How to detect fake profiles on social networks?

Social networks are widely used around the world, which is why some malicious people take advantage of their ease of access to create fake profiles in order to do harm; but how do you know if an account is fake ?; This tutorial will give you some tips on How to detect fake profiles on social networks?

What are fake profiles used for?

Fake profiles are created by malicious people or bots (computer programs that mimic human behavior on the Internet) with the intention of harming other users. These fake profiles are very dangerous because they are designed to:

• Steal personal information , this attack is known as phishing.
• Damaging the reputation of a person or a company; It even serves the cyberbullying or cyberbullying or extortion of money.
• Impersonate identities.
• Committing crimes on behalf of a fake user.
• Spread malware or spy on users.

• Send spam.
• Attract children and adolescents with the intention of psychologically or sexually abusing them or promoting child pornography. This is why it is important to improve the safety of adolescents on social networks and children as well.
• Publishing fake news to alarm people.
• Use of fraudulent links.

If you come across a fake profile on social media, report it immediately; All social networks have the service of reporting these profiles, thus preventing other users from falling victim to social media privacy dangers and mistakes and unscrupulous people who use these networks to do harm.

How to detect fake profiles on social networks?

• These profiles are generally based on a specific theme, which is attractive to users; like sports, politics, sex, decoration, religion, health, among others; they also include striking and attractive images.
• You do not have mutual friends with this profile, receiving an offline follow-up request with another user is usually very suspicious.
• The photos used by the account are a great indication; For example, if you use unrealistic photos, don't own any photos, or even wear photos with little clothing, these factors indicate that the count may be wrong.
• The profile contains very vague information about this user; However, there are cases where the fake profile may contain unrealistic data, such as studying at great universities or jobs at large companies.
• The number of friends or followers is very important; Two things can happen in a fake profile, that it has very few friends or that it has hundreds of friends but without profile photos and with names from other countries (Arabic, Russian, Chinese).

• Check if you have tagged photos, this is widely used on Facebook and Instagram.
• If you are constantly talking to someone through WhatsApp, Skype, or some other similar network but don't know who they are or what they look like; Ask him to send you a photo or make a video call, if he doesn't respond to any of these methods, there is something suspicious.
• Look at the account name, sometimes these profiles have weird names combined with numbers at the end.
• Search for the profile; For example, it searches Google images for the photographs it has in the profile and searches the browser for the account name; With this research, you can find out if the photos you have in your account are from the Internet or if other people have commented on this profile.
• Check if they have posted any posts, stories or statuses at times, although a user is not very active on social media, it is normal that at some point they have posted something important in his life.
• If you are following artists, public institutions, brands, social movements or media, make sure it is a verified account; You will know this because next to the username you will see a check or a medal, you must also move the mouse or the finger on the username to see the expression "Verified account"; If this expression does not appear, the account is false, whether it has the check or the medal.
• See if he's interacting with other users or responding to their comments.
• Check the age of the account if it has a short delay (hours or days), it is a questionable account.

In order not to be the victim of false profiles, it is necessary to show good judgment and common sense; don't accept people on your social networks that you don't know in person. Do not click on suspicious links, do not give out personal information via networks ; Only you can avoid these fake profiles and avoid the dangers that exist in social networks .