Cybersecurity firm ESET has taken a close look at TikTok, which has become the world’s number one social media application, in terms of cybersecurity. He shared on TikTok what users should watch out for against fraud methods.

TikTok is expanding its audience by breaking records. TikTok has become the social media platform where short videos are the most shared and viewed in six years. Today, users in the UK and US spend more time on TikTok than they do on YouTube. In TikTok, which has such a large user base, cyber criminals don’t sit still, they look for opportunities to drop their victims into their networks.

Because cyber criminals have a very creative nature, they always follow trends closely. Scammers noticed the growth that came with social media and soon started using different platforms to commit all kinds of scams. Since TikTok has more than 1.2 billion daily users, anyone can easily reach this audience. Furthermore, in an app where people watch video for minutes or even hours at a time, scammers can easily overwhelm people and steal their money, bills and even reputation.

When investigating the fraud methods on TikTok, ESET experts identified the five most commonly used ways and shared their warnings.

Get Rich Quick and Low Investment Crypto Scams

Scammers love to trick people with claims that they get high returns without much effort. Cryptocurrencies are making a big splash online as they have been on the rise (and declining) lately. TikTok remains the most preferred platform when it comes to stealing money from people.

TikTok phishing messages

While a fake TikTok email or message is a randomly sent message, such as a typical phishing message, it is hoped that it ends up in a TikTok user’s inbox. Scammers to users; The verified badge may try to offer more followers or even sponsorship. Once the victim clicks on the link in the message, they are redirected to a site that asks for TikTok credentials. If the account in question doesn’t have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled (which TikTok accounts don’t have by default), the moment the credentials are accessed, hackers can take control of the account and even prevent the original user from accessing the account. account.

Bot Accounts

Unfortunately, TikTok still has many bot accounts that can intelligently interact with users by tricking targeted users into thinking they are chatting with a real person. These bot accounts can eventually request sensitive information from victims or redirect them to a fake website with the aim of obtaining victims’ login details or installing malware on their phones.

Fake TikTok Apps

Sometimes fake accounts on TikTok advertise apps that are ready to download. The problem is that the apps in question are also fake. Some accounts may say that certain paid apps can be downloaded for free from major third-party app stores. However, these apps actually install malware or adware on your device to steal your information.

fake celebrities

Some accounts try to pose as real celebrities. This scam is usually done by copying content from a celebrity’s account. This scam is used to gain as many followers as possible, and scammers can use the platform to promote more scams such as cryptocurrency investment scams before they are noticed and reported.

How to stay safe on TikTok

While it’s hard to hack into someone’s TikTok account without being near a victim’s phone and snooping on their screen, make sure you have two-factor authentication enabled. Since this app also requires the code to be sent to your email address, it will help keep cyber criminals out of your account even if they can see the reset code sent to your phone. Like other platforms, TikTok never asks you for your account information, password, one-time password, or any of the other verification methods. As a precaution in this very serious situation, it is important to be wary of scammers who may try to trick you into sharing your personal information via email or in-app messages. If you come across any spam or TikTok videos that you believe may be a phishing attempt, report it to TikTok immediately and do not click on any relevant links.