TikTok is a hugely popular short video site with vids covering just about every topic imaginable, from gaming to beauty. Like any other social site, it’s also a place where people meet, and relationships can blossom. The sad thing is that many scammers are using this fact to extort money and services out of vulnerable people.
Learn more about TikTok dating scams below, including how to spot and avoid them.
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How TikTok Dating Scams Work
Ever left a comment on a video and had someone respond? Maybe they want to be a friend or share a laugh about something you have in common. But what starts as friendly chatter can soon turn more sinister.
TikTok romance scams usually start with one or two innocent-seeming comments. These will usually progress to one of them asking for private messages, where the person claims they want to get to know you better. They’ll claim to have the same interests as you, pretend to be really passionate about the things you love, and often agree with everything you say.
You’ll get a response to every message, which can make you feel very special. The scammer will usually ask you to take the conversation off TikTok, to WhatsApp or Telegram. From here, they’ll “love bomb” you, sending messages of love frequently, until you feel like the relationship is very real.
Once you’re committed to them, they’ll start to ask for money. Maybe their car broke down, and they suddenly need money to get repairs. Perhaps a family member died, and they need the travel money to get to the funeral.
In more disturbing scams, the criminal may trick you into taking intimate photos and sharing them. Once they have the photos, they can use them for “sextortion”: Blackmailing you by threatening to share the images online if you don’t pay.
AI’s Impact on Romance Scams
Generative AI makes TikTok dating scams even easier. AI bots can reply instantly in flawless English, mimicking the tone of the other person. AI-generated images can replace profile pics, so it’s harder to trace the scammer.
You might begin to receive images that seem slightly unreal or have telltale AI signs, such as backgrounds that don’t make sense, nonsensical text, or bodily features (hands, fingers, eyes) that aren’t quite right.
Avoiding TikTok Dating Scams
Stay safer on TikTok by:
- Never taking a conversation off-platform
- Being discerning about whom you talk to
- Checking profiles to see if they’re new, have few followers/friends, or only have interactions that are similar to yours
- Never sending money to someone online
- Reporting anything suspicious or that makes you feel uncomfortable immediately
TikTok has a support page dedicated to helping people avoid fraud and scams on their website, including a link to report issues. You can also keep yourself up to date with the latest scams by signing up for Scam Detector’s Scam Alerts. The more you know, the more confidently and safely you can navigate your favorite online platforms.
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When my sweet old grandmother got caught up in an Amazon gift card scam, I decided then and there that I needed to do whatever I could to inform as many people as possible about the grifters of the world. That’s what I do here – writing about modern scams so you don’t get caught out.
