Kik is one of the most popular messaging apps. It’s a great place to chat with friends through text, emoji, GIFs, and videos. However, it is also a popular place for scammers trying to get your attention through a range of different sophisticated methods, from cat trapping to blackmail.
Here’s a quick overview of Kik scams at the moment, including how easy it is to spot if you’ve fallen into a trap.
Online scams: what they are and how to protect yourself from them
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Kik Bot Scam
Often leading to Kik blackmail scams, Kik is rife with bots that try to imitate real users by tricking you into believing they are authentic. These bots are automated and follow a specific script, but they can be quite complex, so it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake.
The bot starts talking to you and then usually prompts you to go to a questionable website that is either full of malware, or tries to entice you to disclose financial information about yourself, for example, by offering a nude photo in exchange.
Can you find the scam site from the real one
The key to avoiding such threats is knowing who you are talking to and looking for unusual ways to express things. Alien danger is an important part of the negotiation of any social messaging app. Listen to your intuition.
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Kik scam
Similar to the Kik bot scam, cat catching is a common occurrence on Kik when it comes to real people trying to manipulate information out of you. Do you know how I know I’m being fed? It’s complicated.
As a general rule, these people tend to talk to you, ask a lot of questions, and yet reveal very little about themselves. This is a cunning form of psychological manipulation in which they gradually force you to either provide them with personal information or browse suspicious websites.
When talking to someone you don’t know, be aware of any manipulation that may occur. Don’t play with it if something is wrong.
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Kik Blackmail Scam
101 Dalmatians, Getty Images
Related to the idea of a random person sending you messages to get information from you or to convince you to visit suspicious websites, they can also blackmail you through Kik. This is usually done to gain your trust before talking to you about sexual matters. Over time, they encourage the user to share candid pictures.
The blackmailer then threatens to send the photos to the friends or family of the manipulated user. A request for money is then made to save the victim’s reputation.
Know who you are talking to and don’t say anything to a stranger you don’t want to have around you.
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Kik Freebie Scam
ArisSu, Getty Images
Similar to various text message scams, Kik Freebie Scam involves receiving a message that says something along the lines of:
“Kik recently hit the incredible milestone of 100 million users! As a token of our appreciation, we are giving away FREE gifts to lucky users and you have been chosen! Visit the XYZ website to see what you’ve won! Pricing is first come, first serve, so claim today! »
The link may change depending on the scam, but the principle remains the same. Once you click on the link, you will be taken to a website where you will be asked to enter your username and sometimes other important details. Some scams simply result in you downloading a free app and nothing else, earning the scammer rewards for referrals. Other links lead to malware or ways in which you may be tempted to enter financial data.
Regardless of the link, just ignore it and delete the post. At best, this is a waste of your time; at worst it is dangerous.
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Kik FaceTime Scam
Ridofranz, Getty Images
Like Kik nude photo scams, Kik scams face time is where the blackmailer encourages you to record yourself doing personal things via FaceTime for review. Once you do that, the blackmailer will then let you know that they have recorded the footage and send it to your friends and family. To avoid being humiliated, you need to pay a certain amount of money for them to «delete» the video.
Often the video doesn’t even exist, but it’s important to never back down from such threats. Also, don’t allow yourself to be in a compromising position with someone you don’t fully know and trust. It’s not worth the risk.
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Kik dating scam
SI photography, Getty Images
Kik dating scams work very similarly to the other scams listed here, but they tend to last much longer. Instead of a «quick hit» bot trying to get information from you, dating scams tend to be slow. This usually happens when a random person starts chatting with you and making friends. Over time, this friendship becomes more personal and personal. Much like an offline relationship, but without a real connection.
Once the relationship is fully established and trust established, the scammer strikes. Typically, they start asking for money to help them get out of trouble, relying on the user’s good nature to bail out their «friend» or «partner». The amounts of money tend to increase over time along with the more manipulative words of the scammer if the victim refuses at any point.
The scammer relies on the victim being too embarrassed or humiliated to discuss it with others, so they often get away with such a crime, even if it is one of the most emotionally damaging forms of fraud.
Don’t be ashamed. It can happen to anyone. Just be sure to report it if this happens to you.