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Infamous PayPal Snapchat Scams & How to Avoid Them
Snapchat is a fun and popular messaging and media sharing app. PayPal is a convenient and easy to use electronic money transfer app. These platforms in the hands of an idle or dishonest person gives the perfect recipe for PayPal Snapchat scams!
As much as I love preaching about how easy it is to make money online (and it is!)…I am obligated to warn you about how easy it is to lose money online as well.
There are several popular PayPal scams and fake snapchat opportunities out there, that you need to be aware of. Let’s review them so you can steer clear of these.
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Not everything that glitters is gold! That goes for people, their intentions and some of these money making opportunities that we see online. Sometimes our love of easy money can blind us.
In other cases, our love of people can lead to our downfall. Scammers are experts at manipulation after all. We get so comfortable on social media that we forget that there are genuinely bad people out there.
Online financial transactions are also right at our fingertips. Scam artists capitalize on persons’ naivety, generosity, ambitiousness or desperation to swindle them out of their money.
Let’s review the PayPal Snapchat scams plaguing the internet, to insure that you do not fall victim!
What is PayPal?
PayPal is an online money transfer service that basically acts as a “middleman” between buyers, sellers and their financial institutions. Users link their bank accounts or credit cards to their PayPal account, which allows them to relay funds via the application.
PayPal is accepted worldwide and is a very convenient way to make and receive payments online.
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a social networking and messaging platform where users can exchange text, videos and photos with each other. Messages are referred to as “snaps” and stay active for a predetermined time, before being automatically deleted.
With a minimum signup age of 13, Snapchat is extremely popular with teenagers and young adults.
What are PayPal Snapchat Scams?
PayPal Snapchat scams are schemes designed to trick persons into giving up money, or to obtain personal information in order to steal money from victims later on.
These scams can be categorized as scams which are hatched via communication on the Snapchat app, which ultimately results in a someone unknowingly or unwillingly losing money from their PayPal account.
19 Ultra Sneaky PayPal Snapchat Scams to Avoid
Scammers are getting smarter and sneakier every day! It’s crazy to think that Americans were swindled out of a total of $10.3 billion dollars in 2022, due to internet scams!
These scam artists are strategizing and becoming more and more inventive as time goes by. Their aim is to steal your money without you suspecting and they’ve gotten quite good at it.
It is important to be able to spot these crooks and decipher legitimate opportunities and transactions from fraudulent ones. Make your money online and capture opportunities! But stay safe and safeguard your earnings!
These are the hottest PayPal Snapchat scams plaguing the internet today. Some of them have been around a while, but are becoming better disguised. Others are quite new and appear to be legit or innocent. They are tricks, so beware!
1. Opportunity to Make Money Scam
Everywhere you turn these days someone is trying to convince you to join some kind of “get rich quick” scheme. Pyramid schemes, MLMs, money circles…you name it! And since Snapchat is a communication app, it’s used to recruit persons into joining these fake initiatives.
You’d have to either transfer money to purchase a product, buy into some sort of membership plan or pay money in some way or the other. Sooner or later, you’d lose your money. Be aware and stay clear!
2. Fake Recruitment / Job Offer Scams
Persons posing as recruiters for job agencies are a big PayPal Snapchat scam these days! You’d be lured into accepting a fake job offer, either domestic or in an exciting foreign destination. In order to process the paperwork, you’d be asked to transfer some money.
Once you transfer the cash, just kiss it goodbye!
3. Account Help Scam
Hackers impersonate one of your friends who are having difficulty accessing their account. They’d request your account information and claim that it could help access their account. They may even say that they forgot their Snapchat username.
Once you give up your information to them, they’d take access of your account from there. The massive problem lies when you have confidential information saved, or in your chat history.
Many people also have similar login credentials across multiple platforms…including their banking. That’s when an inconvenient Snapchat scam can evolve into a catastrophic PayPal Snapchat scam!
They would be able to access your accounts and steal your money.
4. Phishing Scams
Phishing is when fraudsters send scam emails or text messages, which includes a link that prompts you to enter your login information. Once you click on the link and enter your information, they acquire your password and username, obtain access to your account and all the information that comes with it.
The message is disguised so that it appears to come from Snapchat themselves and usually states that your account security has been compromised. It would urge you to click the link to verify your information. This is a trap!
You may also be told that you’ve won something or you need to click the link to unlock a special prize, coupon or discount code.
5. Love Interest Scams
Electronic chat forums are no strangers to blossoming relationships. People meet love interests online all the time. However, not everyone are who they claim to be! It’s called catfishing!
People bait you into trusting and developing feelings for them and then scam you out of money.
Fake love interests may use Snapchat to scam you in the following ways:
i. Request that you wire them money or purchase gift cards for them.
ii. Ask that you purchase a ticket to meet up via a link that they’d send you, only to steal your PayPal, credit card or banking information.
iii. Ask for money to be sent to purchase plane, bus, taxi or train tickets over and over again. They’d always come up with a last minute silly excuse not to show.
iv. Pretend to build a relationship with you to get you to send explicit photos or videos of yourself. They’d then use it to blackmail you.
v. Ask for your Snapchat account information to confirm that you aren’t flirting with anyone else online . They’d then take access of your account and all other information that comes with it.
6. Friend in Need Scam
Just like hackers can hack your account, they may hack a friend’s account instead. The hacker, disguised as your friend, would then request favors from you, scamming you out of money from your bank or PayPal account.
Hackers, posing as your friends, commonly invent a sad story or claim that they have an emergency and in need of money. You’d send them the funds and you’d never hear from them again.
7. Cashing a Check Scam
Con artists, posing as friends on Snapchat, may send you a photo of a check and request that you mobile deposit it into your account in exchange for a smaller or equivalent sum of money. They’d claim that they need the money right away to pay some bills and are unable to wait the time for the check to clear.
You’d wire them the money and the check would then bounce in your account, resulting in you having to pay the bounced check fee as well.
8. Government Issued Check Scam
During the pandemic, the government issued stimulus checks to assist members of the public that were affected. These were greatly appreciated and many persons would love to receive another round of those. Scam artists send phishing emails, letters, Snapchat messages, or even fake checks to persons, along with instructions for them to follow, pretending that it’s to access a government issued check.
Unsuspecting persons may follow a link or call a phone number and end up disclosing information which result in their Snapchat profile or bank account being hacked.
Some scammers may also ask that money be wired in order for the check to be processed or for a “shipping and handling fee”. Similar scams have been reported under the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.
9. Shipping Address Scam
Fake messages claiming to have a link to tracking information for an undelivered package are another common scam. You may also be asked to follow the link to update some required info for a delivery that is headed your way.
Scrutinize these messages carefully as they are designed to look like they are from popular shipping companies like UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc.
10. Accidental Payment Scam
Another popular PayPal Snapchat scam is the accidental payment / fake check / receipt scam. The scammer reaches out to you with a screenshot of a payment that has been made to you, claiming that it was done by accident. You’d send them back the money and they’d reverse the initial payment (if there even was one to begin with).
Either way…you’d be out of some money.
11. Fake Charity Scam
“Good day kind citizen, how would you like to make a donation to my *fake* cause today?” Just don’t! If you get a message in your Snapchat trying to solicit donations to a charity, that looks sketchy…more than likely it is.
Definitely do not click on any links as well. More than likely you’d get hacked if you do.
12. Fake Prize Scam
Messages claiming that you won some sort of prize, sweepstakes, inheritance or promotion that you’ve never heard of in your life, or never entered to begin with…more than likely is a scam. You’d be asked to click a link and enter some verification information and you’d be hacked.
Or you’d be asked to forward some money in order to process the delivery of the prize. Please do not fall for this!
13. Fake Deal Scam
“Today is your lucky day! For the next X hours only, you can get a special deal on item Y!” Just ignore this message! It’s super easy to set up a sales page these days and scammers can be super convincing.
You’d make the payment and your money would be gone.
14. Hacked Account Scam
Scammers may send you a message disguised as though it’s coming from either PayPal or Snapchat. They’d claim that your account has been hacked and you need to enter some verification information.
Once you reply to them with the information that they asked for, your account would be surely hacked at that point.
15. Sugar Mama / Daddy Scams
Sugar mama and sugar daddy scammers reach out via Snapchat or other messaging platforms and offer to pay you, to keep them company online. They claim to just want companionship in exchange for paying your bills or wiring you money.
They’d ask for your banking details in order to send the money and then make off with all your cash. Or they’d ask that you send them some money or gift cards to prove loyalty. They’d take your money and you won’t hear from them again.
16. Premium Account Scam
Scammers may send a message, impersonating an official Snapchat support staff member, offering to upgrade your account to “Premium” or to unlock certain additional features. They’d claim that there is a fee attached.
If you send them the money, they’d just take it and disappear.
17. Adult Content Scam
Scammers often offer adult content upgrades to Snapchat users. They’d ask persons interested in this sort of content to click a link to access an adult site or dating site. You’d then be asked to pay a fee or to enter banking or credit card information.
You can kiss your money goodbye at this point, if you follow through.
18. Identity Theft Scams
Be careful what information you give out! Scammers are master manipulators and may woo you into giving out confidential information such as banking details, social security numbers, etc. This can easily lead to your identity being stolen.
19. Extortion & Blackmail
Scammers may claim to have confidential or sensitive information about you or your family. They may threaten to expose you publicly or to leak explicit photos, in exchange for payment.
More often than not, these are empty threats that should just be ignored. You can also file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
Basic Rules to Preventing Snapchat Scams
1. Do not accept unknown friend requests.
2. Create a strong, unique password for your PayPal and Snapchat accounts.
3. Utilize Two Factor Authentication to login into your accounts.
4. Do not include confidential information in chats.
5. Treat all links with suspicion.
6. Never disclose confidential information to anyone online.
7. Alter your privacy settings to limit the information that can be seen.
8. Contact your friends, via a platform other than Snapchat, if you see suspicious activity or messages coming from them.
Pro Tips to Avoiding PayPal Snapchat Scams
1. Report any instances of being scammed to PayPal, immediately. They will pull back the money sent.
2. Learn how to spot a fake Snapchat account. Look for tell-tale signs such as poor grammar, spelling errors, poor graphics, etc. Especially if they are trying to convince you that they are from a reputable organization.
3. Be mindful of variations of the same scam.
Frequently Asked Questions for Snapchat Scams
FAQ: Can someone hack you through Snapchat?
The short answer is YES! If you reveal too much information to hackers or click on sketchy links, your profile can easily be hacked. It is important that you never send confidential information or reveal passwords on chatting platforms.
Since kids as young as 13 can sign up, hackers often target their innocence to obtain sensitive information.
FAQ: How do you know if it’s a scammer on Snapchat?
More often than not, scammers may lack communication and language skills. Their spelling, vocabulary and grammar may be below par, so their responses to your questions would be a bit off putting.
These are basic red flags and clear giveaways that the person you are chatting with is a scammer and not a legitimate company representative.
Whenever asked to click links, transfer money or to reveal any personal information whatsoever, the safest thing to do is to make a call to the person or organization in question. Verify the authenticity of the message and messenger!
FAQ: How do you know if you’re being catfished on Snapchat?
Catfishes are usually very upfront with expressing feelings. They appear to fall in love quickly, in order to bait you into “reciprocating” romantic feelings. They also ask for financial favors such as bill payments, gift cards, money for tickets or fares, etc.
FAQ: Is Snapchat safe for sending private photos?
Even though Snapchat is considered safe when chatting with personal friends, you should always be careful of what you send. Messages eventually disappear but persons can save screenshots. Never send explicit or confidential information that may get you into trouble in the future.
Relationships turn sour all the time. A friend today may be a blackmailer tomorrow.
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Final Thoughts on Fake Snapchat Scams
Snapchat is super fun to use. PayPal is as convenient for making and receiving payments online as can be. However, we should never get too casual when it comes to these platforms.
Scammers are out there and just waiting to pounce in order to trick you out of your hard earned money. Be vigilant! Exercise responsibility and caution online!
Do you know of any other PayPal Snapchat scams? Has it happened to you? What was your experience like when dealing with it? Share with us in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
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