POMEROY, WA – The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents not to engage with social media posts that ask for personal information, saying these types of questions can be used to access online accounts.
In a recent post, the office responded to a popular social media trend where users answer personal questions such as where they grew up, their first pet’s name, and their favorite color. The sheriff’s office used the answers to spell out a message: “STOP GIVING PEOPLE YOUR PERSONAL INFO TO GUESS YOUR PASSWORD AND SECURITY QUESTIONS.”
“We normally don’t participate in these types of social media posts and highly advise you don’t either,” the post stated.
Many of the questions seen in these trends mirror common security questions used by banks, email providers, and other online services.
Examples of such questions include:
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What was the name of your first pet?
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What street did you grow up on?
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What’s your mother’s maiden name?
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What was your first car?
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What was your high school mascot?
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What was your first job?
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Who was your childhood best friend?
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What city were you born in?
