Multiple Faces Detected
November 7th, 2022
Google Chats are a common place for scammers to target people online. A person finds a picture, uses it as their profile picture, and creates a narrative so brilliantly conceived that it is difficult not to think it is false. Details are vibrant and specific, the words flow with an elegance that seems so real, and even the emotional connection is undeniable. But it is a ruse, crafted by a clever con artist to gain your trust and bleed you for whatever they can get.
In this blog post, we’ll outline exactly how to find out if someone is trying to scam you through Google chats.
Why Do Scammers Use Google Chats To Scam People
Scammers use Google Chats to scam people for a couple of reasons. Scammers use different social media platforms in order to reach out to potential victims online. But, if the scammer uses their social media account to communicate with their victims, they would likely be reported, and all of the measures of credibility associated with the account (followers, likes, comments, etc) will be gone. This is why they typically get people to move to platforms like Google Chat to further the conversation.
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Google Chats Versus Social Media
Google is a fantastic company. And for finding new friends and having stimulating conversations, largely unmonitored by Google itself, you can’t beat the freedom. But therein lies the rub. Social media sites have what is known as community standards, which is a fancy wordplay on a much darker concept: censorship. But these community standards do have one great upside. They catch scammers.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and the like, are designed with countermeasures in the code to suss out false narratives. They detect irregularities in profiles to find fake ones and blacklist them. Google does not have such agents of scrutiny. And so, to avoid having their social media accounts flagged or deleted entirely, scammers prefer sites like Google chats and Whatsapp.
With a pretty picture and some flower wordplay, thousands of fake accounts have siphoned millions from lonely, bored, and largely unsuspecting chatters. It starts with something small but builds at a tremendous rate, more so if the story or emotional draw is charged enough to keep the victim hooked.
Google Chats Versus Dating Apps
Dating apps have many of the same countermeasures as social media platforms. Catfishing still happens regularly, but with the deep research each dating app does with new profiles, creating a fake one is more and more difficult. User complaints have assisted in this updated level of security. Who wants to fall in love only to find out their dearest is a bot or a fake person using an Instagram model’s picture?
So, when a scammer on a dating profile feels they have you properly hooked, that is when they suggest moving the conversation to Google Chats. They know that if their dating profile is shut down, starting a new one from the same IP address is tricky to impossible. And this is when your good sense should throw up a red flag.
The truth of the matter is, if you pay for a dating app, even with strict rules, it is still easier to chat on the app. Some cost more for extensive chatting so moving to Google Chats is very tempting. If you suggest it, it is probably ok if the person on the other end complies. If they suggest it, you are hooked and they are trying to reel you in. This is not always the case, but more often than not, it is very likely.
How To Combat Google Chat Scams
The easiest way is the reverse lookup with a profile picture. Some of these scammers are not terribly bright and use famous actors or actresses, adult film stars. You might not know who these people are but a quick reverse lookup on the website reverseimagesearch.com will tell you right away who they are pretending to be.
It is a solid practice to never give out personal information. With only a few small details, your entire life can be hacked and compromised. Almost all of these scams are for money. These little nuggets of info can be turned into the keys to your financial life, robbing you blind without your knowledge. There are three ways this can happen:
- You send a scammer money via bitcoin, wire transfer, or a gift card. These either have your credit card info attached or direct access to your bank account.
- You get money from a scammer who asks you to exchange it for Bitcoin, Google Play credits, or gift cards.
- You are sent a link that embeds code in your computer, allowing the scammer to fish for private details saved on your most used sites.
If you can avoid these, your money will be in a much better place: in your pocket or your bank account.
Final Thoughts
Google Chats are a common place for scammers to target people online. If you’re talking to someone online, it can be difficult to tell whether or not the person really has your best interest in mind. But Social Catfish is here to help. We’ve built tools to help you find out the truth online. All you need to do is upload the photo of the person you’re talking to into the search bar below. Run your first search today!
