Check the account itself
- About this account: tap the three dots on their profile, then "About this account" to see the join date, country and username changes. A recent join date or many username changes is a warning sign.
- Tagged photos: real people are tagged by friends. An empty Tagged tab on a "popular" account is suspicious.
- Comments: look for comments from people who seem to know them, not just emojis.
- Post history: scroll to the bottom. Did everything appear in the last few weeks?
Search the name or username
Private search. They are never notified.
Check the photos and username
Reverse-search two photos (see how to reverse image search). Then check whether the same username exists on other sites with our free username search tool; a real person usually has the same handle in a few places with consistent details.
DM red flags
- A stranger with a perfect feed who opens with compliments and moves fast.
- Talk of crypto, trading or a "mentor".
- Asking you to move to WhatsApp or Telegram.
- The FTC found that in 2022, 40% of people who lost money to romance scams said contact started on social media.