Facebook is a social network that connects more than a billion people. Some of these people do not have the best interests of others at heart. They may try to get information from you, steal your identity, or destroy your reputation. How to protect yourself from these predators? Here are some ways to protect yourself and your family on Facebook. Keep reading!
Steps
Step 1. Understand why it is important to spot a fake account
For one thing, someone with a fake account is - almost by definition - a scammer. Unless you're one of them, you won't want one in your life.
- While they may present themselves in a friendly way, or with a romantic interest, the reason that drives them to gain your friendship will harm you. This could be a person who just wants to make fun of you, or who is trying to steal your money, your belongings or your property.
- The impostor may be attempting to steal your identity or obtain some valuable information that he can use to manipulate someone else.
Step 2. Don't talk to strangers
At the very least, think twice before accepting friend requests from people you don't know who aren't connected to you by anything concrete. If you are unsure, follow these steps:
Ask them questions: What makes them want to be your friend? How did they find you? What friends do you have in common? By clicking on their name, you can see if you have mutual friends. If you have them, ask your friends. If you don't have any, it can be a worrying sign
Step 3. Do some detective work
In the worst case, you will have enjoyed yourself. You may also find that the potential "friend" is bad. Here are some things to look out for:
Step 4. Read the profile carefully
Is what is written credible or is there unlikely information?
For example, you might find a photo of a very young person in a profile of someone claiming to be a professor or administrator of a company. Do the embellishments seem more than the ordinary "trying to look their best" and just seem unbelievable? Trust your instincts in this case. You could also ask for proof of the information the person entered - they are approaching you after all. You have every right to pursue the truth
Step 5. Check their profile photo
Is there only one? Is it too perfect or does it look retouched? Have you already seen it? A nice photo, or a retouched one, may not be bad signs, but they may have searched for a nice picture on Google, believing that no one would find them. Try this:
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Click and drag their profile photo to the desktop.
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Open Chrome or Firefox, and go to Google Images.
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Drag the profile photo into the search box: it will expand, as shown in the image.
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Google uses facial recognition and other algorithms to search for the photo, and will find either an exact match (with information such as name, etc.), or photos similar to the original.
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Step 6. Search their name online to check the results
This won't be very useful if the name is common, but for more unusual names it might be a good idea.
- If they have a common name, add other information, such as address, age, or any other information you can find on their profile.
- Have they been tagged? A real person is usually tagged in some photo if they have a Facebook profile.
Step 7. Check out his friends
Are your friends from all over the world or local? The more friends this person has in your area, the more likely they are to be a real profile. Conversely, if you only see friends from all over the world, you start to get suspicious.
Lack of local friends suggests the account is fake. This is a widely used technique, posing as attractive young women. They will often contact you with a message like "I saw your picture and I think you are cute."
Step 8. Block requests
If you're not feeling good about someone, there is a simple solution: decline the friend request and block that profile.
- Click on their Facebook name, and go to their diary. On the right, under the cover photo, click on the message settings:
- You can stop them from contacting you, or report them to Facebook if you believe they are a threat or are involved in illegal activities.
Step 9. Grant a "trial period"
If you have the (bad) habit of accepting friend requests from friends of friends of friends, or accepting anyone who has the same tastes in music, food or whatever, then you expose yourself to the risk of having scammers among your friends.
- While you can make wonderful connections this way, always try to ask someone's opinion on the person in question. And if that's not possible, stay alert for weird behavior, like a sudden bombardment of likes, comments, photos, etc. day by day.
- If you barely know this person, they should treat you with respect and politeness, not immediately invade your space.
- If, after a week or two, you don't feel comfortable with your new friend, cancel the friendship.
Step 10. Beware of fake account networks
It used to be reasonable to think that someone with a group of friends interacting with each other, vouching for each other, could be a real person. Not anymore!
- There are more and more cases of people running numerous fake accounts, pretending to be a variety of different people, vouching for each other, and trying together to become friends with some real person!
- An example is the case of Natalia Burgess, who weaves a web of deception and made many young men fall in love with the numerous sounds - all because she did not feel loved enough. Sadly, these impostors are willing to go to great lengths to create a network of fake accounts, including creating accounts on other social networks and websites to give the impression that theirs are "real" profiles.
Step 11. Look for and note inconsistencies
If you are the target of an intricate web of lies, the castle will eventually fall. This will especially happen if there is only one person managing many fake accounts. Sooner or later they will make a mistake and confuse the stories.
If you start noticing inconsistencies in the answers to your questions, or their comments, take note and stay alert
Step 12. Pay particular attention if the person says something strange or "out of character"
For example: if an adult pretends to be a teenager, he could make references to a historical period prior to his birth. Or they may be too knowledgeable on topics that those who say they are would not know.
Take note of what the suspicious person says, because everyone makes mistakes! No one is perfect, and eventually they will say something that will confirm your suspicions
Step 13. Pay close attention to declarations of love, affection, and passion
If someone you've never met, who lives thousands of miles away from you, and doesn't really know you, starts flirting with you, you need to ring the alarm bell. In some cases the impostor does this because he loves to play with people's feelings; other times it is because they want to find love on the net, but are too scared to reveal their true identity (or have a relationship in real life); still other times they are looking for something, like sex, drugs or money.
- Question your feelings and motivations if you start to have feelings for someone who says they love you online. Is it too sudden? Too weird, crazy or suspicious? Trust your instincts and block this fake friend.
- If he asks about your sexy photos, be very careful. A fake account is a good scam to get free pornographic material which will then be redistributed on the net.
Step 14. Cancel the friendship
If you have any suspicions, doubts, or don't feel comfortable having them as friends on Facebook, end the relationship. They are not true friends or family, and they could cause you a lot of problems in the future.
Warn your friends on Facebook if you know that any of them added the bogus account; one of the tactics of an imposter is to befriend your friends to make the profile seem more real
Advice
- Pay attention to what you share on the net and what you tell people you don't know. Some people behave very kind and thoughtful until they have enough information about you and then try to blackmail you. If you don't know the person, regardless of your online friendship, keep the details of your private life to yourself and only talk about general topics.
- Look for evidence of real-life interactions with their Facebook friends. However, be aware that these may also be false if the person manages multiple accounts.
- Check the links pointing to personal websites, social networking pages, etc., to see if things add up.
