Just because you only have a few followers, doesn’t mean you can’t go viral.
3 signs an Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account is fake
Spoofing social media accounts is one of the most common ways scammers try to trick victims. In this attack, cybercriminals will steal posts and pictures to create fake profiles to fool you. If you don’t know how to spot fake accounts, you could lose a ton of money to scams.
Verified account icons help you tell when a profile you’re looking at is official. One problem with Twitter is that anyone can purchase a blue checkmark now, making account verification difficult. Here are some ways to distinguish genuine social media profiles from convincing fakes.
1. Fake accounts follow a ton of people
Scammers try to cast a wide net. They’ll follow many people to access as many targets as possible. It’s also a sign that they’re a paid follower.
If you didn’t know, there are sites online that let you buy followers. So, if you want to look like you’re more popular than you are, you can buy 1,000 or more followers. These are mainly automated accounts, which shady individuals or companies can own.
Watch out if you’re looking at an account that follows, say, 14,000 people but only has 12 followers. You’re probably dealing with a fake.
If you’re not sure, look at the accounts they follow. Look for common themes or friends who know each other. If there isn’t a clear friend group or a network of family members, it’s another red flag.
How to spot fake accounts: Another helpful tip
Automated accounts will often comment on similar fake accounts. They want to create the illusion of authenticity. Scammers will create automated scripts for their accounts to comment.
All this effort has one goal: To convince you that you’re dealing with real people. After all, you would quickly be able to spot a fake account if it had no comments. Luckily, there are a few ways to spot automated remarks on social media.
If no one in the comments says anything of substance, that’s a sign that the remarks are automated. Bot accounts will comment strings of emoji as well as nonsensical statements. This means you’re probably dealing with a fake account whose owner is trying to trick you with bogus commentaries.
2. Scammers use your friend’s profile picture
Did you get a strange notification that you need to protect your Facebook account? It's (probably) real
Social media is a hotbed for scams, and you can never be too careful about pop-ups and advertising. You might have received an email telling you that your account is compromised and you need to verify your details.
The chances are good that it was part of an elaborate phishing scam, but users have noticed another pop-up on Facebook over the last few days. The alert claims that you must activate a new function on the social media platform or risk losing access.
🔴 Intimate IG: Instagram now lets you livestream just to your close friends instead of all your followers. Tap the + button, choose Live, then select Close Friends and start recording. You can add up to three pals. Want to tweak your list? Head to More > Settings > Who can see your content > Close Friends, and then add or remove people.
The FTC bans fake online reviews
Using bots to boost social media followers and influence is off the table, too. Disney+ adds Hulu shows, sparking parental outrage. Plus, Waymo horror stories, Facebook rental scams, and tips for your next mechanic visit. And Earl from Chicago needs wedding help for his daughter.
AI gone wild: A social media influencer created an AI clone to act as a virtual girlfriend. She charged followers $1 per minute for audio chats and raked in $70,000 a week. Then, the AI went rogue, playing along with dark fantasies and initiating explicit conversations the influencer says horrified her. Yeah, I warned you about this.
$55,000 for an Insta
For a foodie account with 359,000 followers. You can find the “deal” on resale site Social Tradia. Wild guess: Most of the followers are bots, and the rest are gonna smash that “unfollow” button once they catch wind of a bait and switch. Pass.
Security tip: How to spot fake social media profiles
Social media is packed with interesting accounts to follow and tons of useful information, but some people use the internet’s power for nefarious purposes by creating fake profiles. Whether it is to scam other users, spread spam messages or post questionable article links, fake social media profiles are a huge problem on almost all platforms.
True or false? You can be penalized by your credit card company for not getting vaccinated
Social media is the wellspring of many a rumor. With the right followers, promotion and just a dash of outrage, even the most ludicrous story can find itself spreading across the web with ease.
The reason: The content algorithms of platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube depend on user engagement. This is what drives some of the strangest stories to trend on social media. If people are mad enough to read and share, you can bet its reach will grow. Tap or click here to see how Facebook plans to fight fake news by paying people to log off.
FTC cracks down on fake followers and reviews
Fake followers? Fake likes? The FTC is done playing around. I’ll tell you why the crackdown could mean big fines — or worse — for influencers and brands pulling these tricks.
I love you just the weigh you are: Folks on social media are pushing Ozempic but hush-hush about its nasty side effects. Karen Evans (paywall link), for instance, never mentioned that severe vomiting made her quit the drug. Get this: Health influencers with under 100,000 followers are making $10,000 and up promoting Ozempic. Influences with over a million followers? They’re making $50,000 to $125,000 per post.