Wizz, a popular app likened to Tinder for teenagers, has been removed from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. The app was taken down from both app stores on Tuesday amid concerns it’s being used to target victims in sextortion scams.
Sextortion is a crime that involves threatening to publicly share images, videos, or information about a victim’s sexual preferences unless they pay money or engage in sexual acts.
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) reached out to Apple and Google to express concerns about Wizz. The center shared a tweet on Wednesday, thanking Apple and Google for their decision to take down Wizz. According to the NCOSE, the app “connected children with strangers, leading to grooming and abuse.”
Wizz, developed by the French company Voodoo and introduced in 2019, is designed to connect people with others who have similar interests. While it’s not explicitly made for teenagers, it quickly became popular among this age group, allowing users as young as 13 to create profiles and interact within “age-gated” groups.
“We take App Store violations seriously and appreciate your outreach. The app has been removed from the Store and we are in touch with the developer,” an Apple spokesperson said in an email to NBC News.
Meanwhile, a Wizz representative told NBC News that the app is in contact with Apple and Google, and is working to clarify its “extensive safeguards for users.” The app has been downloaded over 15 million times.
Sextortion Scams on the Wizz App
Wizz has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent months following multiple reports of sextortion and other scams on the app.
A report by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), published in January, highlighted the role of Nigerian scammers — known as “Yahoo Boys” — in the surge of social media sextortion in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Yahoo Boys primarily target teens from English-speaking countries on platforms like Wizz, Instagram, and Snapchat, employing “advanced social engineering tactics to coerce their victims into a compromising situation,” the NCRI said. The report ranked Wizz as the “third-most prevalent, but fastest rising social media platform for sextortion of minors.”
A survey of 500 English-speaking Wizz users revealed that 40% had experienced sextortion through the app, with 77% of these victims being underaged, according to the NCRI.
In August 2023, the Longmont Daily Times-Call detailed a distressing incident involving a teen who fell victim to sextortion on Wizz, losing $600.
“Shortly after creating the account the teen was contacted by someone who had taken the teen’s profile picture and superimposed it on to a naked person, the post said. The person then told the teen if they did not pay them $600, they would post the photo on the internet and include the teen’s other social media account, according to the post,” the Longmont Daily Times-Call reported, citing a Longmont Public Safety Facebook post.
How to Stay Safe on Social Media
It’s vital to adhere to stringent online safety practices on social media. We recommend learning about safety risks, optimizing your privacy settings, verifying contacts, securing your accounts with strong passwords, and being cautious about sharing personal information.
Parents and guardians must talk to kids and teenagers about social media safety. We spoke to different experts and compiled a list of valuable internet safety tips for kids and teens. Refer to our guide to internet safety for kids and teens to see their recommendations.
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