Is Bluesky Safe? As Its Popularity Rises, so Do Bluesky Scams (January 2025)

Bluesky’s recent popularity boom has opened up an opportunity for enterprising scammers to capitalize on a growing platform that has yet to adapt to its burgeoning user base. The platform prioritizes safety and security, so potential scammers may soon find it more difficult to execute their plans. However, until Bluesky outlines more security measures, it’s best to be diligent when using the social app.

For anyone wanting to migrate to the calmer, community-based social media platform, it’s worth it first to check out the best identity theft protection services. You can browse the new social powerhouse securely, knowing you have a warning system in your corner in case someone tries to scam you out of your finances or identity.

Read on for more information on Bluesky, the potential scams, and why users are signing up at a rate of more than one new user per second.

Popular Bluesky scams

Because there’s no verification system in place (yet), it’s still easy to impersonate someone. Satire, parody, and fan accounts are allowed, further adding to the confusion. Bluesky is a fantastic platform, reminiscent of a pre-Musk Twitter, and it has a lot of potential once it gets through its growing pains. It’s important to remember that while Bluesky figures out its security features, users should be diligent and mindful of potential scams.

Bluesky romance scams

Online dating scams are found on every social media platform. Each one is a little different, but the framework is the same. A bad actor will invest time into befriending someone, lay the groundwork, and then romance the victim. The ultimate goal is usually to get highly sensitive personal information or money.

Bluesky celebrity & influencer imposters

There are no blue checkmarks or other special badges available to verify Bluesky accounts. Users with a website have the option to change their user handle to their website address to prove their identity. Still, this isn’t optimal for verifying someone’s identity. Until Bluesky works out a better system, proceed with caution when following someone you may recognize. Remember, your favorite celeb or influencer won’t hit you up for money, but scammers will.

Bluesky fake fundraiser scams

All social media platforms can be rife with fundraiser scams looking to take advantage of a stranger’s goodwill. Whether it’s relief from a natural disaster, supporting someone’s healthy journey, or taking care of pets in need, fundraiser scams try to tug at your heartstrings. Donating to verified organizations or through sites like GoFundMe can reduce your likelihood of becoming a victim.

Bluesky fake products and services scams

Running a business on social media has become lucrative for millions of people. Unfortunately, this means that scammers with no legitimate businesses will want to try to cash in as well. While we’ve yet to see ads on Bluesky, we suggest being extra diligent if looking to purchase from a Bluesky-based business.

Is Bluesky safe?

Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, one of the original creators of Twitter, helped conceptualize Bluesky in his former company’s image as one of the best Twitter alternatives.

This time, however, he wanted an open-source, decentralized platform that gave users greater control over their data and experience. Because of this framework, you can trust Bluesky to be a safer social media platform than competitors like Meta, which design and customize your experience to its own priorities.

Bluesky’s framework allows you to curate your experience to what you want to see. You can choose to scroll through various feeds like Discover, Following, or specialized interests like BookSky, which many former “BookTok” enthusiasts love for reading recommendations. In our experience, the “Discover” feed serves you a mix of new and algorithmic-based suggestions based on your activity.

How to tell if a Bluesky account is real

Many Bluesky app users who are verified on other platforms have the opportunity to change their handle to their website on Bluesky. You can also check the follower count and behavior of the poster. 

Mark Hamill, for instance, is an active presence on the app and cross-posts content from his other platforms.

How is Bluesky different from other social media platforms?

Bluesky allows for customizable feeds and stricter moderation tools. In our experience on the platform, harassment is fairly low, and reported accounts are dealt with swiftly. The growing social platform bills itself as a less toxic, freer platform that lets you curate your experience and doesn’t track you like Facebook.

You even have the option to custom-build your own feed if the algorithm isn’t serving the content you enjoy. This is the main appeal for anyone fleeing Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) and Meta apps, as Bluesky app is owned by neither.

• Decentralized social networking protocol: A decentralized network based on multiple hubs instead of one central network keeps communication open if one hub becomes inactive.
• Customizable feed algorithms: Allows you to choose what you see on the platform, even offering users the option to build custom feeds.
• Strengthened security and privacy settings: Prioritizes users’ security by offering various privacy settings and moderation tools.
• Open-source framework: Software that the public can share, modify, and defend because the code is available to anyone.
• Clean and straightforward interface: The layout is very similar to early Twitter, with a new video scrolling framework akin to TikTok.
• Community-focused: Bluesky users are able to share, like, follow, and post in a community-based format that prioritizes healthy interaction with clear community guidelines.
• Ad-free experience: As of publishing, we have experienced zero ads in our five months on Bluesky.
• No formal verification system: The one downside is the app's lack of a formal verification system.

FAQs

Bottom line

Bluesky users seem to find the platform to be reminiscent of early forms of social media they used to enjoy before those traditional platforms became rife with bots, ads, unmoderated content, and more. The site reinforces community and offers the ability to customize feeds, allowing users more control over their content.

Even with the bluer skies the platform offers, there are still opportunities for hackers and scammers to attempt fraud and identity theft. Using the best identity theft protection available can help safeguard you from those cybercriminals.

You should also follow online best practices and be wary of anything seemingly too good to be true. Bluesky is already improving its platform, so hopefully, one day soon, it’ll give users even more protection than they enjoy now.