Snapchat is a common app used among the WHS student body, but because of this, some students were caught in a scammer’s trap. Recently, students were tricked into revealing their emails in response to an innocent message over Snapchat.

“I gave my email and email password to whom I thought was my friend. They said that they needed my email to send a gift to their friend without them knowing it’s them,” sophomore Nina Price said. “I thought it sounded weird, so I kept asking questions like ‘Why?’ and ‘For who?’ They said it was for somebody on our soccer team, and we were doing a psych box so I thought it made sense.”

When the hacker acquired an email that was used as a Snapchat login, they were able to block the actual user from logging in.

“When I got hacked, they asked for my email, and I just gave the email itself, but then there was some weird text message that came from my phone,” senior Sam Baron said. “Then, I couldn’t get into my account. I ended up getting my Snapchat back because my dad was pretty persistent with Snapchat.”

The hacker also locked down Price’s Snapchat with her email. Eventually, she retrieved her account as well.

“My Snapchat was completely gone. I [had] no access to it whatsoever, and my email was messed up for some time,” Price said. “I also kept getting text messages from everybody asking me what happened and everything. The hacker had access to all my memories and was talking to many people [with] my account.”

With the Snapchat account, the hacker attempted to get personal information about the user. Price was informed by her friends of what information the hacker was trying to get.

“The hacker on my account kept talking to people [that] I Snapchat. They [asked] about my personal information and about sports I do or people I know,” Price said.

To avoid future incidents like this one, it’s best to just remember that giving out your personal information online isn’t the best idea.

“I would just say that if you think something sounds sketchy or weird, then follow your gut even if it’s from somebody you know. I thought it sounded weird, but I gave in anyways, which was not the smart choice,” Price said. “Also, just [follow] the basics. Don’t give your personal information to anyone, no matter what, unless you’re in-person with them.”