Today TikTok is one of the most popular social networks on the planet. Its short video format has fallen in love with millions of people around the world. However, as is always the case, when digital platforms make such a big impact, users appear trying to take advantage and use it to commit fraud.

As Latin American cybersecurity firm ESET explains, in just six years TikTok has become the dominant social network for sharing and watching short videos. People in the UK and US spend even more time on TikTok than YouTube.

And because cybercriminals are always following the latest trends and creating threats for platforms with the largest users, with the aim of increasing their chances of success, they are finding opportunities on TikTok. suffice it to say that tik tok it has more than 1.2 billion daily users. Moreover, it is an application where people rolling minute by minuteso scams can easily catch people off guard and steal money, accounts or damage your reputation.

meet The 5 most common scams on TikTok.

Cryptocurrency Scams on TikTok

ESET warns that various cryptocurrency-related scams and alleged get-rich-quick opportunities are growing on TikTok: For these scams, cybercriminals make users believe that they will be able to earn a lot of money with minimal investment and minimal effort. Don’t fall. These offers always sound too good to be true. It is important to stop and think for a few seconds before clicking or moving forward. Just ask yourself, is Elon Musk really going to give a million dollars to a random stranger?

Phishing on TikTok

In this case, an email or message is sent that appears to be from TikTok but is actually trying to trick the user. Phishing or spoofing is one of the most common scams and, according to ESET, In this particular case, the criminals disguised themselves as social networks under the pretext of offering verified account tokens, more followers, or even sponsors.
But if the person clicks on the provided link, they will be redirected to a site that asks for TikTok login credentials, and unless two-factor authentication is enabled, cybercriminals will have control of the account.

Bot account on TikTok

ESET explains that there are many TikTok accounts that are actually programmed by bots interact with specific users and make them believe that they are communicating with a real person.

The intent of these bots is to solicit victims’ sensitive information or even redirect them to fraudulent sites that try to steal data or install malware on their phones.

Fake app promoted on TikTok

Fake accounts on TikTok sometimes promote apps that are available for download. The risk is that this app is also fake and is actually programmed to steal information install malware one of advertising software (advertising spam) on the device.

Fake celebrities on TikTok

We know that social networks allow us to feel closer to some celebrities. However, there are accounts trying to impersonate celebrities. In fact, ESET warns that this is very simple because the content of real celebrity accounts is simply duplicated.

Through these scams, cybercriminals seek to gain as many followers as possible and, before they are discovered and reported, use the platform to promote more scams, like the cryptocurrency investments we told you about.

FS