Beware: Fake TikTok Clones Are Fueling a Surge in Dangerous Crypto Scams

Cybercriminals are hijacking TikTok's hype to push fraudulent crypto schemes—here's how to spot them before they drain your wallet.

The Scam Playbook: Copycats Gone Rogue

Fraudsters are deploying near-identical replicas of TikTok to promote 'too-good-to-be-true' crypto investments. These clones mimic official branding but redirect users to phishing sites or malicious smart contracts.

Why This Works (Until It Doesn't)

The scams prey on viral trends—fake influencer endorsements, fake limited-time offers, and of course, fake urgency. Classic pump-and-dump tactics dressed in Gen Z lingo.

Protect Yourself: Three Red Flags

1. Unverified 'celebrity' endorsements (Elon isn't DMing you about a BNB giveaway)
2. Apps requesting seed phrases (no legitimate platform asks for this)
3. Links that slightly misspell 'tiktok.com' (e.g., 't1ktok.cc')

The Ironic Twist

While regulators fret over *real* crypto innovation, these scams flourish—proving once again that financial Darwinism spares no one. Always DYOR (or prepare to pay the 'stupid tax').

TikTok Clones Scam Crypto Users

Social media has been a popular vector for crypto scams, and new attack methods are impacting TikTok. In previous years, deepfake impersonation videos and fake meme coins represented the worst criminal enterprises on the platform. Now, however, new reports suggest that the technology is getting more insidious.

In what CTM360, a cybersecurity firm, is calling “FraudonTok,” websites are using TikTok’s branding to advertise malware scams.

The lure for these operations comes through sponsored ads on the genuine platform and other social media apps. From there, users are directed to download new apps with TikTok’s branding.

On the surface, these scam apps run just like TikTok itself. The criminals even employ fake profiles, ads, and AI-generated deepfakes to maintain the realistic experience.

However, the apps work to run phishing operations and steal wallet information. CTM360 identified around 15,000 of these fake platforms.

A Sophisticated Operation

The exact details of the malware reveal valuable information about the criminals’ abilities. Specifically, these fake TikTok clients employ SparkKitty, a scam malware first created in the last three months.

SparkKitty is an upgraded FORM of earlier malware protocols, so these criminals are using state-of-the-art software tools.

On fake TikTok apps, SparkKitty works the same way it has in other recent scams. It finds access to scan a phone for any possible hint of the victim’s seed phrase or other compromising information and directs the phone towards the criminals.

Hackers can then employ their own discretion to act, passively collecting data before executing a real theft.

Still, the standard cybersecurity measures apply here, and they should keep users safe. If you are already a TikTok user, any new app with its branding is probably a scam.

Don’t keep seed phrases on your phone under any circumstances. Exercise caution with your personal information, and you should remain safe.