Over the past decade, Instagram has grown exponentially, with more than a billion monthly active users. However, with that increase in users has come an equal rise in fake accounts.
According to this report, as of 2019, there were approximately 95 million fake Instagram accounts, representing about 9.5% of the platform's total user base. With about 1 billion active users, that means roughly 1 in 10 Instagram accounts are fake.
You’ve probably received a weird-looking comment or direct message on Instagram that you could immediately tell was a scam. But fake accounts are becoming increasingly sophisticated as they take on a more “human” tone.
These malicious profiles are often created by scammers to spread misinformation, engage in phishing, and even perpetrate cyberbullying. As an Instagram user, you have the power to spot fake accounts and take them down, and in this article, we explore how to do that.
Why bother with fake accounts?
Even if you think you can smell a scam from a mile away, it’s not always cut and dried. Scammers are likely attempting:
- Personal information theft: Fake accounts often engage in phishing, where they trick users into revealing personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive data.
- Spreading misinformation: These accounts can spread false information, which can harm reputations, influence public opinion, and even impact elections.
- Cyberbullying and harassment: Some fake accounts are created to target individuals with malicious intent, leading to cyberbullying and harassment. Hackers are
- Financial scams: Many fake accounts promote get-rich-quick schemes or fake products and services, leading to financial loss for unsuspecting users.
Learning to recognize and block these accounts helps protect not only your experience on social media but also the integrity of the platform and contributes to a safer online community.
Types of fake Instagram accounts
Fake accounts can take various forms, each serving different malicious purposes. Here are some common types:
- Bots are automated accounts programmed to perform specific actions such as liking posts, following users, or leaving comments. They are often used to inflate engagement metrics or spread spam.
- Impersonation accounts mimic real users by using their names, photos, and personal information. They are typically created to deceive followers, steal identities, or damage reputations.
- Scam profiles are accounts designed to defraud users by promoting fake products, get-rich-quick schemes, or phishing for personal information. Scam profiles often lure victims with too-good-to-be-true offers.
- Inactive or incomplete profiles that have minimal profile information and irregular activity. They are often placeholders for future scams or used to inflate follower counts.
- Catfish accounts are profiles that use fake identities, often with stolen photos, to scam others into forming relationships. These accounts are commonly used for emotional manipulation or financial scams.
People also create fake accounts for less malicious reasons, like testing or for privacy reasons, but they usually don’t spam or scam other users.
9 ways to spot fake Instagram accounts
Here are some tips for spotting fake accounts on Instagram.
Tip 1: Use Instagram’s ‘About this account’ feature
A user on Reddit suggested this helpful tip.
Visit the profile you suspect of being fake, and select the three dots in the top right for profile options.
Select ‘About this account’ (some profiles hide it), and it tells you the country the account was made in, how many past usernames they’ve had, and when the account was created.
If the country doesn't match what the profile says, the account is very recent, or the username has changed frequently in a short space of time, it might be fake.
Tip 2: Inconsistent content
Compare the content on the page to the profile description – sometimes, they don't add up.
For example, if the description says the user is a beauty blogger, but there are no pictures on the profile related to makeup or skincare, it might be fake.
Also, if their Instagram posts use irrelevant hashtags or have low and irrelevant engagement on posts, that can indicate a fake account.
Tip 3: Inconsistent bio
Fake Instagram accounts often have bios that don't match the typical patterns of genuine users. These inconsistencies can include:
- Copied bios: Many fake profiles use bios that are directly copied from real accounts but with minor changes such as added characters, numbers, or symbols to avoid detection.
- Incomplete or vague information: Some fake accounts have bios that are either very sparse or filled with generic statements and spelling mistakes.
- Promotional or irrelevant content: Bios that focus on promotions, links to external websites, or irrelevant content unrelated to the user's supposed identity are red flags.
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