The app Social DM has been circulating online as a free way to monetize social media, but is it legitimate or simply another scam to be wary of? Online fraud has been a problem since the beginning of the internet. Unfortunately, internet scams make it simpler than ever for those who are motivated to extort money and personal information from others.
Online frauds continue to be incredibly common no matter where you look, despite the increased knowledge of them. One guy recently lost over $650,000 in cryptocurrencies and NFTs as a result of an iCloud scam. Last November, the notorious Squid Game cryptocurrency scam stole almost $2.1 million, and a similar crypto scam centred on The Mandalorian cost one TikTok influencer over $10,000. If you’re not careful about the websites and apps you visit, the internet may be a dangerous place.
We now arrive at the Social DM app. In April 2022, social direct messaging (social DM) began gaining significant traction, and it is immediately obvious why. The Social DM website immediately states that you may “make $500 today” and that Social DM “Is the direct way to earn $500 daily.” The Social DM website then goes on to describe how it functions. It is required of visitors to create a Social DM account, ask friends and family to do the same, and then withdraw their money using PayPal and Venmo. New users receive a $40 sign-up bonus upon registration and an additional $15 for each new member they invite.
Is Social DM A Scam?
That is indeed too good to be true if it sounds too good to be true. Social DM is fundamentally just a referral fraud. Someone signs up for the website, invites others, and then asks those new members to invite more individuals, and so on. People are constantly signing up for Social DM and inviting others to do the same. It generates a tonne of traffic for Social DM’s website and collects names and email addresses from users. In the end, it’s just a never-ending loop of people spamming Social DM with their opinions and private information in the hopes of getting a few dollars.
But don’t just believe what we say. Users of Social DM frequently complain about the website not paying them as promised on the r/SocialDM subreddit. Users are informed by Social DM when their payment has been approved for review, has been successfully evaluated by the Social DM team, and is ready to be sent. But after that, nothing happens. When Social DM promises to pay subscribers on a specific day, that day passes without any indication of a payment.
A website like Social DM may not request fees or money, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t a scam. While some frauds demand payment, others, like Social DM, are phishing scams designed to harvest as much personal information as they can. Giving your name and email to a website that promises you up to $500 per day is way too simple, and that’s what Social DM is counting on. Therefore, it’s advisable to stay away from social direct messages, advise your friends and family to do the same, and carry on with your day.
