FAKE social media pages pose a serious threat to all users as some impersonate individuals, businesses, and organisations to spread scams, misinformation, and identity theft.
These fraudulent accounts manipulate users into trusting false information, stealing personal data, or engaging with deceptive schemes.
Without verification, individuals risk falling for phishing attacks, financial fraud, or believing false information that can influence decisions from health choices to voting. Fake accounts often impersonate trusted figures, making it easy to manipulate unsuspecting users.
Learning to verify social media pages protects personal data, prevents financial losses, and ensures access to accurate information. It also helps stop the spread of harmful content, safeguarding both individuals and online communities. By staying informed, users can confidently engage with authentic sources on social media and avoid digital traps.
Want to know how to verify the authenticity of social media profiles and pages, you will find the steps below useful:
1. Check the username/handle
Fake profiles and pages often mimic real ones by making slight modifications to usernames, such as adding underscores, extra numbers, or special characters (e.g., “@JohnDoe_Official” instead of “@JohnDoeOfficial” or “@CNNNews1” instead of “@CNN”).
These small changes can be misleading, making it easy for users to mistake a fake account for the real one. Always check for spelling errors and inconsistencies, and compare the account with the official website of the person or organisation to confirm if they have link to the page.
2. Look for verification badges
Different social media platforms use verification badges to indicate authentic accounts of public figures, businesses, and government organisations.
However, it’s important to note that verification policies vary across platforms, and on some, verification can be purchased, making it less reliable as a sole indicator of authenticity.
Below are the verification types for major social media platforms:
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp (Meta)
- Blue Tick: Granted to public figures, celebrities, journalists, and brands to confirm authenticity.
- Gray Tick: This was previously used for businesses but is no longer in use, as Meta now applies the blue tick to both individuals and businesses.
- Meta Verified: Which is subscription-based is available to individuals and businesses who apply for verification by submitting an official ID.
X (formerly Twitter)
- Blue Tick: Previously used for notable figures but is now available via paid subscriptions (X Premium) to all users. Some accounts still have legacy verification.
- Gold Tick: Given to verified businesses.
- Gray Tick: Reserved for verified government institutions, officials, and multilateral organisations.
TikTok
- Blue Tick: Awarded to notable public figures, creators, and brands after an internal verification process to ensure authenticity. Unlike X, verification on TikTok cannot be purchased.
On platforms like X (Twitter), verification can be purchased through subscriptions, and thus having the blue tick does not always confirm authenticity. Always verify an account by checking additional details, such as usernames, posting history, and official websites of any individual, business or institution you’re researching about.
3. Review profile information
- Bio and about section: Check for spelling errors, vague descriptions, or exaggerated claims. Authentic pages typically provide clear and professional details about their identity, purpose, or affiliations.
- Account creation date: Fake accounts and pages are often recently created and may lack a history of consistent activity. A legitimate profile usually has a longer track record with regular updates or posts.
- Contact information: Genuine pages often include official websites, verified email addresses, or other credible contact details. Be cautious of pages that lack such information or provide suspicious links.
4. Examine profile picture and media
Using Google Reverse Image Search or TinEye to verify whether a profile picture has been stolen or used elsewhere. Fake accounts often use stock images, AI-generated photos, or pictures of real individuals without their consent. Sometimes, they use photos of dead persons to create new social media profile or pages.
If the image is linked to multiple unrelated sources or appears on stock photo websites, the account may be fake. Also, check to ensure that the image has not been generated online using any of image generator such as this.
5. Analyse posting history and engagement
Authentic social media accounts typically maintain a consistent posting history, while fake pages sometimes post excessively within a short period to appear active or have very few posts overall.
Another red flag is the comment section as fraudulent pages often disable comments to avoid scrutiny or display spam-like engagement with repetitive, generic, or bot-generated responses.
Additionally, engagement patterns can reveal inconsistencies; a legitimate page usually has a balanced ratio of followers to interactions. If an account has thousands of followers but very little engagement, it may have purchased fake followers. Similarly, a sudden spike in activity from suspicious or bot-like accounts could indicate inauthentic behaviour.
6. Cross-check with official sources
To verify the authenticity of a social media account, start by conducting a Google search using the account name along with keywords like “official account” to see if reputable sources or the organisation itself recognise it. Next, visit the official website of the individual, brand, or organisation to check if they have links to their verified social media pages there, as legitimate entities often provide direct links.
Additionally, cross-check with reliable fact-checking organisations such as The FactCheckHub to determine if the social media account has been flagged for spreading misinformation or impersonation. These steps help confirm whether an account is genuine or potentially deceptive.
7. Use third-party tools
You may use websites like Botometer.org to analyse X (Twitter) accounts to assess the likelihood of them being bots by examining their activity patterns, engagement behaviour, and posting frequency. This tool helps identify inauthentic accounts that may be part of misinformation campaigns or spam networks.
If a social media profile includes a website link, performing a Whois Lookup can provide valuable insights into its domain ownership. This tool reveals details such as the registration date, ownership information (if not private), and the organisation behind the website. Checking these details can help verify whether the linked site is legitimate or associated with suspicious activities.
If you come across a Facebook page claiming to be the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offering instant loans, several red flags can indicate it’s a scam.
The page may lack a verification badge, use a misleading username like “@CBN_loanFree2024” instead of the official handle and have an “About” section filled with grammatical errors and no official contact information.
Additionally, its posts may be only a few days old yet have thousands of fake likes. A quick Google search could reveal warnings from CBN about fraudulent pages impersonating the institution.
In conclusion, to avoid falling for such scams, always cross-check usernames and website links before trusting a social media page or profile. Avoid engaging with suspicious accounts; don’t like, comment, or share their content until you’re certain of their authenticity. Instead, report fake pages to social media platforms to help prevent misinformation, fraud and other forms of scam from spreading or harming truth.
This is republished from the FactCheckhub
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org