincidence.

It attacks your friends on social media, including your family. The same malware that you inadvertently downloaded from clicking on the online quiz could also send spam and click-baits to your list of friends and family in your email address book or social network account, infecting their devices as well if they too fall for the scheme.

With these in mind, you should think twice when you encounter those amusing personality tests online. Remember this: Always prioritize your safety and security over a few minutes of entertainment.