Scammers are opportunists. Nasty ones.
They prey on the most fundamental human needs:
Survival: Food, shelter, and security
Connection: Friendship, belonging, and community.
On the surface, a food-assistance scam and a fake-friend scam may seem worlds apart. One promises food, the other companionship. But underneath, they follow the same psychological playbook: build trust, create urgency, extract resources.
In this blog, we’ll unpack two real-world scams – SNAP scams and friendship scams – how they work, why they work, and, most importantly, how to fight back against them.
When Survival Becomes a Target: SNAP Scams
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low-income individuals and families afford groceries.
As food and general living expenses continue to spiral, it acts as a vital lifeline for thousands of US citizens, often making the difference between eating three square meals and skipping dinner in an effort to make ends meet.
While SNAP scams have been around and evolving for decades, criminals have recently set their sights on one particular group: college students.
It’s easy to see why.
For college students, juggling tuition, rent, and food costs while attempting to maintain some semblance of a social life is hard and getting harder.
Scammers send texts (and sometimes emails) claiming students are “automatically eligible for SNAP benefits if enrolled in an academic year.”
The messages link to convincing but fake websites designed to steal personal information – such as Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses – that criminals can sell on the dark web or use for identity theft.
These scams are effective because they:
Exploit desperation: Students are looking for quick solutions to their financial problems
Use official-sounding language: Phrasing mimics legitimate government communications.
Apply time pressure: Phrases like “apply now or miss out” makes people act without thinking.
Protecting Against SNAP Scams
Fortunately, protecting against SNAP scams is simple. Just follow these three best practices:
Don’t click unsolicited links about benefits.
Only apply through your local SNAP office or the official SNAP website.
Be skeptical of “automatic” or “instant” eligibility offers – legitimate programs always require an application and verification.
When Connection Becomes a Weapon: Friendship Scams
Friendship scams are similar to romance scams, but differ in their focus: romance scams exploit a want for romantic companionship, whereas friendship scams focus on building platonic trust.
Fraudsters start by combing social media profiles to find shared hobbies with their targets.
They then build trust over time, gaining the victim’s confidence, and, finally, fabricating a crisis that requires financial help from the potential victim.
Initial small requests typically spiral into larger amounts as victims become more emotionally invested in the “relationship.”
These types of scams are particularly devastating because, often, victims desperate for connection are unwilling to accepted that they’re being scammed. Over time, individual losses can range from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars, with some victims losing their life savings.
And the psychological impact is often more severe than financial losses, with victims experiencing:
Betrayal and loss of trust in others
Social isolation and withdrawal from communities
Shame and embarrassment that prevents them from seeking help
Depression and anxiety from emotional manipulation or financial loss
Loss of confidence in their judgment
To avoid falling afoul of a friendship scam, people should:
Verify online friends through mutual contacts
Never send money or gift cards to someone you’ve only met online
Be alert for secrecy, refusal to meet, or sudden crises that need urgent help
Staying Safe in a Digital World
Ultimately, staying clear of online scams relies on a healthy level of scepticism.
To stay safe online, follow these best practices:
Pause, Verify, Proceed: Slow down when faced with urgent, unexpected offers or requests
Trust Your Gut: If it sounds too good, or too tragic, to be true, it probably is.
Talk Before Acting: Check with friends or family before sending money or personal info.
Report Scams: If you experience a scam, contact your local authorities or file a complaint with the FTC.
Remember: scammers aren’t thinking about morals. They don’t care about your physical or emotional wellbeing. They just want your money. Whether they dangle the promise of a full fridge or the warmth of companionship, the goal is the same: exploit, take, and dissapear.
But just reading about scams isn’t enough – you need to practice spotting them. Try Terranova Security Awareness Training today to ensure you and your employees know how to respond to scams when they appear.
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