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.