How to Spot Fake Accounts

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DEEP DIVE

Here are five ways to sniff out a fake account on social media. The signs are always changing, so we might see new trends of fake accounts come in and out, but these are usually solid signs:

1. Inconsistent bio

2. Spammy DMs

3. Random comments

4. Offers money or promotes something

5. Follows a lot of accounts

#1 Inconsistent Bio

Watch out for bios that seem off—a strange mix of emojis, awkward language, or bios that mimic real accounts with slight tweaks.

These are often your first clue.

Pay attention to the characters in their username. There’s usually an extra letter, number, or symbol added to the bio. Some fake accounts who impersonate public figures might use letters from another alphabet that looks like English.

#2 Spammy DMs

A fake account will often slide into your DMs pretending to be a reputable brand or a public figure.

They'll send you a generic message, and will encourage you to either visit another website or DM someone else with your information.

These accounts are notorious for offering explicit content, crypto and trading schemes, cash sales, brand partnerships, or even retail scams in their bio.

#3 Random Comments

Fake accounts will always leave comments that are unrelated to the content of your post (because they’re a bot, they can’t offer context).

If you’re still unsure, peruse their profile and check the comments on their posts to see who’s engaging with the account—most of the time you won’t find anything there.

Do the comments on their posts seem authentic? Are they selling or promoting something? Are they repetitive or using all caps?

All these “feature it on XYZ” and “I paid my debt” comments. Fake, obv.

#4 Offers Money

And speaking of debt repayment, fake accounts will often offer you the opportunity to make quick cash or win free products.

They will usually get you to click on a link, input your personal info (username, password, etc.) hack your account and then ask you for money in return for getting your account back!

#5 Follows a Lot of Accounts

If an account follows thousands of profiles but has few followers itself, it's a red flag.

This follow-for-follow (#FollowForFollow) tactic is a common strategy among fake accounts to build a semblance of credibility.

What to Do About Fake Accounts?

Many clients and friends alike just complain about these fake accounts without taking any action to report them.

When you spot a fake account, report it.

Here are two main ways to block a fake account on Instagram:

1. Block and report them via their profile

2. Block and report them via DMs

How To Report an Impersonation Account on Instagram

You can report the account by filling out their "impersonation" support form to tackle the issue.

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