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What Were the Nigh Common Snapchat Scams of 2022?

With shut to 300 1000000 daily active users — most of them teenagers and immature adults — Snapchat is i of the most popular social media apps. Simply its popularity has made it a prime target for cybercriminals, hackers, and scammers.

Snapchat scams lure victims into giving upwards coin, sharing personally identifiable data (PII) that can be used for identity theft, and sending revealing photos to employ for blackmail and extortion.

The worst part? Snapchat users only take to exist 13 years old to create an business relationship. If you or your family unit uses Snapchat, you demand to be aware of the platform'south almost common scams (and how to avoid them).

What are Snapchat Scams? How Do They Piece of work?

Snapchat scams are fraudulent schemes originating or taking place on the platform that allow scammers to steal your sensitive information or trick you into sending them money.

Snapchat scammers interact with users and oftentimes pose as someone they know and trust. They might also engage in phishing attacks to steal PII or take over their business relationship and employ it for farther scams.

Police force enforcement agencies take charged Snapchat scammers with everything from hacking and identity theft to extortion, forgery, harassment, and computer crimes involving children.

Scammers flock to Snapchat (and other social media sites) because they make it easy to create fake accounts. And so how exercise yous know if a Snapchat business relationship is real or a scammer?

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How To Tell A Fake Snapchat Account From a Real I

Like Instagram, Snapchat has its fair share of social media influencers, so separating "real" accounts from scammers tin be difficult. Only the best way to avoid Snapchat scams and forbid identity theft is to flag scammers before they can come try to scam y'all online.

Here are a few things that tin can help you separate a real from a false account:

1. Bank check their Snap score. This volition bear witness if they're actively using the platform. If they merits to be an influencer and have a Snap score of simply a few hundred, it's likely a scam.
2. Await at the Snap map. Does their real-life location lucifer what they say in their contour?
3. Search their profile/story photos in Google prototype search. Scammers will steal images from other sites and use them for their fake accounts. Upload a photograph to Google image search to see where information technology came from.
4. Check if they have a Bitmoji. A Bitmoji is the cartoon avatar by a person's name. Considering it'southward so common for Snapchat users to have these, it can be a red flag if an business relationship isn't using i.
5. Think about what they're asking you. If a random account adds you lot and starts asking for "assistance" or sending you strange links, you should probably block them. This likewise goes for your friends. If someone y'all know starts sending you strange letters, contact them on a dissimilar platform and enquire if everything's OK.
   

Imitation accounts often feature bonny models and people flaunting cash, luxury goods, and sports cars. Simply never forget the gold rule of fraud prevention: "If it seems likewise proficient to be true, it probably is."

The 7 Most Mutual Snapchat Scams‍

1. Posing equally a friend who needs help with their account
2. Offering a fake opportunity to make coin
3. Pretending to be a friend who needs money or a cheque cashed
4. Phishing scams leading to business relationship takeovers
5. Snapchat romance scams
6. "Saccharide daddy/momma" scams
7. Snapchat girls and premium account scams

Like many emerging cyber threats, the goal of a Snapchat scam is almost always to take over your account.

Once they become access, they tin lock you out and need greenbacks, Bitcoin, gift cards (known as carding), and more. So how exercise scammers try to go access to your account?

one. The friend who needs help with their business relationship scam

According to Snapchat, social engineering science attacks, such equally impersonation, is the number one way hackers have over an business relationship on their platform [*].

In this scam, hackers pretend to be one of your friends who needs help recovering their account. They'll ask for your account login information, so they tin wait through your Friends List to "retrieve" their Snapchat username.

Requite them access to your username and password, and they'll take over your account.

💡 Related: How To Recover a Hacked Instagram Account →

two. The fake opportunity to brand money scam

If your friend'south business relationship gets hacked or scammers find their login information on the Night Spider web later a data breach, they tin pretend to be them. Scammers know yous trust your friends and are more likely to open and trust their messages.

In this scam, your friend's hacked business relationship will bulletin you most an "advert gig" or influencer sponsorship on Snapchat. They say they already made hundreds or thousands of dollars, and y'all tin as well.

All you lot have to practise is send them a deposit (cash, Bitcoin, or gift cards) to cover the price of signing upwards. Then they'll disappear as presently as they receive it.

Other times, scammers will inquire for your login information to "ready" the sponsorship or "promote" the advertizing opportunity for yous. Then they'll take over your account. They'll as well start posing equally you to repeat this scam to everyone on your Friends List.

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3. The friend who needs money or a check cashed scam

Hackers tin can besides use your friends' business relationship to inquire for money.

They'll brand upwards a story that tugs on your heartstrings, such every bit their dog got hit by a car and needs surgery. You, being a skilful friend, transport them the money. And so the scammer disappears.

Alternatively, hackers pretending to be your friend may sometimes inquire you lot to commit banking concern fraud by cashing a check for them. They'll send you lot a photo of a check to mobile deposit into your account. You'll then give them the coin from the check in cash, Bitcoin, or gift cards.

Nonetheless, the cheque turns out to be fraudulent, so it bounces and never clears in your business relationship. You lot'll be out all the money yous sent this friend and have to pay the bounced check fee at your bank ($35 to $45).

💡 Related: The Latest Social Media Scams (and How To Avoid Them) →

4. Phishing scams leading to account takeovers

In a phishing scam, hackers create and ship scam emails that look identical to existent emails from Snapchat. They may besides transport text messages (known as smishing).

These messages comprise a link to "log in" to your Snapchat business relationship using imitation reasons similar:

• Your account has been compromised
• Your photos volition be deleted or leaked if y'all don't click the link
• You won a sweepstakes or competition and need to verify your identity
• You lot'll have access to special content or discount codes
• You'll receive something valuable, like concert tickets, Amazon gift cards, etc.
  

Unfortunately, when you click the link to log in to your account, you won't be logging into Snapchat. This dummy site may look like Snapchat, merely it's only a way for scammers to collect and steal your username and countersign.

💡 Related: How To Stop Spam Texts (on Android and iPhone) →

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5. Snapchat romance scams

Because Snapchat posts disappear, the platform's become a popular site for online dating and hookups. Only this also means scammers accept turned to Snapchat to start running romance scams.

Some of the more mutual Snapchat romance scams include:

1. Coming together on dating sites (similar Tinder) and request to talk on Snapchat. If y'all connect with a scammer on a dating app, they'll often inquire to move the convo to Snapchat (this is especially common in military romance scams). They'll first request for explicit photos/videos and so threaten to release them if you don't share more than.
2. Snapchat catfish scams. A catfish is someone who pretends to exist an attractive person online. These scammers fox victims into thinking they have a genuine romantic connection, and so start asking for coin, souvenir cards, photos, etc. They may too request access to your business relationship to "prove" you're not flirting with other people.
3. Snapchat meetup scams. Users who don't cake their location are vulnerable to Snapchat meetup scams. Here, attractive Snapchat accounts reach out to users and say they want to run across up in their surface area. They'll ask you to pay for their gas or a coach ticket. Just the scammer never shows up for the date. They may provide an excuse and schedule a new engagement, stringing along the victim for even more money before they disappear.
   

It's fine to look for a connexion on sites like Snapchat. But there'due south no reason to transport coin, cryptocurrencies, or your credit menu numbers to someone you've but met on social media.

💡 Related: How To Avoid the "Pig Butchering" Scam Costing Victims Millions →

half-dozen. "Carbohydrate Daddy/Momma" scams

A sheriff's office in Ohio reported that several teenagers were recently targeted on Snapchat as part of a sugar daddy/momma scam band [*].

A saccharide daddy or saccharide momma is an older person who reaches out to a younger user (known equally a "sugar baby"). The daddy/momma asks the baby to send picture or videos in return for money, gift cards, or presents.

In that location are three ways this scam usually plays out:

1. They inquire for upfront payment first

The scammer will tell the victim they need to either "cover" the cost of shipping the gifts or money transfer fees. Sometimes they'll need this payment as a "proof of loyalty." One time the sugar babe pays, the sugar daddy/momma disappears.

ii. They need your banking company account information

They'll claim they want to deposit funds into their business relationship. But in reality, the scammer just empties the account.

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3. They send you coin and ask y'all to send some dorsum

They'll give the sugar baby $ane,000, for instance, using a fraudulent check or souvenir cards purchased with stolen credit cards.

So they'll inquire the sugar babe for $100 back in gift cards as a token of appreciation or to purchase their next present. The sugar baby sends the souvenir cards, then discovers the daddy/momma's check bounced, or the souvenir cards don't work.

💡 Larn More than: Why Scammers Want Souvenir Cards (and How To Avoid Souvenir Card Scams) →

seven. Snapchat Girls and Premium Account scams

Though not an official feature, scammers will fix up what'southward known as a Premium Snapchat Account featuring Snapchat Girls.

These accounts promise to share sectional adult content with subscribers who make a i-fourth dimension payment using Venmo or Cash App or sign up for an account on a dissimilar website with their credit carte du jour, debit carte du jour, or banking concern account data. Only any money or information you provide goes direct to the scammer.

💡 Related: Did You Get Scammed on Greenbacks App? Here's What To Do →

How To Shut Down Snapchat Scammers

Snapchat scammers are getting more creative, which means you may exist involved in a scam that's similar but not identical to the ones we just highlighted.

If you call up y'all're being scammed, look for the warning signs of identity theft, such as accounts request for:

• Your login information
• Money, gift cards, altcoins, etc.
• Photos and videos of you
• Other personally identifiable information (your location, pet's name, birthday, etc.)
• Your friends' PII
  

Once you believe you're existence scammed, follow these steps:

Apply the in-app reporting feature and block suspicious accounts

Snapchat's In-App Reporting allows users to study apropos content, inappropriate behaviors (like harassment), and scams to their Trust and Safety teams. Just tap the "Report" button on a Snap, Story, or account.

Once reported, Snapchat says their team takes action in under 2 hours to minimize the potential for harm. Check out the Quick-Guide to Snapchat Reporting for more than information. Yous can also block Snapchatters, so they tin't contact you or view your content.

💡 Related: Were You Scammed on Venmo? Here'due south How To Go Your Money Back →

Report your compromised or hacked account

When a Snapchat account has been compromised (also known every bit "hacked"), information technology ways that it'due south been accessed by someone who is not authorized to use information technology.

Signs your Snapchat account may be hacked or compromised include [*]:

• Being locked out of your business relationship
• Spam sent from your account
• An alert that someone logged into your account from a different location, IP accost, or device
• New contacts added to your list without your permission
• Someone changing the mobile number or email accost associated with your Snapchat account
  

Report the hacked account to Snapchat. A Snapchat rep will demand to verify your identity but never enquire for your password or My Eyes Only passcode.

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How To Prevent Snapchat Scams

• Exist suspicious of all links and QR codes in messages, fifty-fifty if they come from your friends (whose accounts may be hacked) or a lookalike Snapchat email. For added security, consider using antivirus software. This will automatically cake malware and other malicious viruses for you.
• Never add strangers to your Friends List or take unknown friend requests, even if they claim to be someone you might know.
• Text, electronic mail, or call your friends if yous see sketchy behavior. Allow them know their account may have been hacked.
• Never share your login credentials or trust threatening messages claiming to come from Snapchat. Snapchat will never leak your images or ask for your password or My Eyes Simply passcode.
• Always create a strong countersign to prevent scammers from hacking into your business relationship. Use a unique, hard-to-approximate combination of at least 10 upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Don't reuse this password for annihilation else. To help you continue runway of these long passwords, consider a password manager.
• Set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) - but not SMS. 2FA makes your Snapchat more secure by sending a unique code to your device someday yous log in. However, hackers tin can featherbed SMS authentication if they get access to your phone. Instead, apply an authenticator app like Okta or Google.
• Accommodate your privacy settings. Limit who can send you Snaps, view your Stories, see you in Quick Add, and find your location on Snap Map. Consider turning on Ghost Style, so no one can run into where you are.
• Keep your email and phone number associated with your account updated. This will assistance verify that your business relationship belongs to you if you e'er lose access to it.

These security tips ensure yous and your teen tin however take fun on Snapchat without putting their identity or your financial information at risk.

💡 Related: Is Identity Theft Protection Actually Worth It? →

Protect Your Family from Snapchat Scammers

Y'all now know the most mutual Snapchat scams to avoid. Follow today's tips to safeguard your account and try to have regular conversations with your teens about safe Snapchat practices.

To protect your loved ones from family unit identity theft, consider Aureola's family protection plans.

Y'all'll go military-grade encryption to stop criminals from accessing your online activeness and also block potential scam or phishing sites that can steal your personal or financial information and pb to identity theft.

And if the worst happens, all Aura accounts are backed by 24/7 client support and up to $i million in coverage for eligible losses due to identity theft.

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Source: https://www.aura.com/learn/snapchat-scams

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