BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's the new trend all over social media, people are sharing their senior photos as a way to support the graduation class of 2020.
While this sounds like harmless fun, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is advising people to be cautious because this trend is unintentionally giving scammers and hackers valuable information.
BBB says scammers and hackers who surf through social media sites will see #Classof2020 posts and will easily gain access to the name of your high school and graduation year, which are both common online security questions.
BBB says all it takes is an internet search to reveal more information about you, such as family members, your real name, birthdate or even where you live.
Other recent viral posts include personal information such as the cars you've owned, favorite athletes and top 10 television shows. BBB says most people forget that some of these "favorite things" are commonly used passwords or security questions.
BBB is advising everyone to be aware of what they are sharing if your privacy settings on your social media pages aren't high, you might be giving away sensitive information.
To keep your information safe on social media, BBB recommends following these tips:
- Resist the urge to play along, especially if you are uncomfortable in participating
- Review your security settings on all social media platforms
- Change security questions and/or settings if you are nervous about something that you shared possibly opening you up to fraud
For additional tips about staying safe online, you can read BBB's tips on staying cybersecure here.