How to identify
A fake facebook profile?

Now a days there are many people on social media who are all out to take us for a ride. In this article, we will talk about fake profile created on facebook , there modus operandi and  ways how to identify them.

Many of us receive friend requests from our friends, most of them have been genuine till now, but there is a upsurge in friend requests emanated from fake profiles created on facebook. The moment we accept the request, next come the messages like where are you, I am in trouble, I am in hospital, I need your help, send me some money.Then the person conveys his / her wallet or bank account details. Once you send the money , the culprit goes off-air. 

So now the question is how to identify a fake profile. Though these fraudsters are  very clever and go on improving their methods. After receiving so many friend requests, I have noticed some features which are common with a fake profile. Now lets discuss them one by one:

i) Friend request is generally from your existing friend on facebook,

ii) Content on a fake profile is very limited, few photos of your friends or very small number of mutual friends,

iii) Once you scroll down a fake profile, you will find date of birth in bold fonts and sometimes date of birth and date of last post visible to you are same. Generally, date of birth shown in a fake profile make your friend much younger. Recently, I came across a fake profile of a retired General Manager of a public sector bank  whose date of birth was  shown 01.02.1994. In fact, I knew the person even before he was borned in this fake profile.

iv) Last, but not the least, click on the profile from which you have received a friend request. In the right corner from his name, you will find three dots ..., click on that, it will show you the link from which account this profile is created. If this request is from a genuine one, name of your friend will be there. But in a fake profile, you will find name of someone else. Like if your receive a friend request in the name of your friend Mr. ABC, then after clicking 3 dots you will find link of account of Mr. XYZ. In fact, this Mr. XYZ is the person who has created a fake profile which makes you to believe that request has come from your friend. 

          Its not very difficult to catch the hold of the person. If law enforcement agencies, internet service provider and facebook authorities work together, they can easily stop the menace. Bank Account or wallet can be traced and culprits can be booked...will they?