When a number of people reported to NSW that their Snapchat accounts had been compromised, the NSW Police Force quickly acted to warn people to be vigilant.

If you have teens or tweens, you will know probable know what Snapchat is. The messaging app is popular with young people and users exchange pictures and videos (called snaps) that are meant to disappear after they're viewed. It's advertised as a "new type of camera" because the essential function is to take a picture or video, add filters, lenses or other effects and share them with friends.

According to the Snapchat terms of service, users must be 13. You have to enter your birth date to set up an account, but there's no age verification, so it's easy for kids under 13 to sign up.

Common Sense Media rates Snapchat OK for teens 16 and up, mainly because of the exposure to age-inappropriate content and the marketing ploys, such as quizzes, that collect data.

.Suspicious behaviour

If you have noticed any of the following suspicious behaviour with your Snapchat account, then it's possible that your account may have been compromised:

• spam sent from your account;
• an alert that someone logged into your account from a different location, IP address or device;
• having to continually re-log in to the app;
• new contacts being added to your list without your permission;
• the mobile number or email address associated with your Snapchat account was changed without your consent.

If you believe your, or your child's Snapchat is compromised, or has been hacked and you’re experiencing unusual activity, contact Snapchat Support via https://support.snapchat.com/en-GB/a/hacked-howto

You can also get further advice at https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide/snapchat