Social & messaging scams

Facebook scams include account hacking, fake profiles impersonating friends, phishing links in Messenger, and fraudulent ads. Scammers hack accounts and message the victim's friends asking for money or spreading malicious links. Facebook will never ask for your password via message or email.

Instagram scams include fake giveaway DMs, phishing links that steal your login, influencer impersonation, and "money flipping" schemes. Instagram will never DM you about winning a contest or ask for your password. If a deal sounds too good to be true on Instagram, it is.

WhatsApp scams involve verification code theft to hijack your account, impersonation of friends or family asking for money, and phishing links sent through messages. WhatsApp will never contact you through the app to ask for your verification code. Never share your 6-digit WhatsApp code with anyone.

LinkedIn scams involve fake job offers that require upfront payments, fake recruiter profiles harvesting personal information, and phishing messages disguised as professional opportunities. Legitimate employers never ask you to pay for training, equipment, or background checks before starting a job.

TikTok scams include fake promotion and giveaway offers, phishing links in bio profiles, impersonation of popular creators, and scam "side hustle" opportunities promoted in videos. TikTok will never ask you for your password via DM. Be skeptical of any TikTok content promising easy money.

Telegram scams are dominated by cryptocurrency fraud, fake investment groups, and impersonation of project administrators. Scammers create fake groups mimicking legitimate crypto projects and DM members with "exclusive" investment opportunities. Telegram admins will never DM you first asking for money or crypto.

The most serious Snapchat scam is sextortion: an attractive stranger starts a conversation, images are exchanged, and money is demanded under threat of sending them to your contacts. Do not pay, do not delete the evidence, and get help — this is a crime and there is real support for it.

On X, the reliable rule is that complaining publicly to a company attracts fake support accounts within minutes. Paid verification means a blue check no longer indicates identity, so a verified account replying with a "support" link is frequently the scam.

YouTube scams split by audience. Creators are phished with fake copyright strikes and fake sponsorship deals carrying malware. Viewers are targeted by hijacked channels running deepfaked crypto giveaway livestreams. YouTube never sends copyright notices as an attachment.

On Reddit the most reliable rule is that posting about a problem produces scam DMs within minutes. Nobody from a company will contact you through a Reddit DM to help, and the "recovery expert" who replies to a fraud post is the next scam.

Discord scams spread through compromised friends: a free Nitro link, a "play my new game" download, or a QR code to scan. The download usually steals your Discord token, which gives account access without your password and without triggering two-factor.

The dominant Tinder scam is the long crypto con: a match moves you to WhatsApp, builds a relationship over weeks, then introduces a trading platform that shows profits and will not release them. The other common one is a "verification" link that signs you up for a recurring charge.

Bumble scams follow a script: an attractive match, an early move to WhatsApp, and eventually a crypto investment opportunity. The other common one is a "verification" link that is actually a subscription sign-up. Bumble never asks you to verify through a third-party site.