TikTok Scams: Cheap Coins, Live Gift Tricks, Fake Brand Deals and How to Secure Your Account

Short answer: TikTok Coins can only be bought from TikTok itself, so anyone selling "cheap coins" for MoMo is either stealing your money or using stolen cards. Gifts sent on TikTok Live are not refundable under TikTok's own rules, which is why "gift me and I'll send you cash back" is a trap. TikTok and real brands do not charge creators a fee to join a programme. Protect your account with 2-step verification under Settings and privacy, then Security & permissions.

Is it safe to buy cheap TikTok Coins from a seller?

No. TikTok's Virtual Items Policy says Coins and other virtual items "can only be purchased or received from TikTok", through the app store, the TikTok web app where available, or gift cards in some countries. It also says you cannot buy, sell, transfer or exchange virtual items outside the platform, and they cannot be exchanged for cash.

So when a WhatsApp or Instagram seller offers "10,000 TikTok coins for GH¢300, send your username and password", one of three things happens:

• You pay and get nothing, then get blocked.
• They ask for your login "to load the coins" and take your account.
• They top up your account using a stolen card, which drags you into someone else's card fraud and breaks TikTok's rules.

Only buy coins inside the TikTok app or on TikTok's own website.

How do TikTok Live gift scams work?

A gift on TikTok Live is bought with Coins and sent to a creator. TikTok's policy is clear that gifts "are not returnable or refundable in any circumstances" and that by gifting "you are not transferring money" to the other user. Scammers use that in a few ways:

• "Gift to win." A host promises that whoever sends the biggest gift will win a phone, a cash prize or a visa sponsorship. There is no prize.
• "Gift and I'll pay you back on MoMo." Someone asks you to send a gift worth GH¢500 and promises to send GH¢700 to your MoMo after. They never do, and TikTok will not refund the gift.
• Sad stories. A host says they need help for hospital bills or school fees and asks for gifts. Some are real, many are not, and you have no way to check.
• Romance on Live. A "fan" builds a relationship in comments, then moves to WhatsApp and starts asking for money. Our guide to romance scam warning signs covers this.

Treat a gift as money you are giving away for good, never as an investment or a deposit.

Fake "TikTok Creator Fund" and brand-deal offers

TikTok replaced its old Creator Fund with the Creator Rewards Program. It is only open in some countries, and you check eligibility and apply yourself in the app. No one from TikTok DMs you to say you have been "selected" and asks for an activation fee.

Common fake offers creators in Ghana receive:

• "TikTok Monetization Team: your account qualifies for the Creator Fund. Pay a GH¢250 verification fee to start earning in dollars."
• "We can get your account monetised in Ghana, just give us your login and pay for a US account switch."
• A brand email offering a paid campaign, with a "campaign brief" file or link to download.

The brand-deal version is especially dangerous. Security firm Bitdefender reported in February 2026 that fake brand outreach is being used to take over creator accounts, and that opening a booby-trapped "campaign brief" can steal your login session without you ever typing a password. In May 2026, researchers at Graphika reported fake emails using the SKIMS name to promote a "Partner Program" that charged creators an "activation" fee. SKIMS was the brand being impersonated, not the scammer.

How to check a brand deal: find the brand's official website yourself and email the address listed there to confirm the offer. Real brands pay you. They do not ask you to pay first, buy their product to qualify, or log in through their link. Do not download or open files or links from a brand until you have confirmed the offer through its official website.

Buying followers and likes

Sellers on Instagram and WhatsApp offer "10k TikTok followers for GH¢150". TikTok's Community Guidelines do not allow the trade of services that artificially boost engagement, and TikTok says it removes fake likes and followers when it finds them. In practice you pay, get bot followers that disappear, and risk your account. Some sellers also ask for your password, which leads straight to a takeover.

How to secure your TikTok account

1. Go to your Profile, tap the menu, then Settings and privacy, then Security & permissions. Labels can differ slightly between app versions.
2. Tap 2-step verification and turn on at least two methods, such as email, phone and an authenticator app.
3. Open Manage devices and remove any phone or computer you do not recognise.
4. Check Security alerts for password changes or new logins you did not make.
5. If your phone offers it, set up a passkey so you can log in with your fingerprint or face.
6. Use a strong password you do not use anywhere else, and secure the email linked to TikTok.

How to recover a hacked TikTok account

1. Try a reset first. On the login screen, tap Forgot password? and use the phone number or email linked to the account.
2. If the hacker changed your details, contact TikTok through Report a problem in the app (under Settings and privacy, or the help option on the login screen), or through TikTok Support at tiktok.com/feedback. Choose the account and login option and explain that your account was hacked.
3. Prove it is yours. Give your username, the original email or phone number, roughly when you created the account and the device you used. TikTok may ask for more verification.
4. Once you are back in, change your password, turn on 2-step verification, remove unknown devices and delete anything the hacker posted.

Ignore anyone in your comments or DMs offering paid recovery. Recovery through TikTok is free, and these "experts" take your money and disappear.

What to do if you already paid

If you paid a coin seller, follower seller or fake "monetisation agent" by MoMo, call your provider immediately with the number and amount. Report to the Cyber Security Authority by calling or texting 292 or emailing report@csa.gov.gh. Report the account inside TikTok from its profile.

Before you pay any TikTok seller again, check a number, handle or website on TrustCheck, and report it if you have been scammed. For buying from sellers who advertise on TikTok, see our guide to TikTok shopping scams.