Sugar Daddy Scams

What is a sugar daddy?  

A sugar daddy (or momma) is typically an older person who offers financial support or gifts to a younger person (sugar baby) in exchange for companionship or other forms of intimacy. The relationship may or may not involve feelings, and the terms of the arrangement can vary depending on the individuals involved.  

What is the sugar daddy scam?  

Scammers typically use social media and dating apps to find victims and create convincing profiles for themselves. To gain trust and establish credibility, they usually impersonate doctors, lawyers, or other high-status people.  

How do people fall for sugar daddy scams and other types of online scams?  

A sugar daddy scam is a form of social engineering that involves psychological manipulation or deception to influence victims into divulging sensitive information or acting out of their best interests.  

How do sugar daddy scams work?  

Sugar daddy scams work differently on different online platforms. But generally, here’s how they operate:  

1. The scammer uses social media or dating apps to target victims, who are seeking financial support or companionship.  
2. The scammer creates a fake profile, posing as a wealthy, older individual interested in a younger companion.  
3. After the scammer contacts the victim, they’ll use flattery and promises of gifts and money to establish a connection and build trust. They may use fake photos or IDs to keep up their masquerade.  
4. Once they’ve gained trust, scammers will ask the victim for money or personal info as a sign of loyalty or to prove (ironically) that they aren't scammers — all with the promise of greater rewards down the line.  
5. After receiving the initial request, the scammer will either disappear or continue to fleece the victim for even more information or money. They may use emotional manipulation, guilt, or fear to get what they want.

Sugar daddy scams are found on a variety of websites and apps. Here’s how they work on these popular platforms:

• Instagram scams  
• Cash App scams  
• PayPal scams  
• Snapchat scams.  

Sugar daddy Instagram scams  

On Instagram, sugar daddy scammers can use impressive photos of a seemingly opulent life to establish credibility. First, they’ll slide into their victims’ DMs to set up the scam — then move the conversation to a more private platform, like WhatsApp.

To establish trust, scammers may even send photos of other sugar babies who allegedly received money from them.  

Cash App scams  

Sugar daddy scams typically start on social media, and end on a payment platform, like Cash App. There are a couple of ways scammers can use Cash App for scams. Here how:  

• Fraud payments. You receive a sum of stolen money to your account. The scammer then requests a gift or small payment in return. After you make good on the request, Cash App takes back the initial money from your account since it was reported stolen.
• Verification. The scammer requests that you send some money through your account to prove it’s real. Once the money is received, the scammer disappears.  
• Loyalty test. The scammer may request you send them money to prove you are loyal and not a scammer. They may claim they had their heart broken in the past.  
• Request personal info. The scammer may ask you for details like email, phone number, address, or financial info to complete a CashApp transaction. Remember: for a transaction on CashApp, all you need is your $Cashtag.  

PayPal scams  

Sugar daddy scams on PayPal often involve the victim receiving a screenshot of a fake pending transaction. The money is almost theirs, but of course, they need to send the scammer something first, usually a gift card or cryptocurrency. Of course, once the request is met, the scammer cancels the pending transaction.  

Snapchat scams  

Like on Instagram, sugar daddy scammers use Snapchat to find victims and create convincing profiles for themselves to give an air of credibility. Once they establish a rapport with their victim via messages, the scammer will use the Cash app or PayPal to execute the financial aspect of the scam.  

How to spot a fake sugar daddy or sugar momma scam

Through social media trickery, sugar daddy frauds can be convincing. But there are telltale signs that always give them away. Namely: they ask YOU to pay THEM.  

Here’s how to spot a fake sugar daddy:  

Watch out for sugar baby loyalty tests and fee requests

A fake sugar daddy can be a master manipulator. These scammers can pretend to be vulnerable people who were heartbroken by sugar babies in the past. They may humbly request money or goods to prove your loyalty to them. Or they can make fee requests to cover supposed transaction fees for the huge sum of money they’re about to “send” you.  

Don’t instantly trust any incoming funds  

As tempting as it sounds, don’t touch any incoming funds — especially if it’s paid via check.  Scammers can send you money that can suddenly disappear. Wait a while to make sure that checks are cleared and that the money wasn’t stolen. The payment platform can reverse transactions with stolen funds.  

How can you avoid being scammed?  

You can avoid being scammed by being cautious when communicating with strangers online — and never sending them money or personal information. Along with these main tenets, there are other ways to protect yourself.  

Here’s how you can avoid sugar daddy scams:  

Be wary of strangers online

Use caution when communicating with strangers. Scammers are savvy and can create convincing social media profiles or stories. They may even use your online presence to craft scams tailored to you. First and foremost, don’t believe anyone promising free money.  

Never send money to strangers  

This goes for people you’ve never met or have not verified. Don’t fall for any stories of transaction fees or loyalty tests. It’s possible you’ll never see that money again. And never reveal personal details, like financial information.  

Do your research  

Before entering into an arrangement, research your potential sugar daddy or momma. Carefully inspect their profiles and messages for anything deceitful or suspicious. If they’re scammers, chances are they’ve done this before, so search online to see if they’ve been reported in the past.  

Use your instincts

If all else fails, trust your gut. If you’re talking to someone and it just doesn’t seem right, you’re probably correct — block them. Sometimes the best weapon against cybercrime is your own human intuition.  

Used by sugar daddy scammers and others, it’s one of the oldest scammer tricks: the malicious link. A seemingly harmless link that steals your personal information or riddles your device with malware. Clario’s web protection service helps you stay clear of these scammer links.  

Here’s how to use Clario’s web protection extension:  

1. Download Clario and get a subscription to set up an account
2. On the dashboard, go to Browsing
3. Toggle the Web protection switch on
4. Open Safari, and in extensions, toggle the Clario switch on
5. Enjoy safe browsing!

What should you do if you’ve become a victim of a Sugar Daddy scam?

If you’ve fallen victim to a sugar daddy scam, it’s crucial to take prompt action to reduce the consequences. Here’s what to do:

1. Contact your bank or financial institution. If you’ve sent money to a scammer, your bank may be able to cancel or reverse the transaction. If they can’t reverse it, ask them to help you file a dispute.  
2. Change your passwords. If you’ve shared any personal information, like login credentials or credit card information, with the scammer, change your passwords. Also, watch your accounts for any suspicious activity.  
3. Report the scam to authorities. Report the scam to your local authorities, as well as the Federal Trades Commission (FTC) or equivalent body in your country. Evidence will help catch your scammer, so save screenshots, receipts, message transcripts, and anything else that will help your case.  
4. End the conversation. It goes without saying: end all contact with the scammer and block them on all platforms.  

Conclusion  

Sugar daddy scams can be deceitful, but with the right strategies and tools, they won’t get further than your DMs. Clario’s all-in-one security app is equipped with powerful tools and features to send scammers of all kinds packing.  

The ID threat protection feature monitors for data breaches 24/7 and stops your accounts from getting hacked. Don’t let sugar daddy scammers get you salty, try Clario today.