What are Snapchat Scams and How to Avoid Them

Snapchat is one of the most modern communication tools used today. The service is beloved because of its security and privacy, but the same protections that make the app great can also make it easier for others to scam without getting caught. Scammers fill up Snapchat for this reason, and if you use the communication tool, you will likely hear from some scammers that ask you for things you shouldn't give away. Learning to recognize these scams and how to protect yourself from them is essential.

What are Snapchat Scams?

Snapchat scams are specially coordinated attacks using Snapchat to convince people to give away money or information. There are many different types of scams to watch for, but each one follows a similar idea. These scams offer something you want, such as photos, companionship, money, or something else. The scams make the thing you want easily attainable, and they all ask you for money or information that you shouldn't give away.

How Do Snapchat Scams Work?

Snapchat scams work differently depending on the scam, but the general idea is that you'll either be messaged through Snapchat or you'll be messaged about Snapchat, and the scammer will try to convince you to enter your account information, your bank details or to send money to you for the reason that isn't true.

Most Common Snapchat Scams

There are dozens of different scams to be aware of, but there are a handful of options used more heavily than all the rest. We overview the most common scam types below so you can learn about them and avoid them carefully. Get to know these scams well, and you'll know what you should be avoiding.

Phishing Scam

Phishing scams are one of the most commonly used attacks for anyone on social media, including Snapchat. In these scams, an attacker sends an email that's meant to look like a legitimate Snapchat security warning. The email address is spoofed to have an official address, and the email is designed to look official. Inside the email, there will be a link for you to click. If you click the link, you'll be taken to a fake login form where your information will be stolen. The attacker will get your Snapchat account and can gather any information on it too.

Sugar Momma Scam

Many users looking for a sugar momma or sugar daddie get tricked by scammers on Snapchat doing the sugar momma scam. In this scam, users reach out to others on Snapchat, offering to pay money or provide gift cards in exchange for photos through Snapchat.

The scam part comes into play when it's time to send out the first payment for photos. The scammer says they are sending money or gift cards for the photos but says there are fees that need to be covered. They ask for a payment to cover those fees, which they will keep. Some scammers ask for personal financial information so they know where to send the money instead. The information is used to steal money from the account.

Meetup Scams

Meetup scams are a quick and easy way for some users to scam others out of money. The scam is usually good for $100 or a bit more. The person pretends to be a beautiful woman or a celebrity and then talks about meeting up with the person being scammed. The scammer needs a bit of money for gas or for other travel costs, and they ask you to pay the money for this. That money is then pocketed, and the scammer doesn't attempt to meet up.

Snapchat Premium Scams

remium scams on Snapchat take advantage of people hoping for adult photos from the other person. These scammers make a Premium Snapchat account and tell their victims they must make a payment to access your photos and videos; once they've paid, they never receive any photos or videos.

Money Scams

We would classify many of the common Snapchat scams as money scams. The main idea behind money scams is offering a quick and easy way to earn money but charging a fee to claim the information. These scammers ask for a small deposit to get your opportunity where you will earn much more money. If you're curious about individuals asking for money for an opportunity, you can do a username search and learn more about the individual to protect yourself.

How to Prevent Them

Before you're involved in a Snapchat scam, you should learn how to prevent this from ever happening. One of the most important things you should do is make a stronger password for your account. You should try and use something random that you don't share with any of your other applications or services. You should be careful never to share personal data over Snapchat or another social network. Be sure you don't overshare on social media to keep your information safe.

Don't click unfamiliar links that are sent to you on Snapchat or via text message, and don't agree to pay for any products or services from someone you don't know and trust.

Generally, if things seem too good to be true, or if you believe you are lucky and things are happening for you easily, you are likely being scammed and could lose money or your information.

There are many tools available to you to help you verify the person that you're talking to is legitimate. You can use this address lookup search tool to learn where a person lives based on their phone number. Use this tool to learn more about the people you're talking to and to spot liars before you trust them.

Don't give people money for anything, and be careful to protect your information to avoid any issues on Snapchat.

What to Do if You're Involved in a Snapchat Scam?

The first thing you should do if you're involved in a Snapchat scam is to change the password for your account to ensure other users don't get on your account. You should immediately contact the important financial institutions in your life and start monitoring your credit each month to make sure you aren't being taken advantage of. If anything changes on your credit, you'll know with one of those services. You should also think about changing any other passwords that match your Snapchat account. If attackers know your account password, any other accounts or services you use that have a matching password could be exposed and put you at risk.

Stay Safe When Using Snapchat

Snapchat has grown to be one of the largest social media platforms today, and it's a tool used by scammers every day now. If a scammer contacts you, you can use the tools at InfoTracer to verify their data. Either way, don't send them money, don't give away personal information, and you should be okay.