Ways to safeguard yourself from ‘Sextortion’ Snapchat Scam

 

Introduction

How do you feel when experts and people start criticizing the app you have been using? You definitely feel surprised and may even reconsider your choices. But in most scenarios, you are only able to believe it when you are able to see the downside. Similarly, although there are broad categories of frauds that occur daily, victims only learn about its deceptive nature when they experience it.

While Snapchat Scams are rising at an alarming rate, you don’t need to fall for it to learn about it. These occurrences hinder not just the functionality of Snapchat but also demean its credibility in the market. Many have left the platforms, but few are still loyal to the app. This blog discusses the most affected demographic age groups that are usually trapped in these scams. 

What is Snapchat? 

Snapchat is an American multimedia instant messaging company founded by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown in September 2011. Snapchat is teens' and young adults' favorite application. Like any other social media app, Snapchat has the same features, such as video calls, phone calls, stories, and status. Last but not least, filters. But what makes it unique from other apps is its Bitmoji and streak.

However, many people find it hard to believe that maintaining streaks could be addictive, but it is. Many people have fallen in love with this app, and others who are in their 30s love its Snapchat filters. There are various standard techniques that scammers adopt while performing these scams. According to a report, most teenagers become victims of sextortion on Snapchat. 

What is Sextortion?

The key points

 

●     There is a rise in cases where scammers are blackmailing teenagers over intimate images.

●     Most of the cases were reported on Snapchat and Instagram.

●     We recommend you report such an incident to cyber security, avoid providing credentials to an unknown person, and beware of snapchat scams.

 

The consumer protection authority and police in Australia have come into action after looking at the appalling numbers affected by sextortion. Scammers reach out to the victims on several social media platforms, including Snapchat. They use a fake profile or conduct impersonation scam, where victims are tricked into recording or sharing sexually explicit videos and photographs. They demand a certain amount of money out of it and warn the victim that they need to provide the money on time, or they will make their content viral, visible to their family and friends.

But the story does not end here. Adults have also become victims of sextortion. Although, it may seem as though they are inviting trouble for their own selves but the truth remains that intimation often hits like fire, and no one can ignore these needs. It makes many participate in these acts online but they forget about the person behind the curtains.

According to data from consumer protection, Australia has received 15 sextortion reports, out of which 6 victims are trapped and the loss was $2000. Whereas, in 2021, the reported cases were 47; three people were tricked into a loss of $1600.

Some studies showcase that it is not just loss of money but some youngsters are going through emotional distress. Sextortion is a category that unrolls among the many Snapchat scams. It is a most used technique as people out of fear pay money to save their reputation and sanctity.

Shockingly, the first scam alert was sent out by the Sioux County Sheriff's Office that says that scammers nowadays are using this platform to share inappropriate photos such as nudes and pornography.

The threat of asking money out of blackmailing is showing a devastating impact on not just people who are unable to pay them back but also young people who are particularly dependent on elders. The commination is so loud that they start believing that their life is ruined and it becomes one of the most embarrassing situations in their lives.

Some cyber agencies have shared their views stating that the scammer’s demand may escalate but they will not make your feed viral. So, there is nothing to worry about. 

Apart from this various other scams also take place on premium snapchat accounts. It only adds to all our concern for teenagers and young adults who are facing a lot of problems with the number of cases rising in this demographic. 

However there are some ways of avoiding such situation, let's see;

 

1. Don’t add unknown people to your friend list; the Snapchat mechanism will provide you some recommendations based on mutual connections. However, if you have no idea about the third person. Please do not add them to your list or ask your friend about him or her.
2. If you are unwilling to talk to a person and they keep messaging you for no reason. Snapchat has a feature that lets you block them, you can use it. If they are sharing inappropriate snaps don’t feel ashamed of blocking them.
3. Suppose, your friend’s account is hacked and they are sharing inappropriate photos and videos but they are unaware of it. In that case, you can call them and let them know about the message. Spread awareness as much as you can.
4. Recently, location is a trendy approach. Many people have put their location on Snapchat. Technically, the location feature will let you know about the people around you but sometimes it can be used for the wrong purpose. Therefore, it is best if we keep our location private.
5. Do not provide personal information on Snapchat or any other social media platforms. We recommend you to not provide it to your closest friend even if you have blind trust in them. The hacker can get it from the Snapchat application and then it will be very hard to restore your stolen identity.
6. Try to manage privacy the way you want to but make sure that it creates a space that you are comfortable in. Otherwise, it would count as you opening the gates to Snapchat Scams.

Summing Up,

People should be cautious so that they can have contingency plans to overcome these situations. Scams are rising day-by-day and it becomes important that we report them, boosting awareness among many. You can share your experience on various platforms and how you overcame them. Although, social media platforms including Snapchat state that they have a safe and secure platform. We are not denying them but it is always better to pick a safer side to avoid such scams.