TikTok Warns Users to be Wary of Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day

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With Valentine’s Day arising subsequent week (2/14), TikTok has issued a warning to its users to be cautious of romance scams, the place fraudsters goal inclined singles, maximum often by way of social and courting apps.

As defined through TikTok:

“In 2020, losses from romance scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) crowned $304 million, mountaineering 50% from 2019. As a continuation of our efforts to inspire folks to #BeCyberGood along fraud consciousness champions – together with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC)About-FraudThe KnobleWiser – Free Security Training, and Frank on Fraud – we appreciate TikTok creators for serving to to shine a focus at the merciless intentions of so-called suitors that experience long-plagued courting apps or different on-line boards.

Romance scams are within the highlight at this time due to the lately launched Netflix documentary ‘The Tinder Swindler’, which appears on the tale of scammer Simon Leviev and his complicated schemes designed to thieve cash from quite a lot of girls.

If you want a reminder of the dangers, it’s price trying out (notice: Leviev could also be, reportedly, active on TikTok).

For TikTok in particular, the platform has shared the following tips:

  • Take it slowly – TikTok says that swindlers are fast to profess their affection, and can glance to take conversations off apps. “A absolute best observe is to vet your new heartthrob through asking questions, and concentrate to inconsistencies that can expose your overwhelm as an impostor”.
  • Keep your finances (and private data) to your self This feels glaring, however can be much less entrance of thoughts while you’re within the throes of interest. “If you have by no means met in individual, do not ship or change cash by way of present playing cards, cord transfers, or cryptocurrency, and do not proportion non-public main points like checking account, house deal with, or different delicate data”.
  • Don’t play video games – TikTok advises that customers must use Google Images to habits a opposite symbol seek of anyone’s profile picture. “If effects display the similar picture on any other web page however with a unique title connected, a scammer will have stolen it”. TikTok additionally means that customers replica and paste the textual content from suspicious emails and messages right into a seek engine to see if others have won the similar.

Finally, TikTok advises that if one thing feels off, customers must bring to an end all touch instantly.

“Fraud, scams, and dangerous trade practices too can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission, FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and IRS Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft in america, together with Action Fraud in the United Kingdom. If you come upon suspicious job in-app, file it to TikTok’s Safety Center, and practice @TikTokTips for extra techniques to #BeCyberGood.”

TikTok safety tools

All scams are horrible, and feature doable to motive vital hurt, however the ones that focus on inclined persons are even worse, and unmarried folks searching for a spouse are ceaselessly in an overly inclined state, particularly round Valentine’s Day once they’re being reminded of that lingering want many times.

Given this, it’s price taking an additional second of pause in such eventualities and taking into account those components.

In addition to this, TikTok has additionally revealed a new one-sheeter on its quite a lot of privateness and coverage gear as phase of its more secure use tasks.

TikTok safety tools

It’s price taking all of those measures under consideration, and taking into account the affects of your on-line interactions in all apps.



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