Fake Accounts and Scams

Goals of scammers who create fake accounts:

• Impersonation of individuals.
• Scamming followers for money under false pretenses.
• Online harassment.
• Spreading misinformation and disinformation.
• Posting deceptive reviews or complaints about brands.
• Intentionally damaging someone’s reputation.

Classic red flags:

• Pixelated profile picture.
• Very suspicious name (e.g. famous celebrity) and generic profile URL (e.g. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083227784922 – numbers and no name).
• No verification check on account claiming to be owned by a famous person.
• Dodgy account info (e.g. female name with male gender).
• Low number of friends or followers. If it’s very low, it’s likely fake.
• Fake profiles frequently post misinformation and disinformation, featuring content such as memes, stock photos, and reused images. No published posts is also often indicative of a fake account.

You can report scams using the ScamWatch Report a scam form.

Source: https://www.boscolegal.org/blog/tracking-down-fake-accounts/.