12 Ways to Identify
a Fake Facebook Account.
50 million
Facebook Accounts Are Fake
12 Ways to Identify
In effort to become a dominant social media platform, Facebook lost control of fake accounts, bots, and shared information. Most users have dealt with friend requests from an unknown accounts and been hacked. Eventhough Facebook is exploring ways to deal with these issues, fake Facebook accounts are getting smarter and more believable as real ones making it harder to catch. Leaving users on their own to decide if a Facebook account is fake or real. Let’s learn how to detect fake Facebook accounts and keep your account safe.
Discovering and Stopping Fake Facebook Accounts
According to Facebook, it estimates about 40-50 million accounts are fake. That is a lot! Here are the 12 ways to identify a fake facebook account:
- Biggest Rule: Don’t talk to strangers online. If you do not know them or recognize the name then do not accept friend request.
- An attractive photo (fake Facebook accounts often use attractive photos to entice people to befriend the account)
- Profile picture looks like it came off the internet
- Not very many pictures (often individual pictures and not with groups of people)
- Biography information seems unrealistic
- There are no wall posts on the Facebook page
- Conversations on account seem fake and not real
- Has the Facebook account been active for a short time or long time
- The account likes too much on other accounts
- Check if the account has friends (fake accounts will have none to very few friends)
- Use Google Images to check photos and Google account name to see what comes up
- Don’t be tricked by people vouching for the account. If there is one fake account then they all could be fake accounts to make them seem more legit
Also remember to not base your decision on mutual friends. Remember, that fake accounts can connect with your friends as well as you. If you are unsure about an account, a good way to catch the fake account is by either messaging your friend or the account before accepting. If you message your mutual friend, ask if they have ever met the person on that account. If you message the unknown account, ask them how they know you and how did you meet. Many fake Facebook accounts will not respond.
What to do with a Fake Facebook Account
You have caught a fake Facebook account, now what do you do? If you believe an account is fake then report it to Facebook. (This can be done by going to the profile and clicking on the three dots on the right side of the cover photo.) Every Facebook account reported benefits everyone as that one account was probably looking to hack more than one user. Keep in mind, Facebook is built to add users fast so they struggle taking down accounts. So it helps if we chip in by reporting fake Facebook accounts.
Facebook is built to add users fast so they struggle taking down accounts. So it helps if we chip in by reporting fake Facebook accounts.
We hope these tips will help you stay away from fake Facebook accounts and keep your personal information safe. If you are looking for more articles on social media, you may enjoy these other ones: How to Get Verified on Twitter and How to Create a YouTube Channel. Also feel free to reach out to us if you need assistance with social media management.
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Ivan Reed, CEO
Ivan Reed is the CEO of SunCity Advising. His client portfolio includes successful partnerships with startups, small businesses, medium-sized firms & large corporations. SunCity Advising specializes in developing high performing websites, including services in SEO, paid media advertising, social media, email marketing and other digital marketing solutions.
