Snapchat is a popular platform for scammers to steal your personal information or con you into sending them money. Fraudsters on Snapchat encounter users and continually adopt a friendly and trustworthy persona. Additionally, they might use phishing scams to steal or seize control of your account and use it for other types of Snapchat scams.
Law authorities have charged Snapchat con artists with hacking, identity theft, extortion, forgery, harassment, and juvenile computer fraud. Snapchat and other social media venues are prevalent with fraudsters because they make it straightforward to set up phony profiles.
Top 4 Snapchat scams to resist:
Snapchat premium scam:
The most popular Snapchat premium scams involve con artists setting up profiles to upload videos and pictures of women wearing bikinis. They charge Snapchat users a fee to view photos of charming, attractive looks in a compromising state. Inappropriate sex act videos could be to blame.
Snapchat fraudsters gather their payouts through the Cash App, PayPal, and other payment methods. However, they do not deliver the desired content after obtaining it. Instead, they send teasers and demand more money.
Meetup scams:
These frauds resemble premium Snap scams almost precisely. However, in this instance, the consumer is not promised to receive nude images and explicit content. Instead, they portray themselves as models who are appealing to men. The victim, who enjoys face-to-face interactions, falls for a trap. The con artist promises to meet after the victim pays a specific sum. The victim submits his bank account information and credit card numbers to enjoy the in-person date.
Snapchat Romance scams:
Numerous dating websites are where the cons begin. Scammers will ask you to use Snapchat for conversing to keep your Snapchat account active on that platform. Fraudsters make use of phony pictures and videos of attractive people. You will appear to be doing it because you are speaking with the person in the picture. It is referred to as a romance scam because scammers like to create relationships that seem authentic. They are also referred to as catfish scams.
Snapchat account recovery scam:
The fourth most popular Snapchat scams involve fraudsters that impersonate Snapchat users or someone you know to deceive you into providing them with personal information.
For instance, they might pose as a friend of yours and say they can’t remember their username and are locked out of their account. After that, they request your login details to find their account.
Alternatively, fraudsters may send you an email pretending to be from Snapchat and request your login credentials to access your account. Once they get your information, they change your password and take control of your account; unless you pay them a particular sum of money, they hold it hostage.
How to spot Snapchat scams:
Cybercriminals may contact users through various communication channels to steal data. But if you use Snapchat, you must know how to tell a fake account from a legitimate one.
Verify your Snap score:
It shows how actively the client is utilizing social media applications. The fraudsters always have a low Snapchat score. The con artist will also assert their influence.
Determine the Snap map:
You must know the location of the Snapchat user to you. Where is the site documented in the profile? It is the most reliable way to track a fake Snapchat user.
Lookup profiles using Google image search:
Scammers constantly download pictures from other social networking sites and use them to make fake Snapchat profiles. Then, upload the supposedly suspicious image and launch an image search on Google. Finally, one realizes where the portrait came from.
How to protect yourself from Snapchat scams:
Ignore any suspicious messages:
Your children might have gotten a message from a friend asking for money and tech support. They must make sure the recipient is a friend before sending any money. You must also ensure that your friend’s accounts are safe from hacking. Scammers frequently attempt to gain access to Snapchat users’ friend lists.
Verify friend requests:
It will help if you exercise discretion while granting your friends’ requests. Before selecting a choice, it is better to double-check friend requests. Refuse requests from people you don’t know. Scammers try to make you believe they are your friends. The same precaution should be followed on all social platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, etc.
Don’t divulge login details:
This is a standard red flag that one needs to be cautious of. Unfortunately, a plethora of youngsters and adults don’t know the risk of sharing their login credentials with their friends or neighbors through the internet. So never and ever share your login details with anyone, even if they are in a hopeless condition.
Recognize password security measures:
Password information is susceptible. Therefore, it would be advantageous if you took all the necessary precautions to secure it. For instance, you should avoid using widely used words and phrases while making passwords. Furthermore, the password must be between 10 and 12 characters long. Additionally, you ought to set up a two-factor authentication mechanism.
Who Falls Victim to Snapchat Scams?
Since the average age of Snapchat users is lower than that of many other social media sites, teens and young people frequently target Snapchat scams. As you can see from the several Snapchat scams, we covered above, con artists often target unsuspecting users who use the app to find pornographic content or romantic relationships.
Safe Use of Snapchat
- Avoid clicking on links in emails that are from Snapchat that indicate your account has been closed.
- Don’t use Snapchat to hunt for dates or online relationships.
- Never transfer funds to someone you meet on Snapchat.
- Don’t register for websites that Snapchat links to or pay for access to premium content.
- Don’t click on any unexpected links that Snapchat sends you.
- Ensure you don’t hack your friends if you start receiving messages from their accounts asking you for private information.
- Block any accounts that demand personal information or seem dubious.
Conclusion:
Snapchat scams are unethical conduct on social networking sites. The main objectives of con artists are to obtain your personal information and steal your money and confidential data. The victim’s personal details allow access to the hackers.
