Fake accounts are a nuisance on any social media platform. However, they can be especially dangerous on dating platforms.
Being able to spot a fake profile is of the utmost importance when it comes to dating and using the internet in general. To help you filter through fake profiles and focus on real ones, this article will list five signs a Match.com profile is fake.
Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way of proving whether or not an account is real or fake. However, there are specific characteristics popular among fake accounts but non-existent in real ones.
Identifying and analyzing certain signs to figure out if an account is real or fake is a great help in practicing safe online dating.
Learn all about Match.com: Explore our comprehensive guide, The Complete Guide To Match.com, where you’ll find everything you need to know about using the app effectively to find your perfect match.
5 Signs A Match.com Account Is Fake
Now that you know why you should avoid fake accounts let’s talk about what signs to look out for if you want to spot a fake Match.com account. Not all profiles will display all of these qualities.
However, most fake accounts will show a few of the signs listed below.
Overly Professional Photographs
Many fake profiles use photographs of models they find on the internet as profile pictures. In many cases, these photographs look highly professional and do not accurately represent what the actual user of the account looks like.
Most people on dating apps have regular selfies or a front-facing portrait as their profile picture. If you notice any profiles with extremely well-shot photographs that look as though they were taken on a set, you may have found a fake account.
Only A Few Photographs
Since people running fake accounts do not use their photographs, the number of photographs on hand is also limited. The fake account may only have a profile picture and no other photos available in many cases.
Real people with real accounts are typically passionate about presenting themselves as attractive. A fake account will only care to pull people in with a glamorous profile picture and put no effort into anything else.
If you notice a profile with a professionally shot profile picture but nothing else to Match, you may be dealing with a fake account.
No Other Social Media Accounts
Before engaging with someone on Match.com, it is good to do some background research. In today’s day and age, everyone and their parents have a social media presence.
Even if they do not have an account themselves, they likely have friends or family who at some point have posted about them on their profiles.
If you find that the person you have Matched with has no social media, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter, the account may be a fake profile.
Spam Messages
You can also identify fake accounts based on the types of messages they send. Fake profiles will often send spam messages that have nothing to do with getting to know you.
Many times, you may just be sent random links. Other times, they may spam you with inappropriate messages or photographs.
If you receive any strange links from fake profiles, do not open them under any circumstance. They can be incredibly dangerous and result in you getting hacked. If you receive unwanted messages from fake profiles, it is best to block or report them.
Unusual Names
Aside from fake pictures, fake profiles often also use fake names. These fake names will usually be obvious, such as “Daddy’s Princess_71” or “Banana_rocket55”. At other times, however, they may sound like real names and be difficult to spot.
Fake names that sound like proper names are hard to use as evidence for fake accounts. In this case, see if you can identify any other signs that may indicate the account’s being a fake profile.
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Why You Should Be Careful Of Fake Accounts
Though fake accounts may seem harmless, they can be quite dangerous. If you’re lucky, you may only have to deal with a few spam messages. However, in many cases, dealing with fake accounts may have consequences, such as the following.
Getting Catfished
Getting a message or request from an account with a professionally shot photograph may feel like a dream come true. However, the reality behind the screen is often something completely different.
Many people use fake profiles because they are too insecure about putting themselves out there.
While this may not seem like an issue of too much concern now, things may be very different when you go out on your first date only to find that the other person is entirely different from what they appeared on their profile.
What’s worse is that these fake profiles may try to sound real as a way of gaining your trust, only to let you down in the end by not being who they said they were.
Getting Hacked
Interacting with fake accounts also puts you in danger of getting hacked. Many fake profiles on dating apps may try to get your information by messaging you online.
Sometimes, you may even get links that ask you to click a link to win a cash prize or read an interesting article. Usually, links like these are used as bait by hackers trying to steal people’s information.
When you click the link in spam messages, you give a hacker access to your IP address. Once they know your IP address, it is easy to track down your phone number, email address, bank information, photograph, etc.
The people running the fake accounts may even try to exploit you by holding whatever information they have on you over your head.
Getting A Computer Virus Attack
Spam messages and links can also force you to deal with computer viruses. The best way to identify when a link is dangerous is by observing how long it is.
Links to websites with no trackers or viruses attached are usually clean and short. If you notice any links being sent to you that are overly long or have weird symbols, it is likely a dangerous one.
Computer viruses can be very harmful to your device. Not only will it cause your computer to behave strangely and malfunction, but it will also destroy or give the hacker access to all of the files on your computer.
These days, people’s computers hold a lot of important files or images. Having all of these files destroyed may end up causing you a lot of harm.
See our complete guide to Match.com here.
What To Do If You Spot A Fake Account On Match.com
If you spot a fake account on Match.com, your first course would be to not respond to any messages the account sends. As stated above, messages sent by fake accounts may attempt to get your personal information. They may also be trying to get you to respond as a way of tracking down your IP address and hacking your profile.
The best response to a fake account is to block or report it. Blocking them ensures that they will no longer find you on that site.
Reporting them takes it further by letting Match.com know that the account is fake. Once you have reported them, Match.com will review their profile. If they find any suspicious activity, that account will be removed from the website.
Conclusion
Fake profiles are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Now that you are aware of the signs a Match.com profile is fake, you should have no trouble distinguishing real accounts from fake ones.
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