Sugar Momma Scam Risks In 2024 — Keep Your Personal Money Safe
Sugar daddy scams are everywhere, but what about male sugar babies? Are they safe to date on the Internet? And what about older women who pretend to be generous-are younger men more likely than women to agree to start a relationship with them?
The growing romance scam rate resulted in millions of dollars in losses. And your safety highly depends on the niche site or social media you use.
Here are a few reliable sugar momma dating platforms to check out.
How do sugar momma scams work?
There are different sugar momma scams, but mainly all of them are targeting either bank account info or sensitive personal information. As men are usually more active and less cautious about choosing a sugar momma, many scammers benefit from that.
Usually, the scam works this way:
- Scammers steal photos of a wealthy woman (or just a hot older woman who looks rich) if they pretend to be a SM, or a good-looking guy if they want to scam sugar babies as a sugar daddy
- They register to different sugar mommas dating platforms and create fake profiles (some of them might look legit)
- Scammers contact potential victims and pretend to be a generous sugar mama who will spoil her SB for nothing in return (or many other scam tactics)
- They ask for bank account info to transfer money or sensitive personal information (intimate photos, videos, real name, address, etc.)
Unfortunately, many new SBs can’t avoid falling victim to the sugar mama scam and end up losing their own money instead of getting a weekly allowance. But not everyone on sugar mama sites is fake or a scammer. You need to learn more to differ a scammer from a real sugar momma.
Are Snapchat sugar mommas real? Let’s talk about Snapchat sugar momma scam
Snapchat is a photo-sharing social media platform that is focused on person to person basis. Even though it was created as a platform for day-to-day communication, it is also used by sugar mamas who want to find a sugar baby.
But, unfortunately, not every sugar mama you encounter on Snapchat is a real person. The popular Snapchat sugar momma scam results in lost money or scammers stealing photos and using them for personal purposes or blackmailing their victims. The reports of these types of scam to the Better Business Bureau are almost endless.
How to spot a fake SM who is just the scammer on Snapchat?
Here are a few red flags that will help you spot a sugar momma scam:
- She adds you and many of your male friends
- Wants to send money right away
- Doesn’t discuss any conditions
- Insists on wire transfers or info on your bank account (to allegedly deposit money)
- Asks for reveling photos or videos
If your Snapchat SM did anything of the list, be cautious and don’t hesitate to stop communication immediately to avoid falling victim to a romance scam.
Sugar mommy scam on Instagram
Instagram was created as a social media app for photo sharing, but it’s now widely used for all sorts of things, from business needs to finding love and even sugar dating. But as the platform isn’t meant for sugar arrangements, like traditional sugar daddy dating sites, many scammers pretend to be a wealthy sugar mama or sugar daddy.
As social media platforms like Instagram don’t require government ID numbers, it’s easier for scammers to do their nasty business. They trick victims by making them believe that they want to deposit money (monthly / weekly allowance, etc.) but instead SBs receive an outstanding bill.
How to avoid falling victim to an Instagram romance scam?
Here are a few tips that will help you spot a fake IG sugar mama:
- Beware of women offering money right away if you have never met them in person
- Don’t believe claims of being a pro in sugar relationships if you don’t even discuss the conditions of your arrangement
- Be cautious if a SM asks for banking info or a credit card number and refuses to send money any other way
- Do reverse image lookup to see if the sugar mama is not using other person’s pics
- Ask for additional photos or suggest using a video chat and see the reaction
Overall, not all SMs on Instagram are fake, but if you choose between a specialized site for sugar dating or social media—you better stick with the first one.
Sugar momma Cash App scam
Using Cash App, a popular money transfer app is usually seen as a safer option to direct bank transfer, as it as a rule doesn’t require personally identifiable information, so your identity and private info are not visible. But there are many Cash App sugar mommy scams that result in lost money, and your SMs may, in the best-case scenario, leave you with nothing, but sometimes victims end up paying themselves. Let’s see how the common Cash App scams work!
- Upfront payments scam. A popular Cash App romance scam that according to the FBI resulted in losses of almost $1 billion only in 2021 is upfront payments. A SM or SD asks to send a small sum of money via Cash App to get a SB info, promising to send more. Usually, it’s like send me $50 and I’ll send you $500 back immediately. It’s very similar to a popular scam called “money flipping”.
- Fake $1,000 Cash app transactions. A sugar mama or daddy, but in this case a scammer, asks you for your tag to send you your weekly allowance or just some cash to buy something. But instead of making a real transaction scammer sends fake checks (up to $5K) and you receive nothing. Also, be cautious when giving your tag, as some scammers will try to get you to click on the link and get your personal info or Cash App PIN to steal your money.
- Big fake Cash app check. Another way scammers trick victims by offering money is by sending a screenshot of a fake check that has more money than it is supposed to. For example $5,000 instead of $500. Fake SM usually says that’s a mistake and asks to deposit money to a specific account they provide. And if you do, you’ll be paying with your own money.
- Bitcoin Cash App scam. As Cash App can be used for buying crypto, some fake sugar mommas and daddies pretend to be crypto experts and say that they can easily double your investments. But once you send them your Bitcoin, don’t wait for it to come back.
Always keep your eyes peeled for these common Cash App scams. Don’t fall for a sugar momma who says that she will pay an outstanding bill for nothing or asks you to send money to her under any circumstances.
Sugar momma scam PayPal
PayPal is another popular alternative to receiving payments via bank transfer, as it doesn’t require personally identifiable information, and you can use just an email. PayPal is the 1st in popularity among payment systems online, and it is that popular for its high level of safety too.
Regardless if you use a website that is designed for sugar dating or a social media platform, you can fall for one of the PayPal scams. Let’s take a look at the most common ones:
- Paying a fee in advance. Many victims report being promised to send thousands of dollars after paying a small fee in advance.
- Overpayment scam. In this case, a scammer sends more money than discussed “by accident” (using different techniques to make you sure that money is there) and then asks to send the difference through a non-reversible form that the scammer claims to be “legit”.
These are two of the most popular PayPal sugar payment schemes, that are worth knowing. The Better Business Bureau often emphasizes that nothing online can be 100% safe and you need to double-check scams’ red flags when it comes to financial transactions.
A sugar momma is asking for bank account info: Red flag or not?
The money question is an unavoidable part of any sugar relationship, which makes many people wonder if asking for banking info is okay or not, and what to do if a scammer asks for financial information.
First of all, if a SM wants to send you money is not a red flag; it is just what the sugar mamas do. But a lot depends on the conditions and the way they do it. Here are a few red flags of a SM con artist:
- Fake claims are not a good sign. One victim reported that a scammer claimed that she sent money, but it never came.
- A scammer sends… nothing. Another victim said that he received checks that bounced or were reversible.
- Excuses, excuses. That’s probably one of the most popular con artist signs. If your SM always makes excuses to pay you, even if you have met in person—she is not real.
Always remember real SMs have the money to pay for you and to you. For sure, mistakes might happen, but your SM should always be able to pay you in full.
How to spot a fake sugar momma: Fake sugar momma signs
Now you know a lot about what common scams an average sugar scam victim reported. To help you see even more, we created a short checklist to help you spot a fake:
- She doesn’t seem rich and has a low social media presence. Wealthy people might have private accounts, but they usually like to share their luxury lifestyle on IG or any other social media app.
- A SM keeps asking for money. She might be asking for cash regularly or rushing you to send some money to a needy friend ASAP.
- She avoids personal questions and doesn’t want to share any details. Being private is okay, but not sharing any info helps a con artist to have the story straight.
Also, one victim told about a new twist in fake SM. Some of them put in a lot of effort into appearing legit, so when you search online they seem fine. But that’s only because they have not one victim but multiple SBs they are scamming simultaneously.
How to avoid con artist sugar momma?
Here are a few practical tips that will answer your question of how to know if a sugar momma is legit.
- Search online for her contact info and check her social media accounts
- Use reverse image lookup to check for fake profile photos
- Keep an eye on her story and if it’s consistent
- Be skeptical about sending money if you have never met in person, even if it’s an impressive check for your first weekly allowance
Also, being a sugar baby, you need to learn to ask detailed questions to be sure that you are on the same page and protect yourself from online payment and check scams.
The bottom line
Sugar dating is an exceptional opportunity to enjoy a luxury lifestyle and get a real improvement in your financial situation. But getting your first or a new sugar momma should be considered a serious thing. Never share your government ID numbers, links to personal social media accounts, or credit card number, and generally mind what personal information you are online. Also, remember the quite popular nowadays and weird situation when SMs ask for money instead of paying, which is different from how things are supposed to work.
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