How to Detect a Fake Facebook Account and What to Do

Facebook has put together a social network of over a billion people. Some of those people do not have the best interests of their fellow humans at heart. They may seek you out to get information, steal your identity, or prey upon you. How do you guard against predators like that? This wikiHow article teaches you how to spot a fake Facebook profile and what to do if you find one.

Quick Ways to Spot a Fake Account

Look for information that doesn’t add up. This could be profile information that doesn’t make sense, a profile picture that looks too perfect, a lack of account activity, a low number of friends or followers (or too many), or an unnatural writing or communication style.

Section 1 of 4:

Spotting a Fake Account

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You should never accept a friend request from someone you don’t know. If you do get a friend request, check how many mutual friends they have. If they have no (or even just a couple) mutual friends, they might be a fake account. If they do have a couple of mutual friends, you could even reach out to those people to see if they know anything about the profile or person.
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Check their “About” section. A fake Facebook profile may have minimal information or information that doesn’t add up. Are there some really hard-to-believe statements being made?^{[1]
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- If a Facebook profile has very minimal information (i.e., no family members, few or no previous jobs or places they have lived), or if their About page is unusually void of information, it may be a sign of a fake account.
- A fake profile may also have information that doesn’t make sense or seems too good to be true. Maybe there is a photo of a very young person next to claims of being a professor or a CEO. Perhaps they claim to be a bodybuilder who owns numerous sports cars and has traveled to over 30 countries in the past year. It’s common for people to make themselves look good on social media by posting only the highlights of their life, but if a profile seems implausibly impressive, it might be fake. Trust your instincts.
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See when the profile was created. Facebook has been around for more than a decade, and most regular Facebook users have been using it for quite some time. If a Facebook profile was made fairly recently, that could be a sign that the account was made for a specific purpose. This is not unusual for a new business page or public profile, but personal profiles may be a little more suspicious. Users will generally tell their friends and followers if they need to create a new account.
- To check when a Facebook profile was created, click on the page name. Then click the About tab. Click Page transparency to see when the page was created. If it’s a personal profile, check the Facebook activity and see how long it’s been going on.
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Look at the number of friends or followers. A fake profile may have too many or too few friends. Most people have a few hundred to a thousand or so friends. If a profile only has 15 friends, that could be a sign of a fake account. On the other hand, if the account has thousands of friends or followers, those could be from other fake accounts, especially if the account was created fairly recently.
- Additionally, if they have a lot of friends, check to see if they are local or global. Most people friend other people they know, and will have more local friends. If they have a ton of friends from other countries, that’s a little suspicious.^{[2]
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  - While having friends from all over the world can be a sign of a fake account, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. If the person has a job that involves a lot of travel, for example, they might have connections in lots of places.
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Search their name online to see if it returns anything. This won't be so useful if the name is very common, but for a more unusual or unique name, there might be some interesting returns.
- If they have a common name, add other information such as their location, approximate age, or any other information you can glean from their profile.
- Another thing to check is if the name matches the URL. If the name is different from the URL, that could be a sign the account was stolen. When an account is stolen, the hacker will often change the name on the account to match their new intentions.
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Image search their profile picture. A fake account will often use a profile picture that was taken from another account or use a generic stock photo. If the profile icon looks too perfect or polished, that could be a sign that it’s a stock photo. Do an image search of their profile picture to see where it came from. This will reveal if it’s a stock photo or if it’s tied to any other social media accounts.
- To do an image search, go to Google.com. Click the icon that resembles a rectangle with a dot in the middle. It’s towards the right of the search bar. Drag and drop the profile picture into the window to do a reverse image search.
- If the image looks too perfect, look for signs that it was AI-generated. This could include misshapen features, inconsistent lighting and shadows, clothing that blends together unnaturally, etc.
- Check to see if they have multiple profile pictures. Regular Facebook users will update their profile picture from time to time.
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Check their recent activity. Make sure they are using Facebook like a normal person. Most people who use Facebook post regular updates, as well as pictures and memes, and whatnot. If their recent activity is missing or they engage in a lot of unnatural conversation, that might be a sign they are a fake account.^{[3]
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- Have they been tagged in anything? A real person is generally tagged here and there as part of the Facebook sharing experience.
- If a profile spends an inordinate amount of time promoting a website or a “special deal” that could be a sign that they are a fake account.
- Another example is if they use a lot of oddly direct language when interacting with people. Predators and scammers may try to use flattery to soften you up. Generic comments to strangers like “Great photo” or “You are awesome” may be a sign of a fake account.
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Send them a private message. If you are not sure if they are real or not, try sending them a private message. If you do not get a response, that could be a sign that they are a fake account run by a bot. If they message you back and immediately start trying to sell you something or using flattering language, that could be a sign the profile is run by a scammer or a predator.
- Do a double-take if the person says anything weird or "out-of-character". For example: if an adult is pretending to be a teen, they may say something that dates them by referring to a historic event or person that teens wouldn't really know much about. Or they may prove to know way too much about a topic that someone they're claiming to be would not.^{[4]
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Be really wary of undying declarations of love, affection, and romance. If someone you've never met, who lives thousands of miles away from you, and who has barely revealed themselves gets amorous with you, be suspicious. They could be trying to catfish you.
- Catfishing is when a person creates a fake online profile and tries to lure victims into an online romantic relationship, usually for the purpose of scamming them out of money. If you are communicating romantically with someone you’ve never met and they start asking for money or financial assistance, that’s a huge red flag.^{[5]
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- Question your own feelings and motivations if you start to feel something for a person who declares they love you online. Is it too sudden? Too weird? Too freaky? A little bit icky? Trust those feelings and delete this fake friend from your account.
- If they ask you for lewd pictures, immediately be suspicious. A fake account is a good shill for getting free pornographic material that then gets passed around online.
Scammers often pretend to be people you know and are already friends with. If you get a friend request from a friend or relative who already has a Facebook account, check with that person and ask if they’ve created a new account. If not, the account is almost certainly fake.

Section 2 of 4:

Can you find who runs a fake account?

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Unless they leave some sort of identifying information on their profile, it’s hard to figure out who runs a fake Facebook account. Facebook/Meta may have access to some identifying information (i.e., the email address or phone number used to create the account, or the IP address); however, you will most likely need a subpoena from law enforcement to gain access to this information.

Section 3 of 4:

What to Do If You Find a Fake Account

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1
Don't talk to strangers. At least, think twice about accepting friend requests from people you don't know and who are not connected to you through legitimate, verifiable means. If you're not sure, do the following:
- Ask them questions: What makes them want to be your friend? How did they find out about you? Who do you know in common? By clicking on their name, you can see if you have any mutual friends. If you do, contact your friend. If not—that's a big red flag.
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Block the request. If you have a suspicious feeling about somebody, there's a simple solution: don't just turn down the request for friendship, block them completely.
- Click on their Facebook name and then click the icon with three dots (•••) in the upper-right corner. Click the option to block them.
- You can block them from contacting you, or report them to Facebook if you feel they are a threat or involved in illicit or illegal activities.^{[6]
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Unfriend them if you already accepted a friend request. If you're suspicious, unsure, or uncomfortable with having them as part of your Facebook friends, pull the plug. It's not like they're your real friends or family, and they could cause you a lot of future problems.
- Warn other friends of yours on Facebook if you know they have also friended the fake account; one of the tactics of an impostor is to befriend others in your circle of friends to try to make the friendship seem more "real".
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Report the account to Facebook. If Facebook receives enough complaints about a fake account, it will investigate and remove the account. So it’s worth it to report the account.
- If you go to the fake account or page, click or tap the icon with three dots (•••) in the upper-right corner. Then click or tap the option to report the account or page.
If you find that the account is engaging in illegal activity (i.e., hacking, scamming, identity theft, sending lewd messages, or soliciting sexual activity from minors), don’t hesitate to report it to law enforcement. Contact your local police and file a report.

Section 4 of 4:

Why are fake accounts made?

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There are many reasons someone may create a fake account. They may be attempting to influence or game the algorithm. Often, these are accounts run by bots that try to artificially hype something or to spread misinformation and disinformation. In other cases, someone may create a fake account for the purpose of scamming people. They may be attempting to gain access to your personal information or get you to send them money. In the worst-case scenario, they may be predators looking for people (particularly minors) to prey upon.
- A catfish is someone who presents themselves as a friend, or even a romantic interest, in the hopes of gaining your trust so that they can convince you to send them money or personal information.
- The impostor might also be setting you up to steal your identity or valuable information from you so that they can sell it or use it to take out loans or transfer money in your name.
- A predator may send private messages that are lewd or sexual in nature. They may start by using flattery or being overly forward. They may try to convince you or a minor to join a channel on another platform, like Discord, Telegram, or WhatsApp. Then they may request lewd photos or ask to meet in person. Do not send them what they want or accept the invitation.

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How do I flag a fake Facebook profile?

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Visit the profile of the fake account. Click on the three dots within a circle on the cover photo. A line will appear that says: Give feedback or report this profile. Click or select this line and follow the on-screen instructions Facebook provides for reporting a fake account.

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Is it illegal to create a fake Facebook profile of someone else?

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In some jurisdictions, it would be illegal to make a fake Facebook profile of a real, existing person when you are not that person, as there is a risk of impersonating the other person in a way that might exploit them or harm or damage their reputation. There would be two main exceptions to this: one is where the person has authorized you to act on their behalf (such as a celebrity or politician asking their personal assistant to run the page) or where it is a parody page (and it’s obviously such to anyone reading it). Do be aware that it violates the terms and conditions of Facebook to develop a fake profile. And, any use of a fake profile to harm people, such as for false advertising, luring people to meet you, obtaining money illegally, etc. will usually breach the laws of your country. Speak to a media/communications lawyer in your state or country if you’re unsure about how to proceed within the boundaries of the law.

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Can you trace a Facebook IP address?

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It is not possible to trace a Facebook IP address without having a judge-ordered legal reason for requiring Facebook to provide this information via its server logs. IP addresses do not show on user’s profiles or on any other of their pages, so it’s not something any user is meant to access. If you interacted with this person outside of Facebook, such as through emails, messaging services, etc., then you could possibly obtain their IP address that way but we’re guessing you are probably wanting to access the IP address of someone you’re not able to contact any other way, so that’s likely to not be helpful. If it’s someone who is causing you problems, block them and contact Facebook via their reporting facility and if you feel threatened, contact the police.

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Tips

Look for evidence of offline interaction with their Facebook friends (such as photos of the person who runs the account hanging out with their friends). However, keep in mind that even this can be faked if they're running multiple Facebook accounts.

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Check any links they've provided to personal websites, social media pages, etc., to help you see if things add up. However, do not log in, create an account, or provide any information to these websites.

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Beware interconnected faking. There are increasing cases of one person running numerous fake Facebook accounts, pretending to be an array of different people, all vouching for one another and all trying to be friends with someone real!

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Beware accounts with few photos of themselves but lots of older, male friends. This fits a common fake profile pattern.
Take note if they say anything seeming out-of-character for who they claim to be. This can reveal their real identity.
Check if the person has any local friends. Lots of global friends but none nearby is a red flag of a fake account.
When messaging, if it doesn't show "Active X minutes ago", it's likely fake. Real accounts display active status.
Watch for military personal claiming to be widowed and on missions abroad. Sadly, these are often scammers.

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Warnings

Be careful what you put online and what you tell people you don't really know. Some people act very caring until they have enough information about you, and then they turn around and blackmail you with it. If you don't know the person, no matter how friendly you've become in the online context, keep your private details private and keep everything very general.

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Remember that while a person using a fake account could be after money, property, or personal information, they could also be after you. That is why it is extremely important for your physical safety to use discretion about whom you choose to interact with.

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Keep an eye on your teens. Young people are the most vulnerable to building online relationships with people who don't exist. They fall in love with an image of the perfect person, and the faker is happy to oblige for their own gratification or other reasons.

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Older users can also be particularly vulnerable to scams.

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