The 6 biggest scams on TikTok to watch out for

TikTok recently banned many fake accounts. These accounts offered people online earnings and promised to give their viewers thousands of dollars; some asked for a few hundred dollars as a safety deposit. The truth is that scammers take advantage of viral platforms like TikTok to deceive users. TikTok has been one of the greatest sensations of the last decade. While its popularity is still growing, scams on TikTok are also increasing exponentially.

For these reasons, the key step is to be aware of scams and any red flags, whether on TikTok or any other social media platforms. We must be particularly vigilant for our kids fond of using TikTok. This article explores more about how to avoid being exploited by scammers. 

Is TikTok safe or not?

TikTok is widely considered a safe platform. That’s why it has over a billion users. But, there is also a never-ending list of various TikTiok security and privacy issues or breaches that have been reported or exposed. 

Nevertheless, TikTok safety and security remain under wide discussion. You may want to check out the details from its privacy center. Let’s explore the salient measures TikTok takes to ensure the privacy and security of its users and the reality behind those measures. 

Privacy settings 

Just like other responsible platforms, TikTok offers good features to ensure the privacy of its users. Users can see and control who can have access to a profile and interaction, like commenting, messaging, and following. 

On the other hand, users also discuss that TikTok uses data collected from its users to share it with third-party entities. The data is also discussed as being shared with the Chinese government. TikTok officially denies these claims.  

Content monitoring

TikTok is an open platform that has incorporated AI technology and manual methods for checking and moderating content. Violations may result in the removal of content and account suspensions.

Conversely, some TikTok users claim that TikTok is not very strict about content moderation. This claim is true to some extent because, by the time TikTok takes action, adult and inappropriate videos are already visible to many users. A number of comments involving cyberbullying or insults remain.

Screen time management

TikTok has introduced screen time management, a new feature for teens and families. Users can set limits to help with taking breaks and healthy app usage. For users between the ages of 13 and 17, the setting is turned on by default to 1 hour. It will notify you when you reach that time.

At the same time, we cannot deny TikTok’s addictive nature. It is especially attractive to younger users who remain involved in viewing attractive video clips and live shows. 

Parental supervision

TikTok introduces parental supervision, another level of content management. Parents can link their TikTok accounts with their children to see what their kids are doing on this platform. This feature helps parents ensure their kids use this app within safe limits. 

Account reporting

TikTok users can report inappropriate accounts by providing details and reasons. This way, TikTok can take action against those accounts based on the severity of the violation. 

Although TikTok keeps blocking accounts that are involved in inappropriate activities, creating a new account is very easy. Account reporting and banning do not cut off TikTok frauds and scams. 

What are common scams on TikTok?

Let’s discuss what kind of scams usually prevail on TikTok. This will help you become aware of potential frauds. With the right knowledge and awareness, you can take precautionary measures to prevent you or your kids from falling prey to such scams. 

Here are the 6 most common scams on TikTok. We will overview each type and discuss the tactics that make it work. 

1. Romance scams 

Romance scams are quite common on social media platforms. TikTok is no exception. Although it is a video platform, you may still encounter fake romance here. Scammers try to be nice to everyone to leave a good impression. They start romancing with their targets to establish fake relationships that end in scamming for private information or money. 

2. Fake giveaways

Another common tactic to mislead TikTok users is to promise fake rewards. They promise to give attractive rewards in return for following an account or watching specific videos. Such promises usually result in disappointments; worse still, they cause economic losses.

3. Phishing 

Phishing is a common scam on social media, and TikTok is no exception. Users may get deceived if ads or content are misleading. These phish links may take users to unwanted websites and lead to pages that require users to enter their personal data. This data is eventually stolen and used for illegal purposes. 

4. Fake follower generator 

This type of scam is aimed at TikTok video uploaders. Some companies claim to increase the followers or subscribers for TikTok channels. TikTokers pay for these services and only get fake followership. These fake or even bot accounts only show as dummy followers and do not actually watch the videos or engage with the content.

5. Fake charity schemes 

Scammers take advantage of users’ innocence and sympathy by asking them to donate to special causes, for instance, poor and needy people, or educate children. Fake fundraising schemes are only designed to scam people for money.

6. Fake partnerships and influencer accounts

If you use TikTok, you follow some celebrities and influencer accounts that often make joint videos with brands or partners. Some influencers even promote other businesses as couples. In reality, some of these partnerships are fake. They may ask users for personal details or verification fees in return for special discounts on specific brands. 

Why are there so many fake TikTok accounts for scams?

TikTok is a massively popular platform with over one billion monthly active users. It is very usual for scammers to be present on the platform with such a huge user base. 

According to a Statista report, TikTok has over 181 million fake accounts in 2024. It had only 2 million fake accounts in 2020. Currently, TikTok is suspected to have over 19 million underage children in its accounts. So, scammers focus on these gullible and ignorant teenagers.

How to spot and stop a fake TikTok account?

While using this app, You must be vigilant about the fake TikTok accounts; some are for scams. With the increase in the usage of AI technology, fake accounts may look real to many users. So, how do you spot a fake account? Let’s have a look at a few tips below: 

Following are the red flags that should make you suspicious about the authenticity of a TikTok account: 

• Unverified accounts of famous celebrities. 
• Accounts with huge followers with little content. 
• Accounts promoting suspicious links. 
• If big TikTok accounts send direct messages to users. 
• Accounts requesting to share your personal information or financial help. 

Apart from some security settings, the most important thing is that you need to be conscious of protecting your privacy. Never share your personal details with anyone on TikTok.

Tips to stay safe on TikTok

TikTok is primarily a fun and informative platform. People use TikTok to quickly swipe through videos for knowledge and entertainment. However, you must ensure that your TikTok experience is safe and secure. 

You must consider using the following tips to use TikTok safely: 

1. Set your account to private

TikTok allows you to set your account to private so that unknown users cannot see your content. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile.
Step 2. Tap the three lines on the top right > settings icon.
Step 3. Now click “Privacy.”
Step 4. Toggle on the switch next to “Private account.”

2. Limit who can comment and message you 

You can limit strangers’ comments and messages to you. This option prevents the risk of receiving spam and misleading comments and messages. Check out the following steps: 

Step 1. Go to your TikTok profile > settings > privacy. Tap on the “Comments” option.
Step 2. Tap the “Allow comments from” option.
Step 3. Choose the “Friends” option.

Now, only your known friends can comment and send messages to you. 

3. Block stranger followers

Increasing the number of followers on TikTok is preferred by many users. However, having strangers on your list may be risky for your account’s safety. 

You can block or remove the followers from your list by using these steps: 

Step 1. Open your followers list from your TikTok profile. 
Step 2. Tap the three dots against the suspected profile and tap “Remove this follower.”

4. Use a strong and unique password 

Many users use the same password for everything in case they forget the password. However, this may be highly risky. You must use a strong and unique password for your account to keep it safe from hackers and spammers. 

5. Do not click suspicious links or transfer money

You may still get suspicious links from strangers or even your friends’ accounts on TikTok.Don’t click any unknown links that you get. In particular, you must avoid sending money or sharing your banking information. Always carefully verify the authenticity of an identity, even if the request is from an acquaintance.

Apps to protect you and your family online

We picked several different apps to meet various protection needs for adults or kids. They vary in features and price and can enhance online security.

Here is a brief introduction to each app:

FlashGet Kids – Best parental control app

Scammers are always looking for platforms where they can easily exploit kids. This is one of the safety concerns for parents. The best parental control app, FlashGet Kids, is a great assistant for parents. It is like a remote eye for parents to monitor their children’s phone usage and online activities. One of the key functions to keep kids from toxic and dangerous content is keyword detection. This app also provides useful options, like live notifications and detailed location tracking. 

The pricing for family monitoring of up to 10 devices starts from $4.99 per month (yearly) to $8.99 per month (monthly). Surprisingly, this product released its main features for free.

LifeLock – Best identity theft protection

LifeLock is an identity theft app offered by Norton that has high standards and high protection levels. So, you can be sure that they are aware of almost all the techniques scammers use. That’s why they also claim to refund your lost money if you are covered by their policy.  

LifeLock‘s pricing plans start at $11.99 per month for a single user, and the family plan is offered at $19.99 per month.

Bitdefender – Best antivirus tool

Yes, we have included an antivirus in our list of the best apps to protect you and your family from online. Bitdefender is the safest app that provides excellent and advanced features for online security. Due to its high standards of protection, it is very difficult for scammers to bypass this app’s security firewalls. This is not merely an antivirus. It also includes features related to safety and security while using the VPN. 

This app costs $179.99 per year, and this single-paid plan allows you to protect up to 10 devices.  

Turbo VPN – Best VPN service

Using a trusted VPN is also an intelligent way of protecting your devices from scammers. However, you must know which VPN to use to properly implement and ensure the security and privacy features. Here, we recommend the Turbo VPN for a safe and secure browsing and app usage experience. It is trusted by millions.

The pricing for a good VPN, like Turbo VPN, starts at $4.17 and goes up to $11.99 per month. 

Dashlane – Best password & personal info manager

Dashlane is a leading company that offers password protection for individuals and organizations and secures personal information across the web. It claims to provide the best security to avoid password breaches on both personal and enterprise levels. 

The pricing starts from $20 per month for 10 users or employees. 

Final takeaways

TikTok is one of the most entertaining platforms, and its popularity is constantly increasing. Meanwhile, scams and frauds on TikTok are also increasing at the same pace. Therefore, you know what is at stake while using it. More scammers mean more risks, especially for innocent kids.

That’s why parents have taken prime responsibility for protecting their kids from falling prey to scams on TikTok. The easiest and most convenient way to monitor your children is by using a reliable and authentic parental control app like FlashGet Kids. 

Using this app will give you ultimate peace of mind. You will know what your kids are doing on their phones and who they are following and talking to. You can also limit the usage of TikTok and other apps you don’t want your kids to overuse.

FAQs about TikTok