Scam Awareness Guide

This BEARWWW Scam Awareness Guide will help you learn how to recognize and avoid different forms of online scams, in order to protect your personal information and safety as a user of the BEARWWW platform.

Written by Alain VEST

Last published at: July 27th, 2024

BEARWWW is committed to creating a safe and authentic environment, free from scammers, fake accounts and spam. We have protocols in place to detect and remove these accounts, including proactive machine learning models, detection and blocking of text and image hashes, and a dedicated moderation team, working around the clock. on 24, which blocks illegal content and responds to user reports. That said, scamming is an entire industry, based on the ability of scammers to quickly adapt to our measures.

Heart scams on the Internet, detect them and how to protect yourself from them

Social media and dating apps are a prime target for these malicious individuals, as they seek to exploit people who want to form meaningful connections. Although we detect and block a huge amount of these accounts that you will never see as a user, some still make it

to spend. The best protection is ed

ucation. We've compiled a list of common scams to help you spot and avoid them. There may be overlap between different types of scams, and an individual scam may have elements of several different types. Although this list is not exhaustive, we hope you find it useful.

If you have questions about a message you received or come across a profile that seems suspicious, please report the profile in the app or contact our support team by visiting the contact section of this page.

Trust your instincts.


Scammers know what people are looking for - whether it's love, sex, money, companionship or something else - and use this to exploit people by offering them things they don't want. is hard to resist. Always be careful, do your own research and trust your instincts. If a scenario seems too good to be true or seems suspicious to you, it probably is.


Don't send money.
Be wary of anyone who asks you to send them (or anyone else) money or who asks you to pay to interact with them. This includes registering with third-party platforms or services and investment platforms. Remember that they may appear legitimate. For investments, seek advice from a reputable independent organization. Don't follow suspicious links and do your own research.


Do not create Bearwww accounts for anyone other than yourself.
Some scammers will try to get you to create Bearwww accounts for them, which they will use as scam accounts. These could be "sugar daddy" scammers who offer money in exchange for accounts or try to blackmail you into creating accounts, BDSM scammers "pay before meeting scammers" who ask you to create accounts for them as one of your tasks as their subordinate, or other types of scammers. Do not create Bearwww accounts at someone else's insistence or give anyone login information to Bearwww accounts you have created, even if the person appears legitimate or is offering something desirable in return. Doing this makes it easier for bad actors to enter Bearwww where they can harm legitimate users like you, and your information may be associated with scam accounts or other terms of service violating behavior. on Bearwww, which may result in your accounts being suspended as well.


Don't share your information too quickly.
Be careful who you give your contact information to, especially if you send them nudes or exchange any type of content (including chats) that you wouldn't want other people to see. Scammers can learn your identity (name, location, contacts, employer, family members, etc.) from a phone number or social media, and use this information to threaten you.
Be immediately suspicious of anyone who attempts to communicate outside of the Bearwww app. Scammers know that they will be banned quickly on Bearwww, so they often try to immediately switch to email, text, etc.
If someone asks you for a verification code, or if you receive a verification code via text or email that you didn't ask for, you should assume it's a scam. Do not give these codes to anyone.


Do your own research.
Check the country code on phone numbers other people give you. Sometimes scammers give out phone numbers with country codes that don't match where they claim to be. You can also search for phone numbers to see if they are VoIP numbers or mobile numbers.
If someone asks you for links or information on social media, ask them for theirs too. See if you have any friends in common, if the account has been around for a long time, if it seems to have legitimate friends or followers, etc.

Romance Scam or “Lonely Heart Scam”


The scammer will gain your trust by telling you a story about themselves that makes them seem trustworthy. For example, he may pretend to be a soldier, a doctor or a businessman working abroad. The most common industries that scammers claim to work in are construction, trading, and gemstone sales. Sometimes they claim to work for an NGO.
They often insist that they are honest and trustworthy and that they are looking for the same thing in another person because they have been hurt by others before. They tend to become very firm about their romantic intentions very quickly, and can be very insistent. They may become defensive, aggressive, or manipulative if you question them or express hesitation.
They often pretend that age and distance don't matter to them, and they often have a complicated story about who they are, where they came from, and where they are now. This complicated story is intended to rule out any questions you might have about where she lives and how her language doesn't match that of someone from the place she claims to be from.
Once they gain your trust, they tell you how they need money. For example, they are stuck in a foreign country and need someone to deposit a check for them and wire the money. They may also ask you to send money via Western Union or other money transfer services, or to purchase gift cards.
Often, they will ask you for your contact details right away and try to continue the conversation outside of the Bearwww app, because they know they will quickly get banned there.


Advice :

  • Never send money to anyone for any reason.
  • If a story seems too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Use the Bearwww messaging system until you have established trust.
  • See the information and advice on sugar daddy scams also included in this guide, as these two scams are often perpetrated by the same group of scammers and will have similar characteristics.
  • Helpful Resource: FTC – What You Need to Know About Romance Scams


“Sugar Daddy” scam

  • The scammer will pretend to be a sugar daddy who wants to send you an allowance in exchange for some type of interaction, usually sending nudes, often with very specific amounts and wanting to connect via Cash App, Venmo, or another payment service immediately. They also sometimes offer to pay by check.
  • After promising to send you a large sum of money, they may tell you that a previous sugar baby betrayed them. This is how he will justify asking you to send him a smaller amount of money first, in order to prove your loyalty.
  • The scammer can also connect stolen credit cards to Venmo or Cash App and use them to transfer spending money to you. He will then say that he accidentally sent you too much money and ask you to return some of it. If you do this, the scammer will have deleted the stolen card information from their account and added their own - so the "reimbursement" is made to their own card instead of the stolen one. Finally, if the stolen card is reported to Venmo or Cash App, all the money that was stolen from that card will be refunded, so you will no longer have any "free money" and the scammer will have theirs. place.
  • Recently, some sugar daddy scammers have been using nudes or other content and information that people send them to try to blackmail their victims. They may threaten to share your nudes or conversations with your contacts, family or employer if you don't send them money. In some cases, they may also ask you to create Bearwww accounts for them and give them login credentials. They may also demand the login credentials of your existing accounts, which they will then use as scam accounts (see the section on “Sextortion/Blackmail” scams below).


Examples :
“Hello, I will meet your needs as a Sugar Daddy, message me on Telegram now if you are interested”.
"wow u look cute & interesting I Will like to have u as my baby u Will be paid $10000 if u accept to be my baby add me up on WhatsApp @ [insert scam number here]."


"Hola querida, miro tu profile, me gustas ❤️ Quiero que seas my sugar baby, prometo hacerte feliz. Te pagaré $ 5000 monthlyes y te follaré cinco veces al día 🍑🍆❤️ si eres real. y los interesados me envían un message de texto in Whatsapp + [false number]"


"Olá meu amor como você está hoje je eu sou um um sugar daddy e eu adoraria colocar $ 20,000 como sua mesada semanal. I send you a message on my WhatsApp if you are interested. [number false]"


Advice :

  • If it sounds too good to be true, that's because it is. It is very unlikely that someone would pay a large amount of money in exchange for nudes or a cat and nothing more.
  • Scammers can learn your identity (i.e. your name, location, contacts, employer, family members, etc.) from the information you give them, such as your phone number. phone or social media, and use this information to threaten you. Be careful who you give your contact information to, especially if you send them nude photos or exchange any type of content - including chats - that you wouldn't want other people to see.
  • Check the country code on phone numbers other people give you. Sometimes scammers give out phone numbers with country codes that don't match where they claim to be. You can also search for phone numbers to see if they are VoIP numbers or cell phone numbers.

Sextortion/blackmail

Sextortion is when someone threatens to release your sexual content or other private and sensitive material if you don't give them what they want. There are two common scenarios:

  • Skype/Video Sextortion: The scammer asks you to log in on Skype, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp or other social media. The scammer will ask you for sex calls or nudes on Skype, often using fake or pre-recorded videos so you never see the person behind the scam. The scammer secretly records the intimate video conversation, or saves nudes or screenshots of sexual conversations, then threatens to send the content to your social media contacts if you don't pay them money. These scammers often specifically target people who are married or looking for discreet interactions.
  • Sextortion of minors: The scammer sends intimate photos and asks you to do the same, or initiates a sexual conversation. After the exchange of photos and messages, the scammer then pretends to be a minor. You are then contacted by the "parents" who state that if you pay their request for money, they will not go to the police. Note: Bearwww is for adults ONLY. Users must be at least 18 years old to use the app (or older in some jurisdictions). We take any potential use of the platform by minors incredibly seriously. If you meet someone who appears to be underage, contact us and report the profile.
  • Discreet/Married Blackmail: In this scam, the scammer looks for people who are looking for discreet encounters and who do not want their use of Bearwww known to their loved ones. Often, they pretend to be in a similar situation to you, in order to gain your trust. They figure out your identity from the information you give them (phone number, social media, etc.) and then threaten to share your chats and nudes with your contacts if you don't send them money.

Advice :


  • Be careful who you give your details to, especially if you send them nudes. Scammers can learn your identity (i.e. your name, location, contacts, employer, family members, etc.) from the information you give them, such as your phone number. phone or social media, and use this information to threaten you.


The following advice for identifying and dealing with sextortion comes from the FBI and the Australian Government :

  • If you're receiving "sextortion" threats, you're not alone. It's likely that the perpetrator of these threats is an adult pretending to be a teenager, and that you are one of many victims targeted by the same person.
    Never send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are (or claim to be).
     
  • Don't give him any money or send him any more photos of yourself. Giving in to demands can make matters worse, as paying a blackmailer will only lead to more demands for payment.
     
  • Don't hesitate to call the FBI (if you're in the United States) or local authorities to report the scam.


Investment scams

  • The scammer will pretend to work for a bank, cryptocurrency investment company, or other financial services company. He may also say that he is a day trader or that he invests as a hobby. In some cases, these scammers are direct and ask for money very quickly. In other cases, they run a longer scam, similar to a romance scam, and encourage you to invest money for your future together or because they care about you and want to help you earn money. money.
     
  • The scammer may try to leave Bearwww very quickly, usually asking you to send them a message on a messaging app such as WeChat, Whatsapp or Line. In some cases, he may also chat on Bearwww for a while to gain your trust before leaving the app.
     
  • They will ask you to invest money, claiming that you will get a large return on your investment. Once you've sent enough money, the scammer cuts off contact.
     
  • Some investment scams use the term "money flipping" and claim that you can turn $100 into $1000, $500 into $5000, etc. These scammers often claim to work at a bank or Western Union, or they may claim they will invest the money for you. In some cases, scammers who ask you to "return" money will first offer you an exchange with a smaller amount and give you a small return to gain your trust and encourage you to send an amount of money more important.
     
  • The scammer may transfer money to your bank account, saying you can keep a percentage of it, and ask you to either transfer the rest to another bank account owned by the scammer, or to buy a credit card. prepaid debit and share the information with the scammer. Money sent to your bank account will be considered by your bank as a fraudulent transfer, which you will have to repay.
     
  • Otherwise, they may try to get you to buy fake investments or cryptocurrency, usually through a link they send you or a fake investment platform they tell you to research. This will just deposit money directly with them, and is not a real investment in anything. Fraudulent investment platforms often look very legitimate, even appearing to offer live customer support. In some cases, after you send money, scammers manipulate your account balance to make it appear that you are earning money so that you "invest" even more. They end up cutting contact and disappearing with your money.


Advice :


There is no such thing as free money.

  • Never share your own financial information, even if it is to receive money.
     
  • Don't open a bank or investment account for someone else.
     
  • Do your own investment research - legitimate investors aren't going to share their valuable recommendations with random people on Bearwww.
     
  • Investment scams are perpetrated by groups of scammers around the world and have different presentations, depending on the specific scam and where it originates.

 

Payment scam before the meeting

  • The scammer agrees to meet or interact with you, but first asks you to send money, pay something in advance, or sign up for a service before you meet .
     
  • The request could be a gift card to entertain their kids while you meet, money for gas or a taxi/rideshare, a subscription to another app or platform, etc.
     
  • They will insist that you send them the money/gift card or sign up for the service immediately. They will then give you a false address or location and will not give you an appointment.
     
  • This type of scam can come in different forms. Some examples include: people looking for an in-person date, sex workers who require payment in advance, people related to BDSM, massage therapists, people organizing parties and events or activities group sex.


Advice :

  • Don't send anyone money or gift cards.
  • Be wary of people who try to turn a meeting into a transaction.
     
  • Do not enter credit card information on third-party platforms or sign up for paid third-party services or subscriptions at the insistence of another person.
     

Security App Signup Scam


These scams aim to obtain your personal and financial data by asking you to register on a third-party site claiming to be a "security app", which is in fact fake. The scammer often claims that they have already been attacked by someone they met on an app and that the registration is to ensure their safety. These scammers sometimes partially steal the names of real organizations in order to appear more legitimate.


Examples:


“Before we meet I need to make sure I'm safe with you, is that okay with you, Can you add me on (MAFA meet and fun affairs) on google?”.


"Before we can meet or maybe have fun? I need to make sure I'm safe with you, is that okay? Can you do the MMRM check first? Can you do a google search “MMRM meetmyrightmate” Does this suit you?


"But before we meet, I need to make sure I'm safe with you, okay? Can you add me on (EASY AND WELL VERIFIED)?"
 

 

Advice :

  • Don't sign up for a "security app" without doing your own research.
     
  • Don't trust someone who tries to get you to follow links or go to another site quickly.


Scammers asking for verification codes
Some scammers will try to trick you into allowing them to use your phone number to register or SMS verify accounts on Bearwww or other apps. They will ask for your phone number and then claim to have sent you a code. They will ask you to send them the code you received to prove that you are real. These codes are actually SMS verification codes for apps, and if you send them the code, they will use your phone number to register scam accounts on Bearwww and other apps, which may result in getting banned of your number on these platforms and the association of your personal information with scam accounts. If they have additional personal information about you, such as your name or email address, there is a risk that they will use this ploy to access your personal accounts that rely on SMS verification to reset passwords .


Advice :
If someone asks you for a verification code, or if you receive a verification code via text or email that you didn't ask for, you should assume it's a scam. Do not give these codes to anyone.
Links to third-party applications
A common method of scammers is to send mass messages containing links to third-party sites. Typically, they know it will be obvious spam to most people, but if they only get a small portion of people clicking through, it's worth wasting their time. These messages request payments or credit card information, or ask to search for a name that leads to a third-party site. These sites often contain malware, bad advertising, or solicit your personal information or money.


Examples:


“Нi, we have a very nice sex p*rtу) Wоuld yоu like to jоin?”. Photos from раst сеlebrations hеrе (link).
"google me" "mikeshown---"
nsacock.com

 


Advice :

  • Don't follow suspicious links.
    If a user asks you to Google them instead of providing them with information directly, it's suspicious.


Bearwww Support Message Scam


The Bearwww support team will never try to get you to go to a third-party site, or offer you "free money". Emails from our support team come from help@Bearwww.com or the help/contact section of the app, not from a normal-looking account on Bearwww.


Examples:


"Dear user, We are pleased to notify you that you have been selected as the winner of the Bearwww Premium Membership Prize, You have won the sum of £300,000.00. For more information, contact the responsible for complaints."


"Hello. We have prepared an invitation for you to our very cool online sex show from Bearwww. Follow this link. Best regards, technical support from Bearwww!!!"


Advice :

  • Bearwww will only ever contact you through official channels.
    Don't follow suspicious links.