TikTok is a multifunctional social app if there ever was one. The hub of short video content has been designed to entertain, has become a search engine for Gen-Z users, and has even been harnessed for social good and activism.
But the app is no stranger to controversy, likely because it wields unprecedented levels of power. This power is derived from a colossal user base, immense popularity with influencers and brands alike, and rising dominance over rival platforms. So this castle of content, with billions of users, has inadvertently developed into an ideal starting point for scams, which are increasingly taking over.
Across social media, the regularity of TikTok scams is well-documented. The subreddit r/Tiktokhelp features dozens of inquiries and posts about scams of TikTok posted in the last 10 months alone. A scroll through the forum shows just how commonplace scams or alleged scams are on the platform: Users warn of scam accounts, share emails they’ve received that appear suspicious, and disclose various instances in which money-making scams have taken place.
Over on Twitter, people outline scams they’ve witnessed and meme-ify the ubiquity of them. When I posted a call on Twitter to find out if people have actually faced such scams, I got a DM from someone who wished to remain anonymous — but told me that she lost $24,000 over the course of two hours in a TikTok scam.
