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TikTok creators are coughing up more than $1,000 to get their accounts verified

Someone at TikTok is about to get in big trouble for this.

by
Kevin Raposo
December 1, 2020

Image: AP

Everyone wants to be a TikTok star these days. And one of the best ways of getting there is getting a coveted blue checkmark next to your name. In other words, getting verified on the platform. And now it seems like a decent amount of creators are paying cold-hard cash to seedy brokers to get their account verified, and in some cases, it costs over $1,000.

Speaking to Business Insider, a Canadian creator explains the whole process. Apparently, someone inside TikTok is facilitating the deals. And the services are being promoted through Facebook groups about TikTok marketing and growth. This is how the Canadian creator stumbled upon one of these opportunities.

“Someone who owns a PR agency posted in our Facebook TikTok group that he can get people verified,” the person said. After messaging the PR agency, a $1,000 fee was imposed. This fee is meant to be paid after the account gets its verified status. Once payment is agreed, TikTok somehow sends the user a form requesting verification details. After a short 24-hour window, the account gets verified. Simple as that.

And the $1,000 fee is a basic starting point. It’s not the same price across the board. “Some charge more — some charge less,” the creator who paid $1,000 said. “I’ve been quoted from others anywhere up to $5,000.”

But seriously, what’s the point of being verified on TikTok? Does it hold any value? “Honestly, verification doesn’t mean anything at all other than social proof and makes your account appear more ‘legitimate,'” the creator who coughed up $1,000 said. And on top of that, TikTok’s main “For You” feed doesn’t seem to boost the visibility of verified creators’ posts. So, other than vanity, having a verified account doesn’t really give you any special treatment.

Would you pay $1K to have your account verified on TikTok? Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.