The Dark Side Of TikTok

TikTok has taken the world by storm over the last few years. The app allows users to create, watch and share short videos set to music and sound effects using their mobile phones. So many people have gained followers and made a career out of creating content on it, but behind the viral trends, dances, amazing and sometimes quirky videos, and inspiring content, a dark side has emerged.

Scammers are everywhere and there are a group of individuals who use TikTok’s live streaming feature to hurt others, and you need to be aware of what to look out for to be safe.

These individuals seem like every other content creator and streamer on the app. They post videos, comment on others, go live on their own, join other people’s lives and interact with the creators and commentors but unbeknownst to the people in those lives, the individuals are looking for their victim. Once someone sends them a huge gift and helps them win a battle, they have found who they are looking for. Their main victims are women and vulnerable people.

We will call these individuals, the fraudsters. 

These fraudsters never show their faces in the lives. After that live, the fraudster sends a message to that person to say thank you for the gifts and whatever else they did and will start a conversation to get to know them and become their friend. Once a connection has been established, they talk about being homeless and getting kicked out of wherever they are currently staying. They say something like, “I’m homeless and about to lose my van. Are you able to help me out?” Each of these individuals’ stories may vary but their end goals are the same.

From there, they will continuously ask for huge gifts and money, while also trying to keep the victim happy, greeting them in lives and messages, asking how they are, and having genuine conversations with them. That’s their way of keeping the person on their side. Each time the victim says no, the fraudster starts guilt-tripping and telling the victim everything they have done for them and why they deserve to get money from them. The fraudster says, “I have done so much for you. I say hello and shout you out in the lives, I send you messages.” Sounds silly right, but the idea is they say anything to make the victim feel bad and nothing the victim says gets through to them.

The fraudsters become aggressive quickly, and sometimes they go as far as threatening the victim. They say they “have found your family online and will message them and tell them about everything you have done with your money on TikTok” and say they will call the police if they don’t meet their demands. They have a way of gaslighting and scaring their victims. They turn things around on the victim, making them look like the ones who are wrong. A lot of times they have succeeded in getting their money.

When you research and look at their other social media accounts, you see that these individuals are not homeless or suffering in any way. In fact, they are doing very well living in beautiful homes with partners and pets, travelling the world, holding good jobs and running businesses.

The actions of these fraudsters affect the victims lives and can lead to devastating consequences. That is why it is so important for everyone to be aware of these individuals and be careful who we talk to.

Unfortunately, TikTok doesn’t do anything to help with these situations. Reporting the fraudsters doesn’t do anything because TikTok can’t see anything wrong on their accounts and they don’t respond to emails so it’s up to us to do what we can to stay safe. No one should ever ask a stranger on the internet for money for any reason. If someone randomly messages you with a request, block them immediately. Even if they are not asking for anything, if you don’t feel comfortable receiving messages from strangers, change the “who can send you message requests” settings on all your accounts. I can do a separate post providing instructions on how to do that. If you start talking to someone and something doesn’t feel right, end it. You can choose who you follow and who follows you. When you’re watching people live on TikTok, look out for the ones who don’t show their faces and if a creator is spamming you, demanding gifts and not taking no for an answer, unfollow and block them. There are so many ways you can support your favorite creators other than send gifts, and if you choose to do that, please do so responsibly. Remember how hard you work to earn the money and everything you want to achieve in your life.

If you find yourself caught up with a fraudster, don’t try to reason with them because it won’t work. They only care about themselves and refuse to listen to anyone else. The more you talk to them, the more aggressive they will be, and things escalate quickly. Stop talking to them immediately and seek help from a friend, family member or someone you trust. If someone tells you they are in this situation, don’t judge them because they are already embarrassed and distressed. Just listen and help them in any way you can.

TikTok is a great app with amazing videos and people, but keep in mind that there are some bad ones too. Have fun on it but please stay safe.