Beware of 5 common scams in YouTube comments

YouTube's huge user base makes it an ideal target for scammers, who often target unsuspecting viewers through fake comments or suspicious links.

If you are not careful, you could fall victim to scammers who try to exploit your lack of vigilance through fraudulent games, fake ads, or requests for personal information to steal your account or money.

5 Common Types of Scams in YouTube Comments

While this is not a comprehensive list, here are the types of scams viewers most frequently encounter in YouTube comments sections.

These often appear under popular videos, taking advantage of viewers' lack of vigilance to carry out sophisticated scams, from impersonating famous YouTubers, luring users into participating in fake promotions, to sharing malicious links that can steal personal information or spread viruses.

1. Cryptocurrency scams

Cryptocurrency scams are a common problem on YouTube, especially videos related to cryptocurrencies, investing, or financial topics in general. One of the reasons these scams are dangerous is that they are often posted by accounts that appear to be legitimate, making them difficult for viewers to spot.

These scam comments may seem harmless at first, often starting with the scammer sharing a personal success story or a few investing tips that they claim can help others.

However, these comments often receive a lot of responses, most of which are also from fake accounts. The accounts that reply will claim that they have achieved great success in their crypto investment journey, thanks to the guidance of some “mentor”. These names are almost always fake, and the purpose of the initial comments and responses is to create a false impression of the reliability of the information.

When a person messages the scam account or replies to these comments, they are often asked to continue the conversation via other social media platforms such as Messenger or Zalo to keep their identity hidden and continue chatting with the victim, looking for ways to exploit their information or money in a sophisticated way.

2. Gift/Sweepstakes Scams

Many companies and YouTubers run legitimate giveaways and sweepstakes, but you shouldn’t just trust all the giveaways on social media and video sharing platforms like YouTube.

If you see comments from accounts claiming to be running giveaways or sweepstakes involving popular brands or YouTubers, it’s best to ignore them. Unless you’re sure the comment is coming from the YouTuber themselves (in which case their comment will have a verification badge), don’t reply or click on any links shared in the comment.

Sometimes fake accounts use unusual characters to fake YouTube verification badges, so always double-check these characters; if you're unsure, click on the account name to confirm before taking action.

3. Investment fraud

Investment scams are very similar to cryptocurrency scams, but the difference is that they are designed to appeal to a wider audience. The main goal of these scams is to exploit people's desire to make quick money and their desire for financial gain.

On YouTube, these scam comments often appear under videos from financial influencers. Because these videos are often popular and get a lot of views, scam comments easily slip through the cracks of unsuspecting viewers, making them vulnerable to scams without realizing the risks.

4. Online fraud

Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly common, with cybercriminals using emails containing fake links, disguised as legitimate websites, or exploiting platforms like YouTube through the comments section to scam users.

If you're watching a video about an upcoming new tech gadget and see a seemingly innocuous comment suggesting you can pre-order the device or get a discount through a particular link, you might feel tempted to click if you're not careful.

However, these links are actually designed to steal your login information or personal data, so always remember to only visit official websites to protect your information.

5. Impersonation scams

Have you ever come across comments where the commenter name and profile picture suspiciously match the name of the YouTuber or business running the channel? This is a form of impersonation scam, where cybercriminals create fake accounts with only slight spelling changes to the original creator's name.

To add to the appearance of legitimacy, they also use images stolen from popular creators. These fake accounts frequently appear in the comments section of videos, replying to viewers' comments and instructing them to set up contact outside of YouTube or asking them to click on links to claim prizes, just one of the many tricks they use to commit fraud.

How to spot scam comments on YouTube

While scammers are constantly looking for new ways to take advantage of innocent YouTube users, there are still some helpful warning signs to help you identify and avoid scam comments.

1. Check the commenter's profile

If you suspect a comment may be from a scammer, check their profile. If the account is new or the username has misspellings like "Sơn Tung M-TP" instead of "Sơn Tùng M-TP", it's a clear sign of a scammer.

Particularly if they're impersonating a popular creator, you'll also notice their profile lacks a verification badge or doesn't have any old videos.

2. Be careful with offers that are too attractive

Scam comments will sometimes claim you’ve won a big prize or offer exclusive, enticing investment tips. However, if a comment promises something too good to be true, you should be extremely cautious and avoid interacting with that account.

Legitimate businesses or YouTubers will always contact you through official and transparent channels if you have actually won or are eligible for a prize.

3. Analyze the language used

There are plenty of free spelling and grammar checkers online, but scammers rarely bother to use them. As a result, scam comments are often full of grammar and spelling errors, which are easy to spot if you pay attention.

Another thing to look for is that scam comments often follow a similar script, and are often copied and pasted across multiple videos. If you see a comment that looks familiar, like one you’ve seen in a similar video, it’s likely a sign of a scam account.

What to do when you spot a scam comment?

With YouTube’s immense popularity, the platform has become a breeding ground for fake accounts and scam comments, so it’s no surprise that you’ll come across some questionable comments. If you spot one, never engage or respond, no matter how enticing the offer or request may seem.

The worrying thing is that while you may be able to spot a scam comment, many others may not be vigilant enough and unwittingly fall victim. This is all the more important as cybercriminals’ tactics become increasingly sophisticated and difficult to spot.

So if you come across a scam comment, report it to YouTube immediately. You can do this by clicking the three dots icon to the right of the comment and selecting Report.

Then, select the appropriate reason, and YouTube will review the comment to determine whether it is appropriate and remove it if necessary. By doing so, you'll not only protect yourself, but also help create a safer environment for everyone.