Scams

Douyin is warning parents about a rise in scams targeting minors during the summer. Scammers lure young users with offers like free books or game accounts, then redirect them to external platforms. Tactics include impersonating law enforcement and using scare tactics to coerce fund transfers. Douyin recommends using “Teen Mode,” which disables features like messaging and live-streaming, to protect minors. Common scams involve impersonating police, falsely accusing minors of fraud, and using fake gaming streamers to install remote access software.

TikTok warns users about a surge in scams where fraudsters impersonate customer service representatives. These scammers trick users into downloading fake apps, like a bogus “TikTok Meetings” app, and then use screen-sharing to access bank accounts and steal funds. TikTok explicitly states there is no official “TikTok Meetings” app and advises skepticism toward unsolicited requests to download software or transfer money. They also caution against post-shopping festival delivery scams that lead to malware downloads. TikTok emphasizes they will never ask users to download third-party software or share screens.

To enhance user safety, TikTok launched an “Anti-Fraud Open Day” and an alliance with regulators. The platform combats scams, particularly impersonation and cross-platform redirect fraud, through customer service verification and AI-powered content moderation. TikTok bans over 80,000 scam accounts daily, blocks millions of suspicious content, and issues millions of warnings, protecting an average of 50,000 potential victims daily.