JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville tattoo artist says scammers stole her videos, photos and tattoo portfolio to create fake TikTok accounts that tricked customers into sending deposits for appointments that didn’t exist.
For six months, Ashanti Asato, owner of Sugared Ink, said she repeatedly reported the impersonation accounts to TikTok, but many remained active.
After News4JAX contacted TikTok while investigating the scam, the company said it reviewed the accounts and removed them for violating its policies.
“They are persuading my potential clients and current clients to send the money and scam them out of a deposit,” Asato told News4JAX, adding that she “can’t even count” how many people have been targeted.
News4JAX identified at least 10 TikTok accounts impersonating Asato by using her videos, photos and tattoo portfolio. Some of the fake accounts even paid to promote stolen videos as advertisements, making the scam appear more legitimate.
“This was a paid promotional ad,” Asato said while showing one of the fake profiles. “That is me. That is all of my work. This is my entire video. But this person saved everything I had, paid for it to be advertised and ended up getting some hefty deposits out of that.”
According to Asato, the scammers communicated with prospective clients through TikTok, collected deposits through peer-to-peer payment apps such as Cash App, Venmo or PayPal, then scheduled appointments at her Jacksonville tattoo studio.
When customers arrived, they discovered they were never actually booked.
“You have people physically showing up here expecting to get a tattoo?” News4JAX asked.
“Yes,” Asato said. “They kind of get taken aback when they contact me and they’re like, ‘Hey, I booked with you.’ And I’m like, ‘Hey, actually you didn’t, and I think you got scammed.’”
TikTok removes accounts after News4JAX inquiry
Asato said she had reported the fake accounts to TikTok over the past six months without success.
After News4JAX reached out to TikTok for comment and provided examples of the impersonation accounts, the company said it reviewed the accounts and removed them.
“Our Community Guidelines prohibit accounts that mislead or try to manipulate our platform, including impersonation,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “Upon review, we’ve removed the accounts you shared for violating these policies.”
The spokesperson said impersonation is an industrywide issue affecting social media platforms and that TikTok uses automated detection and human moderators to identify and remove fraudulent accounts, often before they’re reported.
TikTok said its Community Guidelines prohibit deceptive impersonation and encourage users to report suspicious accounts through the app. The company also offers verified badges for eligible creators, businesses and public figures to help users identify authentic accounts.
How customers can protect themselves
Asato said one of the biggest warning signs is being asked to send a deposit directly through payment apps.
“When my clients book with me, they don’t physically send me their deposit,” she said. “They send it to my booking site.”
She recommends anyone booking appointments through social media:
- Verify they are communicating with the business’s official account.
- Book through the artist’s official website or booking platform whenever possible.
- Be cautious of requests to send deposits through Cash App, Venmo or PayPal.
- Contact the business directly using verified contact information before sending money.
“For me, it’s more than tattoos. This is a whole experience,” Asato said. “I do everything out of love, with love, for myself, for my community, for my clients, and I just want to make sure that their money is going where they want it to go.”
While the fake accounts News4JAX identified have since been removed, Asato encourages customers to remain vigilant, as scammers often create new impersonation profiles after others are taken down.