In short
TikTok says it will never contact you to ask for your password, verification codes or other sensitive personal details. Official messages arrive as in-app notifications or from email addresses ending in tiktok.com, and TikTok warns that messages paying you to like or follow videos are scams.
Most common fake: Your account will be banned unless you verify it with the code we just sent.
Safest check: Check for the notice in your TikTok app notifications, not in a DM or text.
What TikTok says
TikTok says it will never contact you to ask for your password, verification codes or other sensitive personal details. Official messages arrive as in-app notifications or from email addresses ending in tiktok.com, and TikTok warns that messages paying you to like or follow videos are scams. Source: TikTok Support
Common fake TikTok messages
- Your account will be banned unless you verify it with the code we just sent
- Free followers, likes, coins or gift cards on an outside website
- Get paid to like and follow TikTok videos, join our group chat
- Fake investment or crypto account promising big, low risk returns
- Cheap in-game items or loans that need an upfront fee
TikTok's real web addresses
Genuine TikTok links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: tiktok.com is real, but tiktok-support-center.com or tiktok.com.account-check.top are not.
- tiktok.com
- bytedance.com
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a TikTok message safely
- Check for the notice in your TikTok app notifications, not in a DM or text
- Never share your password or a verification code, even with someone claiming to be TikTok
- Check that emails come from an address ending in tiktok.com
- Treat any offer to pay you for likes or follows as a scam
How to report a fake TikTok message
- Report the account or message in the TikTok app and choose Frauds and Scams (or Scam or Fraud for TikTok Shop listings). Official details on tiktok.com
- In the US, also report task and job scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Official details on consumer.ftc.gov
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it on the real TikTok website or app and turn on two-step verification.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help. Never share one-time codes or move money to a "safe account".
- Report the scam, then delete the message.
More help: Task-based job scams and what to do after a scam.
Questions people ask
Does TikTok send messages asking for payment or personal details?
TikTok says it will never contact you to ask for your password, verification codes or other sensitive personal details. Official messages arrive as in-app notifications or from email addresses ending in tiktok.com, and TikTok warns that messages paying you to like or follow videos are scams.
How can I check if a TikTok message is real?
Check for the notice in your TikTok app notifications, not in a DM or text. Never share your password or a verification code, even with someone claiming to be TikTok. Check that emails come from an address ending in tiktok.com. Treat any offer to pay you for likes or follows as a scam.
How do I report a fake TikTok message?
Report the account or message in the TikTok app and choose Frauds and Scams (or Scam or Fraud for TikTok Shop listings). In the US, also report task and job scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
I clicked a link in a fake TikTok message. What should I do?
Don't enter anything else. If you typed card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card. If you entered a password, change it on the real website and turn on two-step verification. Then report the message and delete it.
Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.
- Avoid fraudulent message attacks on TikTok (TikTok Support)
- Frauds & scams (TikTok Safety Center)
- How TikTok protects our community from frauds and scams (TikTok Newsroom)
- Be wary of job scams which appear to originate from TikTok (TikTok Newsroom)