“Sorry for the weird approach”: TikToker shares warning to beware of the “text buddy” scam
A TikTok creator says she almost fell victim to a scam she’d never heard of before.
Samantha (@sammy__whamm) shared that someone reached out to her on TikTok with what seemed like a harmless message.
“Someone tried to get into my DMs saying, ‘Hey, sorry for the weird approach, I just have a question,’” she said.
Thinking it was just another genuine question like she often gets, Samantha replied.
The person claimed to run a trucking business, liked mural painting, and eventually asked her where she lived, her age, and what she did for work.
“Already a weird start,” Samantha recalled, but she kept the answers vague.
Things got stranger when the user offered to pay her just to chat with them.
“At that point, I straight up ask them, ‘Are you asking me to be a sugar baby right now?’” she said.
@sammy__whamm I’m sure I’m not the first person they’ve attempted this on so don’t fall for it yall #foryoupage #fyp #scammeralert ♬ original sound - ⭐HeidiTurnerFNAF_Reels⭐
The person denied it and said they simply wanted a “text buddy” to have conversations with — and spoil.
Samantha quickly looked up the term and found out it was part of a well-known scam.
“Sure enough, it is a scam,” she said, stating she blocked them immediately.
“Stay safe out there, y'all,” Samantha concluded.
Is this a well-known scam?
While not as widespread as other frauds, scams like this have been reported by other users, often ending in fake check schemes.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, these scams usually involve a stranger sending you a check, asking you to deposit it, and then returning part of the money.
“By the time the bank discovers the check is fake, the scammers have your money,” the FTC warns.
The agency says it’s generally a bad idea to accept money from strangers for any reason.
Other scams to look out for
These kinds of scams can happen entirely online.
For example, there’s the Facebook Marketplace scam, where fraudsters send fake payment links or ask for money back after canceling a payment. Always stick to reputable payment platforms for online sales.
Others involve phone calls, like the common jury duty scam, where someone claims you missed a court date and must pay a fee— a situation courts would only communicate about by mail.
Bank impersonation scams are also frequent. Scammers pretend to be from your bank, often using personal information to sound convincing.
If this happens, experts recommend hanging up and calling your bank directly using an official number. The same is true for text messages; ignore it and contact your bank through legitimate channels instead.
Commenters weren’t surprised
Many users said they’d seen the exact same approach.
“I just got this yesterday.. I don’t have time for games like this,” one wrote.
Another added, “It’s basically the same thing as sugar baby lol. Had the same messages.”
“I had one yesterday open with ‘hey, sorry to bother you, but I have a question.’ … then they said ‘wanna be my sugar baby?’ and I’m over here like, I haven’t posted a SINGLE video of myself,” a third person shared. “TF you mean I’m beautiful.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Samantha via TikTok direct messages for additional information.
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