Online dating is full of people using fake photos and profiles to scam others. It’s one thing to doctor up selfies or use apps that automatically beef you up into a dudebro – it’s another to try and steal your money and personal information.
There are ways to spot these fakers with a few simple tips and tools. Look for the following red flags in someone’s profile picture.
1. They look too good to be true.
Many people use fake photos to create profiles on dating apps. This is usually done to catch the attention of someone and scam them into giving out personal information or even money. Some scammers may also try to extort the victim by pretending to fall in love with them and then blackmailing them.
If the person’s photos look too model-like or extremely professional, it’s a red flag. Check if they have the same pictures on other dating or social media profiles and do a reverse image search. If the images appear anywhere else online or from a different source, it’s likely that they are fake.
Some scammers will also fake their names and age to make themselves more attractive to potential victims. This is especially true for people who claim to be celebrities, princes or archdukes. A quick Google search will reveal if the name they use actually exists or not.
2. They’re stolen photos.
Sometimes, fake online profiles use pictures that are stolen from other people. If you’re suspicious of someone’s profile picture, try running a reverse image search on Google to see if the photo is anywhere else on the internet. If you find that their pictures are being used on other websites, it’s probably because they’re using a fake dating profile to scam people.
These fake online dating profiles are known as catfishing, and they’re a big problem in the world of online dating. They can be used for all kinds of malicious purposes, from stealing personal information to extorting money or embarrassing photos. While lying about your name, age, or marital status may be a nuisance, using stolen photos for a fake profile is a whole other story. That’s why it’s important to learn how to spot fake profile pictures and avoid getting ripped off. This way, you’ll save yourself from a lot of heartache and possibly even some jail time.
3. They’re too attractive.
Some people use photos that are a little too good to be true. While some slight photo edits to enhance lighting or remove a blemish may be okay, anything that goes beyond that can be seen as a red flag. If you’re suspicious about a profile, try showing it to a friend and ask them for their opinion.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is a profile that contains only one picture or has a minimal bio. This can be a red flag because it indicates they’re either lying about their appearance or trying to scam people.
It’s also important to note whether the person is smiling in their profile picture. A genuine smile, called a Duchenne smile, involves the muscles in your cheeks and produces wrinkles around your eyes. It’s different from an overdone fake smile, which doesn’t involve the muscle and looks more like a frown. Neither is appealing to potential dates.
4. They’re stock photos.
While a little doctoring to fix lighting or make a face look a little better is okay, if a picture looks like it was taken in a studio or is extremely model-like, that’s a red flag. It’s also suspicious if the same photo is used on multiple dating sites or social media platforms.
One of the best ways to see if a person is using fake photos online is to save their image and run a reverse image search with Google. This will show you if their pic is actually a stock image or stolen from somewhere else. You can also try this free tool This Person Does Not Exist which provides high-resolution images of people who don’t really exist.
If you have a nagging feeling that the person you’re chatting with on a dating site or app isn’t who they say they are, ask them to send you a recent selfie and compare it to their profile pic. If they refuse to do this or use a different photo, that’s another big red flag.