Risky games
@GardenGerty (160952)
United States
February 24, 2016 7:22am CST
"When you play Facebook games that ask for "place of birth" "first pet" "favorite movie" "elementary school" etc. you are setting yourself up to have accounts hacked. Not just facebook, but any account that has security questions of this type. It is not just your friends who see this."
My friends are doing this again. I hope no one gets hacked. These posts grow like a weed, so I posted a picture of a weed--chickweed.
Someone, probably @JJ warned me of this a long time ago. It seems like harmless fun, but none of us want to be hacked.
This is a warning courtesy of GardenGerty.
18 people like this
19 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 Feb 16
In my case I have never played any such games, which eliminates any possible risk whatsoever.
As for security questions, I have encountered such on many sites and usually enter something quite invalid. An obvious danger with questions such as Mother's forename or first school is that many people who have known you for a long while can also answer them accurately.
I deliberately use absurd answers, such as Mother's name Adolf or place of birth Black Hole number 3.
5 people like this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
24 Feb 16
I had a phone call yesterday to set up questions and a pin to make sure no one can make changes to my phone service without my permission. If you forget your pin, you go to the questions and must get three out of four. I too do put things down that are unique or nonsensical.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 Feb 16
@GardenGerty This is the only safe approach, otherwise the questions become security loopholes.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
24 Feb 16
can play and make stuff up! help muddy the waters.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
You are ornery, but that is true. It is like @Asylum saying he uses absurd answers for his security questions.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Mar 16
@Jessicalynnt That is quite a sensible approach.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
I may not have phrased this clearly. It happens often that one of my friends will say something like "where were you born, I will go first" McPherson, Ks. " Everyone, play along it will be neat to see where you are from." It is a polling type game. Like you said, these things are answers to security questions and if you do it enough all your security is out there for everyone to see..
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
3 Mar 16
@GardenGerty Ahh, now i get it. i wouldn't be silly enough to fall for that, I hope. Nice to see you GG.
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
I also do not like these pass times: find five photos where you feel your most beautiful, share them and tag 26 fabulous women to do the same. I am not sure I have five photos of me on Face book.
1 person likes this
@much2say (56057)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Mar 16
@GardenGerty I received a similar one. Something about being a wonderful mother - put up 5 photos with your child/children and nominate/tag fellow moms. I liked and commented with a thank you, but I didn't participate.
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
24 Feb 16
I have some people that I will not hear from unless I am on Facebook. It is sad to me that they do these little poll things, or they do the like and share thing, which I am told lets people access your information. Or how about, if you believe such and such type "Amen".
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Feb 16
I don't play facebook games but I did get hacked once.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
24 Feb 16
Yeah, this is not an official game, but we run risks of getting hacked just by being online in groups, then I see people giving out the answers to common security questions, just for fun.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
@fishtiger58 This is where I hear from certain people in my life that will not call me or e mail me.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Feb 16
@GardenGerty I don't go on facebook much anymore.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (168269)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Feb 16
I have never had a game on Facebook ask me any of those questions. I play several daily.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
I probably phrased this wrong. It is people "playing around" on their own wall or timeline. It is not a formal game. People posting a "fact" and asking you to post same fact. I was born in ________, where were you born?
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
Like you, I spend my time more wisely. I should have said these are the way some pass the time. Yes, security questions can help recover a password, or prevent the wrong people from getting access.
1 person likes this
@cgalavia (1436)
• Philippines
3 Mar 16
@GardenGerty Yes,true a lot of things to do than playing.I sometimes play and that is because I earned from it but not plying for past time,I'd better spend my time in a productive task.Yeah,right better to use our time wisely.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
24 Feb 16
I play two Facebook games and I don't remember being asked those questions but that was a long time I started.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
The type of games I am talking about are not formal games, but rather more like polling games or even guessing games on an individual's time line. The specific one that I was thinking of asks everyone responding to list where they were born. I have seen them ask what your Mother's first name was and when she was born. Those types of things often are asked for security questions.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
3 Mar 16
@GardenGerty I guess that proves I don't give out my information willy-nilly.
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
Very good plan. I keep track of people there that I see no where else.
@Drosophila (16571)
• Ireland
25 Feb 16
Ya facebook is just not a great platform.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
But many of my friends will only interact there. I would rather be here.
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
I remind myself by reminding my friends.
1 person likes this
@rameshkumaar57 (5908)
• India
13 Mar 16
I play a couple of games in F.B. I have been playing it for the last so many years, and I do not remember what all the questions they asked. Anyhow thank you for the advise, I hope to be careful in the future.
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
This is more like people playing around on their own timelines, not the formal games. MyLot would call it a "polling game". Like I could start a discussion saying "what was the name of your first pet?". It is the same thing.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
3 Mar 16
I agree w hole heartedly that those questions are way to personal to just toss around so freely; since I had my Facebook account hacked I have been careful
of what I do on
Facebook.Being hacked is no fun, believe me.
@ricki_911 (21625)
• Toronto, Ontario
3 Mar 16
I don't play facebook games but I am sure this is meant as a warning for everything and I agree. It is scary what they can ask which seems harmless.
@trivia79 (7828)
• El Segundo, California
25 Feb 16
i don't attracted to such fb games before! i found it boring and useless!
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
3 Mar 16
I do not play the formal FB games and I do not join in in these individual time passes either. My time already passes too quickly.
1 person likes this