You’re scrolling through Facebook when you get a friend request from a profile with a name you don’t recognise. But it says you have mutual friends with them, or even a shared interest Facebook group.
At first glance, it looks harmless, so you accept the request. And soon enough, they begin liking your posts, regularly commenting on your photos, and then one day, they send you a link or a message that seems slightly off.
That’s how many scams begin. Fake Facebook accounts are used for everything, from identity theft and catfishing to romance and investment scams. But spotting them isn’t as hard as it seems–if you know what to look for.
What Scammers Do
Fake accounts are designed to look real. They use stolen photos of real people, copied bios, and photo captions that mimic typical user activity. Once you connect, they might:
- Send phishing links and ask for money claiming to be contests, giveaways, or charity drives. Or worse, pretend to have landed in a personal emergency they want your help to get out of.
- Impersonate real influencers or brands to gain your trust.
- Promote fake investment or trading schemes through direct messages or group posts.
- Or even, pretend to befriend you with the idea to “meet up outside” and force you to pay up at “date spots”.
These scams thrive on familiarity — the more “normal” the account appears, the easier it is to trick users into believing the story.
How to Stay Safe
- Check the profile picture. Do a Google reverse image search of the profile picture to see if it’s stolen from the internet or has been used elsewhere before.
- Look for a real posting history. Genuine users post photos, tag friends, and comment naturally. Sparse, repetitive, or brand-only content is a red flag.
- Review the friend list. If the account has too many or too few friends, or a locked friend list, it may indicate a fake.
- Verify mutual connections. No mutual friends? No reason to accept.
- Watch out for vague bios, such as details that don’t add up, like job titles where the company website or LinkedIn doesn’t show any indication of said person's employment.
- Be cautious of random messages and of anyone who professes love quickly. Sudden flattery, suspicious links, or “urgent” requests are warning signs.
What to Do If You Suspect a Fake
- Don’t respond or engage further.
- Report the account through Facebook’s Report feature.
- Block the profile to protect your data and contacts.
- If you come across a suspicious profile or message, don’t panic. Send it to BOOM’s Tipline (7700906588) and we’ll verify it for you.
