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May 27th, 2022
Get-rich-quick schemes have been around since time immemorial. Thanks to technology and the prevalence of social media, scammers have found an even easier way to dupe people. One of the most common online scams being conducted through social media and online apps are money flipping scams or cash flip scams.
What Are Cash Flip Scams?
As the name suggests, cash flip scams promise to “flip” a small amount of money into a much bigger amount. Scammers send their potential victims a private message over social media, luring them into sending a small amount of money. The scammer then promises to send back double, triple, or even ten times that initial amount. For instance, a scammer will ask their mark to send them $30, which they claim they can turn into $300 or even $3,000 in a short amount of time — sometimes, in a matter of minutes.
Once the amount has been sent, the scammer will block the victim from their social media account, severing all contact between them. Needless to say, the victim will have no way of reclaiming their lost “investment.”
How Do Cash Flip Scams Work?
Scammers use a variety of tactics to make money flipping scams work for them, but the goal is generally the same.
As mentioned, cash flip scams happen over social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. However, Instagram money flips seem to be the most prevalent. According to a study by ZeroFox, there were about 1,386 unique scammer accounts on Instagram actively creating cash flip posts. Around 80% of these scam posts have a lifespan of 45 days or more. This means cash flip scammers are undetected by Instagram’s algorithms for more than a month. Since Instagram is focused on image sharing, scammers can promote their “services” and reel victims in with photos of money, luxury items, or drugs.
Messages sent to potential victims can also vary. Individuals who use Cash App typically receive messages from scammers pretending to be a representative of the money transfer app. The scammer tells the victim that they have access to a flip cash system that allows them to increase the value of the victim’s transaction. To provide “proof,” some scammers send victims Cash App flip pictures or Cash App flip messages that serve as testimonials or success stories.
Other Cash Flip Scams
Aside from Cash App, scammers also piggyback on reputable brand names like Walmart. They create Instagram pages using these brand names even if the page itself has no official ties to the store. Individuals who don’t verify the authenticity of the page might just believe that the scammer is an actual representative of the store messaging them about a special offer. Once the victim sends over the money, the outcome will always be the same: they’ll be blocked from the scammer’s account or the page will become private.
Occasionally, scammers offer smaller flips that will work only during the first instance. For example, a victim sends over $3 and they receive $30 in return. Since it worked the first time, victims will more likely be convinced to send over an even bigger amount they can’t reclaim.
Is Money Flipping Real?
Unfortunately, money flipping isn’t real. If you think about it, it’s an offer that’s too good to be true. Like many scams, it takes advantage of people who are desperate for money. More nefarious scammers even pretend to be members of nonprofits aimed to “help” people strapped for cash. If you see posts advertising Cash App flips, Instagram money flips, or any kind of money flipping offer, they’re likely a scam. More often than not, these are pyramid schemes.
How To Avoid Cash Flip Scams
You might think that all it takes is a healthy level of skepticism to detect scams like money flipping. However, scammers are great at social engineering and can be convincing enough with the right approach. To avoid money flipping scams, here are a few steps you can take to keep yourself protected:
- Before engaging with a potential scammer, search for their username online. You can also run an identity search using their profile picture or a reverse image search.
- You can also search for their identity in case they posted a phone number.
- Never share any personal information such as bank account details, pin codes, and passwords. People who ask for these are likely scammers.
- Treat strangers online as you would strangers in real life: always take their words with a grain of salt.
- In case you did get scammed or feel like you are being scammed, report the scam account to the social media site or the app’s official support page, as well as the authorities like the FBI.
Social Catfish Is Here to Help!
At Social Catfish, we help our users avoid getting scammed by offering reverse lookup services that can verify names, email addresses, phone numbers, and social media usernames. Keep yourself and your finances protected by knowing who you’re talking to!
