Have you heard of Snapchat scams and want to know what and how it is in order to avoid it? Read this review to know more about Snapchat scams and precautionary measures to take to protect yourself from it.
What is Snapchat Scams
Snapchat scams are fraudulent schemes that are taking place on the Snapchat platform and it allows scammers to steal your sensitive information or trick you into sending them money. .
Law enforcement agencies have charged Snapchat scammers with everything from hacking and identity theft to extortion, forgery, harassment, and computer crimes involving children.
Once a scammer gains access to a user’s Snapchat account, they start targeting anyone on their friends list. The scammer pretends to be the owner of the account and messages people asking for help. The scammers will sometimes make up an elaborate story about needing money, such as their car was broken into or their dog was recently injured and they need money for medical bills. The goal is for users to send money to the person who has hacked the account, and then never to be heard from again.
Because the vast majority of people using Snapchat are young people, the thought that their account might be hacked does not cross their minds. They are however focused on helping their trusted friend. Additionally, many users have Snapcash set up on their account, which allows users to easily send money from their Snapchat account. So, while it may seem “off” for those unfamiliar with the app to ever send money this way, Snapchat does make it incredibly easy to send and receive money and scammers are counting on that false sense of security.
How The Snapchat scam works
The scammers contacts users over the social media app from another hacked account, This in turn gives the false impression that the account is owned by someone the user knows.
The fraudsters deceive people by claiming to be a friend who needs help with their account or needs money to help solve a problem. Some claim they want to add you to a friends list and need your personal details to do so.
The fraudster’s goal is to trick the user into handing over control of their Snapchat account in order to access their photos, personal details, and contacts list.
Tips To Protect yourself From the snapchat scams
- Check with a friend through other contact methods to confirm whether or not they have sent you a message over snapchat, if you receive a message from them which seems suspicious or unexpected
- Double check friend requests and don’t accept any from people you don’t know personally
- Don’t share your email and password details and only login on the official website or app
- Never share any codes or pin numbers and be very cautious of sharing your phone number or email address over social media
- Make sure you use a strong password using at least three unconnected words that are memorable to you
Conclusion
From the Foregoing, it is clear that there are scammers lurking on Snapchat users should be careful so as not to fall victim.
To Read Further on other Online scams, Click Here.
