Fake accounts aren’t just random bots. They pretend to be customer support teams, well-known brands, online sellers, investment “experts” and ordinary people. Many look convincing at first glance.
Before you follow, reply, send a message, buy something or share personal details, run through this quick checklist. It takes about two minutes.
The fastest check: run the account’s profile photo and a couple of its posts through our free Reverse Image Search. If the pictures belong to someone else, a stock photo site or a different brand, you have your answer.
1. Check the profile
- Username: look for extra letters, swapped characters or added words like “support”, “official” or “help” on an account that isn’t the real one.
- Age of the account: on Instagram, tap ⋯ and About this account to see when it joined and whether it has changed its name. Brand-new accounts claiming to be old businesses are a warning sign.
- Bio and links: do the links go to the real company’s website, or to a look-alike address?
2. Check the photos
- Reverse search the profile picture and two or three posts with our free tool.
- Photos that appear under other names, on stock photo sites or on someone else’s account mean the account is borrowing an identity.
- A face that appears nowhere at all could be AI-generated. See how to tell if a photo is AI-generated.
3. Check the followers and activity
- Very few posts, all uploaded on the same day.
- Thousands of followers but almost no likes or comments, or comments that are all generic (“Nice!”, “🔥🔥”).
- Follows thousands of accounts but has few followers.
- No tagged photos or interactions with real friends or customers.
4. Don’t rely on the blue badge alone
A blue badge doesn’t always mean what people think. On Instagram and Facebook it can be earned by notable accounts or bought through Meta Verified, which checks ID. On some other platforms, a blue check mainly shows that someone pays for a subscription. A badge tells you something, but the name, history and behaviour of the account tell you more.
5. Watch how they contact you
- Fake support accounts often reply to public complaints and ask you to message them privately. Real companies rarely ask for card details or passwords in messages.
- Too-good-to-be-true offers: giveaways you didn’t enter, guaranteed investment returns, or “you’ve won” messages.
- Pressure and urgency: “act now”, “your account will be closed”, “only today”.
- Requests for codes: never share a login or verification code sent to your phone. It’s usually a trick to take over your account.
6. Verify through the official route
If an account claims to be a company, go to the company’s real website yourself (don’t use a link they send you) and use the contact details or social links listed there. If it claims to be someone you know, contact that person another way to check.
Found a fake?
- Don’t reply, click links or send money.
- Report the account to the platform, usually through ⋯ and Report.
- If it’s using your photos, see what to do when someone uses your photos.
- If it’s a dating or romance profile, read our romance scam warning signs.
- Shopping from it? Check whether the seller’s photos are real first.
Frequently asked questions
Can a real account fail some of these checks?
Yes. A new small business or a private person may have few posts or followers. Look at the whole picture, and be most careful when money or personal details are involved.
What if the account has a blue badge?
A badge is a good sign on some platforms but not proof on its own. Check the username, history and links too, especially if they’re asking for money or details.
Can I check an account without it knowing?
Yes. Looking at a public profile and reverse searching its photos doesn’t notify anyone.
Not sure about an account? Check its photos with our free Reverse Image Search before you trust it.