I haven’t posted a lot of stories about TikTok. If you’re unfamiliar with the app, it allows its users to record and share short videos. I like to call it the heir apparent to Vine. While I haven’t seen a lot of stories in the news about predators on TikTok that doesn’t mean they’re not there. I’ve been told by some in the security field that there are just as many predators on TikTok as there are on any other platform. So, just because it may not be reported in the news doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
Now, while this story isn’t about a predator per se, it does show how easily criminals can target your children through TikTok.
In Kuna, Idaho a 10-year-old girl was messaged by someone on TikTok who said they were looking for a sugar baby that they could shower with gifts. While that sounds a lot like an online predator, this person was after something else. In order to ‘spoil’ the girl, the person asked the girl for her parents’ bank card information and PIN. Thankfully, the girl was smart enough to tell her folks who called police.
Even though the girl was only targeted in a credit card fraud scheme she could have just as easily been targeted by a sexual predator. TikTok and most other social platforms state that the minimum age of users should be no lower than 13. Even then, parents should never let their kid be on any social platform unattended. Since TikTok is so popular with kids I would imagine that predators are lurking there as well. You wouldn’t let your kids roam around alone in the middle of an unfamiliar neighborhood alone, so why would you let them do so online?
Real Crime with Trench Reynolds 