[ALERT] Fake Facebook Profile - What to do?
Today I got a message from an AskBob reader, alerting me that someone had made a fake Facebook profile in my name. The malefactor pretending to be me stole my profile picture, reposted some of my updates, and was already running a scam. Fortunately, that reader wasn’t fooled, and was kind enough to let me know about the bogus account. Sadly, this happens all the time. Here’s what I did, and what you need to know about fake Facebook profiles... |
Fake Facebook Profiles: An Overview and How to Respond
Fake Facebook profiles have become an increasing problem, as more people and businesses become targets of identity theft, harassment, and con games. These accounts can be made to look like genuine people; to do so, they often use stolen images and your personal data. If a false persona (a fake version of your profile) is created, you may be at risk for financial frauds, reputational damage, privacy violations, and even cyberbullying.
According to Facebook’s own reporting, they deleted over 27 billion fake accounts between 2017 and 2024! Last year, Facebook estimated that fake profiles accounted for about 5% of all active monthly users. With over 3 billion active Facebook users, that implies there are 150 million fake Facebook profiles. So it’s important to understand the nature of these fake Facebook profiles and know how to react if one is made in your name, in order to protect your online reputation.
What Are Fake Facebook Profiles?
A fake Facebook profile is an account created using someone else’s (or your) identity in order to deceive others. These accounts may serve various purposes, from conducting phishing schemes to harassing individuals or misleading people for financial gain. Some fake profiles also target public figures or companies in an attempt to damage their reputation or exploit their followers. Here are some common reasons for fake profiles:
- Impersonation: Scammers may use fake Facebook accounts to pose as a well-known person or an acquaintance of their target, to gain their trust.
- Phishing: Fake profiles can be used to entice people to click malicious links or gather personal information from unsuspecting users.
- Harassment and Cyberbullying: Some fake profiles are created to harass or bully others. The perpetrator may post defamatory information to harm the reputation of person being faked, while hiding behind anonymity.
- Fraud and Scams: Most often, these bogus profiles serve as come-ons for money scams, with a goal of extracting money by pretending to be a legitimate friend or authority figure.
In my case, the person who faked my profile was reaching out to my friend list with an introductory “How are you doing today?” message. Any reply to that bait would start the “Here’s how I got money from the government, and how you can get some, too” scam.
Recognizing a Fake Profile
If you suspect that someone has created a fake profile of you or someone else, here are some of the telltale signs to look for:
- Unusual Behavior: The account sends friend requests to people you know, but you haven’t personally reached out to them.
- Stolen Photos: The profile uses pictures of the actual person, but the behavior on the account seems out of character.
- Duplicate Accounts: You notice a new profile for a person you know, or more than one account with your name and personal information.
- Thin Content: A fake profile will often look like a new account. There may be just one or two posts, and only a few friends listed. The “About” section will often be empty.
As I mentioned before, the scammer will often begin by reaching out with an innocous message such as “How are you today?” in order to get you to engage with the fake account. When someone uses your pictures or information in a fake profile, it can impact your privacy. In addition to impersonating you, the faker can tarnish your reputation, and damage your personal or professional life. Victims of fake profiles may also experience emotional harm, particularly if the profile was created with the intention to spread malicious content, false claims, or engage in bullying.
What To Do If Someone Creates a Fake Facebook Profile of You
If you realize that someone is impersonating you with a fake profile on Facebook, it’s important to act quickly to minimize the damage. Here are the steps I recommend:
- Report the Profile to Facebook: Because this is such a common problem, Facebook has a tool to report fake profiles. To do so, go to the fake profile’s page (this is safe). Click the three dots (•••) and click or tap “Report profile”. Choose the “Scam, fraud or impersonation” option and follow the instructions. Facebook will review your report, and after confirming that the profile is fake, they will delete it. (This begs the question of why they don’t proactively scan for fake accounts. With AI, they should be able to detect and zap them automatically.)
- Inform Your Contacts: Tell your friends and family about the fake account to so they won’t become victims by engaging with a scammer. Post a message on your (real) profile that there’s a fake profile out there.
- Check Your Account Security: If this happens, it’s a good idea to make sure that your real account is secure. Change your password and turn on two-factor authentication. Next, review your Facebook privacy settings, and limit the visibility of your posts, photos and personal info to only trusted friends. You may want to delete “friends” who are not actual friends in real life.
- Consider Legal Action: Creating a fake profile could constitute identity theft or other cyber crimes. If a fake Facebook profile results in damage to your reputation, consider seeking legal counsel.
Preventing Fake Profiles in the Future
While you can’t always prevent someone from creating a fake profile, there are steps you can take to protect your online identity:
- Limit what you share publicly. Avoid posting personal information like phone numbers, addresses, or even photos that could be misused.
- Regularly review your privacy settings. Ensure your profile is visible only to friends or specific groups.
- Watch For Multiple and Repeat Fake Accounts: There may be more than one fake account. Use the Facebook search box to search for your own name, and peruse the list for potential fakes. Be watchful for any future account impersonations. Facebook scammers may not give up easily, so be vigilant.
Here’s the bottom line. Fake Facebook profiles can range from a nuisance to serious privacy and security concerns. If you notice that someone has created a fake Facebook account using your photos and personal information, report it right away, double check your account secutity settings, and remain vigilant.
Have you found a fake profile? Tell me your story, and how you responded. Post your comment or question below…
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This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 24 Sep 2024
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- [ALERT] Fake Facebook Profile - What to do? (Posted: 24 Sep 2024)
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Most recent comments on "[ALERT] Fake Facebook Profile - What to do?"
Posted by:
Karan
24 Sep 2024
I've been reporting these "spoofed" profiles for the last several years, and they have been increasing for the last year or so.They most often arrive as a friend request from someone with whom I know is already a friend, and all the points you mention are included. However, just recently, several attempts to report these fake profiles has resulted in a response from Facebook that they "do not go against community standards." Others have had a similar experience. So either the process for reporting these is broken, or Facebook has stopped caring about them.
Posted by:
Ernest N. Wilcox Jr. (Oldster)
24 Sep 2024
Thank you for posting this. I hope you don't mind, but I posted the link to this item on my Facebook page, so my friends and family can read it too. The more people who are aware, and therefore alerted to this, the better, if you ask me.
Ernie (Oldster)
Posted by:
Kaytee Sumida
24 Sep 2024
I get the "friend" requests, mostly "lonely heart types", but what is getting seriously annoying, are the "notices" tht the account will be shut down "due to copyright violations"... "click here if you think this is an error". Since I've been reporting these on-Page posts (and blocking them), I now have started getting them as Messenger posts. Is there any way to report those? I've been deleting/sending to spam, but don't see a way to report/block the sender.
Posted by:
BillP
24 Sep 2024
Hey Bob,
I sent you this email (from my hotmail account):
I don't know if you're aware of it, but at least on my cellphone, the rightmost couple of characters on each line of your message are cut off. This has been a long-standing issue, which makes me think that you don't even know about it.
But it bounced:
(expanded from ): host
gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[142.251.16.26] said: 550-5.7.25 [64.91.249.242]
The IP address sending this message does not have a 550-5.7.25 PTR record
setup, or the corresponding forward DNS entry does not 550-5.7.25 match the
sending IP. As a policy, Gmail does not accept messages 550-5.7.25 from IPs
with missing PTR records. For more information, go to 550-5.7.25
https://support.google.com/a?p=sender-guidelines-ip 550-5.7.25 To learn
more about Gmail requirements for bulk senders, visit 550 5.7.25
https://support.google.com/a?p=sender-guidelines.
d75a77b69052e-45b52591da7si22927381cf.199 - gsmtp (in reply to end of DATA
command)
Posted by:
Kevin
25 Sep 2024
I don't like or trust Facebook, but from needing to go log in there sometimes (like for updates on the local wildfire emergency group page, or for following other groups or people's links or info). I made my Facebook account using a fictional user name, with zero other info about myself. (You cannot enter their site without an account). I don't have or want any friends there, nor to use their messaging service. My real first and last names together, are unique, and if searched will lead you to my front door. I value my privacy and never use my real full name, or address, online anywhere it isn't required (like for banking or shopping). Never have to worry about anyone else using my facebook acct. No one knows who that is. Sometimes I look at the pages of people I know on there but never say anything. I'll talk to them in person if I need to.
Posted by:
Dave
25 Sep 2024
The biggest way of preventing spoofed accounts from causing trouble is for all facebook users to hide their friends list. It would be much easier if Facebook/Meta were to STOP making profile and cover photos public.
Posted by:
Kevin
25 Sep 2024
(forgot to add these on the last post. was surprised it went through)
Posted by:
Robert T Deloyd
25 Sep 2024
I shared this on my FaceBook page. I wrote the following on FB with a link to this article of yours:
"Many fake profiles of friends are being created. I reported four this month and many more this past year. If you see a fake profile of a friend you're already a friend with on Facebook asking to be friended, Please Report them and tell your friend their profile has been hijacked. This article tells you what to do if this happens to you or your friend. Please feel free to share this article with them."
Posted by:
Wolf
25 Sep 2024
This is a GREAT ARTICLE! I am one who wants nothing to do with Facebook, because of security, privacy, and other concerns; therefore, I do not have a Facebook account. Reading this article, is it still possible to have a fake profile created for non-subscribers to Facebook? I would also expect that it is possible to create fake Tik-Toc, X, or LinkedIn accounts (?). Thank you for the informative article!
Posted by:
Gregory
25 Sep 2024
Am I naive!? Here I thought I could avoid this nightmare by simply never creating a facelift account AT ALL. EVER. Which I have (not ever) done.
27 billion fake accounts - Is this a typo? I know I'll get slammed and overruled on this but IMO all so-called social media venues need to be outlawed. Period. The absolute ease with which miscreants can break the law and violate honest people validates my position.
I like land line telephones. They work.
Posted by:
cropduster
25 Sep 2024
Well, FINALLY, some folks posted here about their own legitimate, secure practices when it comes to avoiding FB "issues". Thank you especially to Kevin, Wolf, and Gregory! Why ever sign up for FB when you absolutely KNOW that this fake account nonsense is part of it? In fact, I would say that if you are experiencing issues with identity and spoofing on FB, then you yourself are to blame! In real life, you don't need FB...it is voluntary...so stop complaining.
Posted by:
Dee
25 Sep 2024
As a FB Admin, I've learned it's important to learn the difference between Hacked accounts & Cloned accounts. You're describing Cloned accounts, but usually the person who's been cloned posts "My account has been Hacked. Do not accept any Friend Requests from me"
The accounts most likely to be Cloned are usually 1) Public Visibility & 2) have Friend lists visible to Everyone. So, to avoid being Cloned, change your default Post Visibility to "friends only" & your Friend Visibility to "Only me". (Friends will be able to see Mutual Friends).
Realize that any PM sent you in the Message Request folder is NOT a FB Friend!
ALWAYS double-check you're not already Friends with any Friend Request. And look at their profile before accepting, to see it looks normal.
To get FB to close a Cloned account, Report the Profile & identify which Profile is being impersonated. The Cloned account should do the same. The more reports, the faster it's removed.
There is an annoying audio of a man with an accent that keeps popping in as I type this. Make it stop!
Posted by:
FrancesMC
27 Sep 2024
I get occasional Friend requests from names I don't recognize and I just turn them down. If you look at their page, it is obvious that it's a fake. This has been going on for years and doesn't worry me. What does worry me is the use of Messenger because I talk to my family members on it, esp. my daughter and sister. I have noticed that FB is notably cautious when a new name turns up on Messenger. It doesn't happen often and has always been legitimate.
I want to put in a good word for FB. I have been using FB for maybe 15 years, and it has helped me keep in touch with my family, esp. the younger ones. The only alternative would be email, which has its own problems, or actual letters which I would be willing to write but apparently nobody else. And FB covers the whole family and all I have to is lurk and read the posts. And through a shared interest, I have 2 friends on the other side of the world and, yes, they're legitimate. we've had the connection for years.
Posted by:
FrancesMC
27 Sep 2024
I intended to add this, but forgot.
Most people on FB have too many friends which makes it difficult to keep track of who's who. I only have about 35; 3 of them are dead and a few more appear to have given up.
Posted by:
Lee Dalzell
02 Nov 2024
Several years ago a friend was faked on FB. She complained, filled out all their required proof and they REFUSED to believer her. So she is currently banned.