Fake profiles are used for various scams. For example, love scammers pose as attractive singles on all common platforms. Fake profiles are used to advertise fraudulent online shops, investment or loan offers and to place fake offers on classified ad portals. Our cooperation partner Watchlist Internet shows here how you can recognize a fake profile.
The basic rule is: Be skeptical if you are contacted by a stranger on the Internet and do not believe everything people say on the Internet. Because this person may want to hide their true identity and steal money from you!
Our tips for recognizing fake profiles
Tip 1: Communication
You can recognize fake profiles by the communication or behavior of the online acquaintance: Does the relationship with the online acquaintance quickly become familiar and profound? Does the person respond very quickly? Does the person always have an open ear, is attentive and caring? Does the online acquaintance demand money, voucher codes or favors? Does the person have “insider financial tips”? Be careful if you answer “yes” to some questions! It could be a romance scam !
Tip 2: Age of the profile
How long has the profile been around? To find out, pay attention to the date on images and posts. Also check when the first posting was published. There is a “Page Transparency” section for Facebook pages. There you will find out when the page was created.
If the profile is very young, it could be fake!
Tip 3: Check profile activity
Take a close look at the profile! How many friends or followers does the profile have? Who are these people? Only women or only men? Do the photos and posts have likes? Which pages were subscribed to? Are there any comments?
If there is only a few activities on the profile, it could be a fake profile. But remember: Some fraudsters spend a lot of time on a fake profile!
Tip 4: Search name on the Internet
Search the person's name online. It is best to search using the keywords “scam”, “scammer” and “fake”. You may already be warned. Even if you don't find anything, you should be suspicious.
Tip 5: Research whether the pictures were stolen
use Google or Google Lens to find out more about the origin of an image. To do this, upload a picture of the person. Google then searches other sites for this or similar images. This may help you find out who the person in the photo really is or where the photo was stolen from.
Here are instructions on how to search for images . The best way to search for images on your .
Tip 6: No profile picture or very attractive photos
Criminals usually choose very attractive photos for their fake profiles. You often steal these from public Instagram profiles. Sometimes they also copy the profile of a well-known person (e.g. celebrities, actors, models, politicians, etc.) and pretend to be them. If a profile does not have a photo, you should also be careful.
Fallen for a fake profile?
- Stop replying and don't transfer any money!
- Take screenshots of the entire conversation and profile.
- Report and block the profile. In Saferinternet.at's privacy guides you will find instructions on how to report and block profiles on different networks.
- Have you suffered financial loss? File a police report! To do this, you need documents that prove the fraud (chat logs, transfer receipts, etc.)
Source:
Watchlist Internet
Also read our fact checks:
Zillerbahntal e-bus charged with a diesel engine?
Yes, as a test! Climate science with quantum technology is an old joke.
Watch YouTube and earn money? Rip off!
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

