⚠️ KCCS SECURITY GUIDE — PLEASE READ & SHARE
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That Fun Quiz Is Harvesting Your Passwords

"Your first pet + your childhood street = your rockstar name!" Cute. Also literally your bank's security questions. Scammers mine social media for exactly this stuff.

THE ONE RULE

If a quiz asks what your bank asks, it's harvesting, not playing.

First car, mother's maiden name, high school mascot, favorite teacher: these unlock password resets. Posting them publicly hands strangers the keys. And your "2 weeks in Hawaii!" post tells burglars exactly when the house is empty.

1 How it works

1

The quiz looks like harmless fun

"Your elf name is your first pet plus your childhood street!" Thousands of people reply with exactly the answers that reset their accounts.

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2

Scammers connect the dots

Your posts already show your birthday, hometown, school, kids' names, and dog's name. Add quiz answers and someone can impersonate you to a bank or answer your security questions cold.

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3

Vacation posts schedule burglaries

"Day 3 in Hawaii!" tells everyone your house is empty for 4 more days. Location tags on daily posts map your routine.

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4

Kids' info compounds for years

Full name, birthdate, school. That's enough to open credit in a child's name, and nobody checks a kid's credit report for a decade.

2 Red flags

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Quizzes and chain posts asking first pet, first car, mother's maiden name, streets you grew up on.
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Your profile shows birthday + hometown + school publicly. That's identity-theft starter kit.
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Posting travel WHILE you're away instead of after.
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Photos with your street number, license plate, or kids' school logos visible.

3 Protect yourself

Skip the quizzes, or answer them in your head. Never in comments.

Lie on security questions. Your first pet can be "Chevrolet." Only you need to know. (A password manager remembers the lies.)

Post vacations after you're home. The likes are identical, the burglary risk isn't.

Lock profiles down: friends-only, birthday hidden, location tags off for the house and the kids.

Freeze your kids' credit. It's free at all three bureaus and blocks child identity theft cold.

4 Already happened? Do this now

  1. If security answers leaked, change them everywhere to made-up ones today.
  2. Watch for password-reset emails you didn't request. Someone's using what they learned.
  3. Freeze credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion if identity info got out. Free and fast.
  4. Audit old public posts. Deleting the goldmine now still helps.

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More free guides: mypueblopc.com/tips

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