Have you ever noticed people sending gifts during a TikTok live session and wondered why they do it, especially when it costs them real money?
The simple reason is that these gifts allow viewers to show appreciation and support for the host. It’s like giving a virtual round of applause.
Additionally, these gifts play an important role in TikTok battles, where the person with the most coins at the end of the live stream wins.
However, there’s more to this story behind the scenes. After an eight-month investigation, I have gathered evidence suggesting that this gifting system may have been exploited by individuals involved in unlawful activities, such as money laundering and unauthorized credit card use. In this article, I will provide an in-depth explanation of the reasons behind TikTok gifting and shed light on the potential misuse of this system. Let’s explore the details and uncover the truth about this phenomenon.
Table of Contents
What Are TikTok LIVE Gifts and How Do They Work?
TikTok LIVE gifts are virtual items that viewers can send to their favorite hosts during a live stream. These gifts are animated and appear on the screen in a visually appealing way. Each gift has a specific coin value associated with it. For example, a gift worth 1000 coins may cost the viewer a certain amount of real money.
Host Earnings: When a host receives 1000 coins through gifting, TikTok takes a 65% cut. This means the host will receive 350 coins, which is equivalent to $5.37 in real money.
Purchasing Coins:
Through TikTok’s Official Website: If you spend $10.64, you will receive 1000 coins.
Through the TikTok App: If you spend $16.00, you will receive 1000 coins.
What Are TikTok Battles?
TikTok battles are live competitions between two different hosts that last for 5 minutes. To participate, each host needs to have at least 1,000 followers. During a battle, the viewers of each host try to send as many virtual gift coins as possible to their favorite creator. The host whose viewers send the most gift coins wins the battle.
why do people tiktok battle?
People participate in TikTok battles primarily to make money. The more gift coins a host receives, the more real money they can earn from TikTok. Winning battles also gives hosts a victory streak that increases with each consecutive win.
what happens if you lose tiktok battle?
If a host loses a battle, their streak resets to zero. However, they can start a new streak by winning their next battle. Up to 4 people can battle at once as a team.
An exciting aspect of battles is the punishments. The winner gets to give the loser a silly or funny punishment that they have to follow, such as wearing a costume or performing a dance. This adds an element of entertainment for viewers.
what is double tap on tiktok?
While having 1,000 followers is required to battle, hosts with larger followings tend to have an advantage. More followers can potentially mean more viewers sending gifts during battles, improving a host’s chances of winning. Even viewers who don’t want to buy coins can still help their favorite host by double-tapping the screen, which counts as a 3-point score for the host.
what is x2 and boosting gloves in tiktok live?
During battles, special boosts are available that multiply the value of the gift coins. For example, the x2 boost doubles the coin value of each gift sent by viewers without them spending extra money. The boosting glove feature makes each gift worth 5 times as many coins. Additionally, the last 30 seconds of a battle often see a surge in gift coin activity as viewers rush to send more gifts.
The Dark Side of TikTok Live
While TikTok live gifting provides a way for viewers to support their favorite creators, there is an unfortunate darker side to this system. Some individuals are engaging in illegal activities to obtain TikTok coins without properly paying for them.
You may have noticed accounts with no profile picture, real name, or content sending millions of coins during live streams. These are often scammers exploiting the system through fraudulent methods.
Tiktok Apple pay refund fraud?
One common tactic is to purchase TikTok coins through Apple Pay and then file for a refund afterward. Apple provides refund options for accidental purchases, child/minor purchases, or cases where the purchase didn’t work as expected. Scammers take advantage of this by intentionally requesting refunds after buying coins, allowing them to get their money back while the coins remain sent to the host’s account.
So, the people who do this scam get their money back from Apple. But the coins they bought are already with the TikTok host. TikTok tries to fix this by taking the coins back from the person’s account. But it’s too late because the coins are already with the host. The person’s account then shows a negative balance. But they don’t care because they only ask for a refund when they don’t want to use that account to send more gifts.
Tiktok carding fraud?
Another method involves the use of stolen credit card information by individuals known as “carders.” They make TikTok coin purchases using someone else’s card details and send the illegally obtained coins to certain hosts.
The motivation behind these illegal activities is often a pre-arranged agreement between the scammer and the host to split the cashed-out money from the gifted coins, typically 50/50.
Action taken by tiktok?
This fraudulent behavior results in significant losses for TikTok. As a countermeasure, TikTok has started banning hosts whose gifters have a high number of refunds or triggered alerts for illegal card use. Recent examples include the bans of popular Asian hosts like Mr Patlo and Yousif, who were associated with gifters engaged in such activities. TikTok is also blocking the accounts of gifters who sent coins through illegal means.
It’s crucial to understand that these activities are not only unethical but also illegal, involving financial crimes like fraud and theft. While the vast majority of TikTok users participate in good faith, the platform must remain vigilant against those seeking to exploit the system for personal gain through unlawful methods.
My Personal Tiktok Gifting Experience
Initially, like many others, I did not understand the concept of sending virtual gifts that cost real money on TikTok live streams. However, one day, I tuned into a small live stream with only two other viewers present. The host repeatedly asked us to send virtual gifts like roses or galaxy gifts. Although hesitant at first, I decided to purchase some TikTok coins and gift the host during the live match.
To my surprise, the host became extremely excited and praised me excessively, making me feel valued and appreciated. Encouraged by this positive reaction, I continued gifting over the next few days. Soon after, I found myself in a competitive live battle where the opposing host had a big gifter who sent 15,000 coins right from the start. Determined to win, I invested in 30,000 coins, ultimately emerging victorious.
Following this victory, I gained new followers, and viewers who witnessed the live stream started engaging with my content by liking my videos. My TikTok level, which reflects gifting activity, began rising rapidly. The highest level on TikTok is 50, and through consistent gifting, spending approximately $8,000, I managed to reach level 30.
My driving motivation became increasing my level number. The higher the level, the more recognition I received from hosts as a significant gifter. Whenever I joined someone’s live stream, hosts treated me with great respect and appreciation, aware of my gifting capabilities. This sense of recognition became almost addictive, despite recognizing the somewhat humorous nature of the situation.
As I reflect on my journey, I realize that my experience with TikTok gifting started innocently but gradually evolved into an obsession fueled by a desire for status and attention within the TikTok community. The virtual world of gifting provided a unique sense of validation that, for a period, became an unhealthy fixation.
It is important to note that while gifting can be a way to support creators, moderation is key. Excessive gifting can lead to unhealthy addictions and significant financial losses. Platforms like TikTok should consider implementing measures to protect users from falling into such patterns.
At last
The TikTok live gifting system, designed to support creators, has unfortunately become a target for illicit activities. Some exploit refund policies or use stolen credit card information to obtain coins fraudulently, then gift them with a profit-sharing agreement.
TikTok bans users associated with such practices, but more robust security measures may be needed. Excessive gifting, driven by the desire for recognition, can lead to addictive behaviors and financial loss.
Platforms should balance enabling legitimate gifting with safeguards against misuse, educating users about responsible gifting, and prioritizing user protection. Proactive measures can create a safer environment for all involved.
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