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March 13th, 2024
Snapchat scams are just as prevalent as com fraud, phishing scams, and stolen money codes. Savvy scammers are increasingly using devious tactics to steal people’s hard-earned cash. In com fraud a scammer will likely use false advertising to trick you into sending money for a nonexistent product or service.
One common form of com fraud includes fake emails that imitate services like banks and government departments, requesting sensitive information such as passwords and credit card details. Meanwhile, with phishing scams, scammers often send emails posing as trustworthy corporations with links that can contain malicious code leading to data breaches.
This form of theft is especially worrisome since the personal information is valuable and easily transferred once the scammer gains access. Since many scammers have perfected the art of creating fictitious money codes that look real when printed onto paper, unsuspecting victims are more likely to hand over their hard-earned cash without even realizing it until too late.
No matter how technology advances, scammers remain relentless in their pursuit to steal people’s money with ever-evolving tactics. This is especially true when it comes to Snapchat.
Snapchat is a popular messaging app that was created in 2011 and quickly rose to popularity in 2014. This app allows for friends and family members to share pictures and messages that can be deleted in a matter of seconds and allows for people to share their stories with their Snapchat buddies. It also allows for a notification to be sent if chats or photos of yours have been screenshot. It is definitely an app that a lot of people in their teenage years and early twenties love. However, there is a dark side to this app that allows for Snapchat scams.
It is plagued with scammers who go to lengths to make sure they steal your hard-earned money. They get creative with how they convince you to give them their money, whether it’s promising to give you more money back or threatening you until you give them what they desire.
It is always important to know when you are being scammed and how to prevent being scammed when using this beloved app to talk to friends or edit your photos with the dog filter.
What Snapchat Scams Are Out There?
They ask you if you want to be a part of an opportunity to gain money
This could be a fake advertising gig, a sponsorship, or someone saying that you can turn your hundreds of dollars into thousands of dollars. These scammers will usually hack into your friends’ accounts and pretend to be them, knowing that you trust your friends. They might even pull 2FA code scams. Click here to learn more on that.
They will then talk as your trusting friend trying to sell you this opportunity, and they know you will most likely go through with it since you think it’s your friend.
Then once you give them money or a gift card, they will then ask for your log-in information to get on to your account to “promote this advertising opportunity to your other friends.” They will then lock your account, take your money, and never talk to you again.
They pretend to be your friend who needs help in recovering their account.
Scammers will add you to Snapchat, claiming to be your friend and saying that they are locked out of their Snapchat account. They will then tell you that the only way you can help them recover their account is by giving them your login so that they can “remember” their Snapchat username.
Once they have access to your account, they then will lock you out of it and ask for either cash or sexual acts to allow you to log back into your Snapchat account. Once you give them cash, they only allow you back on your account for a few seconds before locking you out again and demanding more. This scam is more-so geared toward teenage girls.
They send you “fishy” emails as part of a phishing scam.
Scammers will send you emails and give you different reasons as to why you need to log into your account, as part of a phishing scam. They will also send you a link attached to that email to “make logging into your email easier.”
When you click on that link, it looks just like the usual Snapchat login screen. However, its actually a fake login screen where if you enter your information, the scammers can then record your username and password and login to your account
They send you chain messages.
These scammers will pretend to be the official Snapchat team and send you messages stating that your photos will be deleted or inappropriate pictures will be leaked to the public if you don’t share their message.
Then, this message gets screenshotted and sent out because everyone gets scared that their pictures will be deleted or made public. Snapchat has even come out and said that they never sent out anything like that and to ignore the chain message if you got one.
They claim to be Premium Snapchat accounts that want you to pay for their “services”.
Snapchat girls tell you that if you pay them, they will film themselves and take pictures of them doing inappropriate acts on Snapchat. You then pay them a significant amount of money on CashApp and they only show you bits and pieces and demand you for more money to see more. They might even ask you for your bank account details to steal even more money from you!
They claim that they want to talk to you on Snapchat from another dating site.
Romance scammers try to keep their accounts active and unblocked on whichever dating site that they use, so they ask their victims to chat on Snapchat so they can prevent their online dating accounts from getting blocked. That way, in case you get suspicious that they could be a scammer you’ll be more likely to report them on Snapchat versus the online dating site they are using.
How to Prevent Snapchat Scams
Make sure you get the Snapchat app from the official app store to prevent Snapchat scams.
If there is an ad on a website that tells you to click it to join Snapchat or a phishing email that encourages you to download the app, it is most likely a scammer trying to steal your information. Make sure you get the app from your reliable Google Play or Apple App Store so that scammers don’t know your login information.
Don’t open or click on links in any emails that say something is wrong with your account.
This is most likely a link that will ask for your personal information so that they can log into your Snapchat and scam all of your friends. They will also not give you back your account until you pay them what you want, and even then will still demand more.
Don’t open anything that claims you’re a winner on Snapchat.
You’re a winner in your loved one’s eyes, but if you believe a scammer when they say you’re a winner then you’ll be “losing” a bunch of your money. If you get a message saying you’re a winner and you didn’t enter anything, ignore the message because it’s most likely a scammer trying to steal your information and money.
If you open a link in Snapchat and it warns you about that site, do not proceed to open said site.
This warning was put in place by Snapchat to warn you that it is probably a website that wants to steal your information. If you ignore the warnings and give that site your information, they most likely want to steal it for their own personal gain. Do not surf on sites with warnings, this usually means they are trying to get you involved in Snapchat scams.
Do not add any unfamiliar Snapchat names to your friends’ list even if they claim to be a friend you know.
Scammers have formed a tactic where they pretend to be someone you know and ask for your account login so that they can get back on their old account. Do not listen to them and report that account immediately while texting that friend outside of Snapchat to make sure they didn’t make this account.
If your friend starts trying to sell you something, ignore them.
Call that friend outside of Snapchat to make sure that’s not your friend trying to sell you something and notify them that they have been hacked. Scammers hack into your friends’ accounts so that they can gain your trust for that friend and steal your money.
If you ever see that this is happening, notify Snapchat that your friend’s account has been hacked so that they can lock it and help your friend get their account back. This also applies to Snapchat buddies that don’t usually message you, but then they message you to try and sell you something. Report their accounts if they seem fishy so that Snapchat can take a look at it.
Don’t trust any chain message that says to send it or your images will be leaked.
That is not Snapchat making those messages and your pictures will remain private if you don’t forward that chain message.
Do not send anyone money or pay for any services.
If someone asks you for money for particular services or those “advertising opportunities”, say no while blocking and reporting that account. They only want your money and you will not be getting any of what is being offered on Snapchat.
Trust your gut.
If you suspect that you were involved in Snapchat scams, report it immediately to Snapchat and they will look into it for you. If you want to make sure their username is legit and that person is who they say they are, make sure you reverse search it to verify that person’s identity.
Reporting Snapchat Scams
To report Snapchat scams, follow these steps:
- Identify the scam: Recognize the signs of a scam on Snapchat, such as unsolicited messages asking for personal information, promises of money or prizes in exchange for information or actions, or requests for payment or gift cards.
- Block the scammer: If you receive a suspicious message or encounter a scammer on Snapchat, block them immediately to prevent further contact.
- Report the scam: You can report scams directly to Snapchat by following these steps:
- Open the chat with the scammer.
- Tap on the three dots (more) icon in the top-right corner of the chat screen.
- Select “Report” from the menu options.
- Choose the reason for the report, such as “Spam” or “Scam.”
- Follow any additional prompts to submit the report.
- Provide details: When reporting the scam, provide as much information as possible, including screenshots of the conversation and any relevant details about the scammer’s profile or activity.
- Educate others: Help prevent scams on Snapchat by educating your friends and followers about common scam tactics and encouraging them to be cautious when interacting with unknown users or suspicious messages.
- Contact Snapchat Support: If you encounter a particularly concerning scam or need further assistance, you can reach out to Snapchat Support for help. Visit the Snapchat Support website or contact them through the app for guidance on how to handle the situation.
By taking these steps, you can help protect yourself and others from scams on Snapchat and contribute to making the platform safer for everyone.
