{"id":25077,"date":"2021-08-02T11:29:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T19:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=25077"},"modified":"2022-04-13T12:23:05","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T20:23:05","slug":"snapchat-scams-wont-disappear-in-a-snap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/snapchat-scams-wont-disappear-in-a-snap\/","title":{"rendered":"These Snapchat Scams Won’t Disappear in a Snap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s a sad fact of human nature that wherever we meet to have fun, socialize or do any kind of business, scammers are likely to show up and try to take advantage.  Despite its reputation as a kid-friendly hangout and a service that\u2019s designed to minimize your digital footprint, Snapchat is no exception<\/a>.  It\u2019s especially worrying for parents that many of the common Snapchat scams target vulnerable teens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a quick guide to some of the more common Snapchat scams and some advice for parents on keeping your kids safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phishing Scams Are Alive and Well<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the oldest tricks in the book is phishing<\/a>, and it\u2019s alive and well on the Snapchat platform.  It\u2019s a deceptively simple attack:  You receive a message \u2014 usually purporting to come from a friend or acquaintance, or perhaps even Snapchat itself \u2014 containing a link.  When you click on the link, you\u2019re directed to a malicious website.  Some schemes load malware onto your phone, giving the scammers access.  Those purporting to be from Snapchat usually take you to a spoofed login page where you\u2019ll be prompted to enter your login credentials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With those credentials, the scammers can lock you out of your account by simply resetting the password.  Once they\u2019re in control, they\u2019ll contact you and demand payment in exchange for returning control of your account or \u2014 especially if you\u2019re a young woman or vulnerable teen \u2014 in exchange for potentially damaging content such as nude photos or on-screen sexual acts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having access to your account gives them your phone number, address and any embarrassing personal photos or information attached to your account, so the demands are usually backed by blackmail.  Unfortunately, meeting their demands usually leads to a second demand rather than the return of your account.  Oh, and it gets worse:  That first compromised account often gives them a toehold to attack others on your friends list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHelp a Friend\u201d Snapchat Scams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A variation on the phishing scam takes the form of a pleading message that comes, apparently, from a friend.  The story is that your friend has been locked out of her account<\/a> and needs to access yours temporarily to straighten things out with Snapchat.  In fact, this is one way the first compromised account can be used to attack others.  Once you\u2019ve given your \u201cfriend\u201d the login to your account, this version of the scam works exactly the same way as the phishing attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPay for Access\u201d Snapchat Scams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another common scam asks for payment from victims in order to access premium content<\/a>.  Some artists and content creators legitimately rely on this income stream as a way to monetize their talent, but usually \u201cpremium content\u201d is a euphemism for nude photos or outright pornography (it\u2019s not officially condoned on the platform, but it happens).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the payment is received, the scammer simply disappears and blocks the sender.  The victims \u2014 usually male \u2014 are often too embarrassed to complain, so the scammer gets off scot-free.  Some enterprising fraud artists carry out a wholesale version of this scam, \u201cscraping\u201d photos of actual performers and setting up fake Snapchat IDs in batches, using those pictures.  Once a given ID has pillaged enough victims, it\u2019s simply deleted.  This approach victimizes the legitimate performers as well as the \u201cmarks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expect the \u201cGreatest Hits\u201d on Snapchat as Well<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While those are a few especially high-profile Snapchat scams, you can also expect to encounter the same portfolio of long-running scams<\/a> that plague other platforms.  These include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n