Although payments are the expected part of a sugar relationship, there are many ways for fraudsters to steal sugar babies’ money. We’ll cover the most common cons and how to avoid them, starting with using a trustworthy sugar dating site.
Here is the list of the best websites to find a sugar momma:
cougar relationships
newcomers
While the news about sugar mama scams is spreading online, CougarLife is one of the most reliable services with many verified and real mature women who are actively looking for a relationship. Likewise, it offers the most convenient mobile app and site with an up-to-date security system.
Though online purchases and cryptocurrency scams remain more common, romance scams hold third place, according to the Better Business Bureau Online Scam Report of 2022. FTC claims losses to romance scams exceeded $1.3 billion throughout the last five years. And in 2021 alone, Americans reported over $547 million lost to romance scams. The Commission received over 56,000 victim complaints with a median loss of around $2,400. In contrast, in 2017, only 17,000 lost money to romance scams, and the overall losses amounted to $87 million.
So how likely are you to become a victim? With millions of users registered on sugar daddy and momma websites, the likelihood seems negligible. But as online dating and sugar relationships gain popularity, the chances of being scammed increase. Understanding potential risks and warning signs can keep you safer, so we’ve compiled a list of the most common cons you’re likely to run into in a sugar bowl.
More people are targeted by fraudsters on social media than anywhere else online. For example, 25% of scam victims in 2022 reported interacting with social media platforms when they came upon scammers. Moreover, Snapchat scams have become so widespread that the state of Massachusetts has a dedicated page on how to avoid falling victim.
The three most common social media scams you can run into on Snapchat include the following:
Other scam types typical to Snapchat, social media platforms, and online dating sites include gift card and fake check scams. However, they are becoming less popular and getting replaced with cryptocurrency cons. The latter rose to 4.5% in 2022, but the median loss reported ($1,500) is second only to wire transfer payments (around $2,000).
Fraudsters don’t make distinctions between dating or social media platforms. According to the FTC report, in 2021, 23% of romance scam victims identified Facebook as the starting point of a scam, and 13% pointed to Instagram being the source of fraud.
Unlike typical sugar momma scams, social media schemes may involve blackmail. For instance, a generous sugar mama may request a nude sugar baby photo or video in exchange for payment. But instead of sending money, the scammer threatens to release the intimate materials online, which may ruin the sugar baby’s reputation and career. So, you’ll have to send your own money instead of getting cash.
We recommend keeping your intimate videos and photos private and avoiding profiles that generously use #sugar hashtags.
According to Better Business Bureau Online Scams Report 2022, one in three scam victims lost money via online payment methods, including Cash App, Zelle, Venmo, etc., with a median loss of around $250 per person. Unfortunately, this type of sugar mama scam is gaining momentum, as unlike bank transfers and PayPal payments, money transfer apps do not fall under buyer protection programs or FDIC insurance. As a result, getting your money back is nearly impossible.
Within the simplest and most common con, a sugar momma will ask you to transfer money, a small sum, to prove your intentions. Instead of sending your payment back, the sugar mama will disappear. More sophisticated scammers will send you a fake login link to steal your authentication data and get access to your e-wallet. After that, they’ll empty your account.
To avoid falling victim to scammers, never send money to strangers, and do not follow the links they send you.
PayPal sugar momma scams work similarly to Cash App cons. A wealthy lady will promise you riches if only you send a small sum first to show you’re interested or to ‘unlock’ the payment. And once you transfer money, she will stop answering your messages. Conversely, PayPal is more likely to reimburse your losses than e-wallet apps. For instance, in 2022, 30% of scam victims got reimbursed after losing money via PayPal.
We remind you that sending money to strangers is never a good idea.
Credit cards are the most common means for scammers to get their hands on your money. For example, in 2022, 37.8% of scam victims reported losing money from credit cards, with a median loss of $90.
Aside from asking for an upfront payment, fraudsters can ask for your bank account information, including your security code and PIN. Once they gain access to your account, scammers will empty it if you don’t manage to block the card first. Fortunately, BBB reports that nearly every other scam victim (48%) managed to get reimbursement in 2022 after losing money via credit card payment.
Still, we recommend you keep your credit card security code private, as it is only necessary to send money, not receive it!
Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell a fraudster from a real person at first glance. But after researching the issue, we’ve come up with a few sure signs the person on the other side of the screen is just the scammer.
How to know if a sugar momma is legit? You’re probably not flirting with a real sugar momma if she has one or more of the following red flags:
Whether you meet on Instagram, Snapchat, or a dating site, her non-existent social media presence is a warning sign. We recommend running her photos through a Google image search. It’s the fastest way to identify a fraudster, as scammers steal photos to pass off as their own all the time.
Although using social media, phone calls, or messengers is usually cheaper, it’s more dangerous than relying on a reputable dating platform. Besides, even sharing your email or phone number can give scammers leverage over you. To stay on the safe side, we recommend switching to alternative communication modes after the first date.
She’s unlikely to ask the name of your first pet or your credit card number. Still, talented con artists can make you share sensitive, personally identifiable information without realizing the danger. Ideally, you want to keep your sugar baby persona as far removed from your real life as possible.
Around 80% of all scams in 2022 were online, so you’re unlikely to fall victim to a fraudster in person. If the sugar mama uses stolen photos and fake profile information to lure sugar babies, she won’t want to show her real face. We suggest you stop chatting with any lady who’s opposed to the idea of meeting face-to-face.
If you suspect a sugar mama scam, report the user to an online dating site or social media platform and block her. It’s the only way to stay safe and protect others. And if you’ve already become a scam victim, report it to BBB or FTC.
Our intention is not to scare you away from finding a sugar momma and enjoying a mutually beneficial relationship. We merely believe that forewarned is forearmed. So in this post, we tried to provide you with all the necessary knowledge and tools to avoid falling victim to sugar momma scams on dating sites and social media.
