Q&A for How to Reveal a Fake Facebook Account

Visit the profile of the fake account. Click on the three dots within a circle on the cover photo. A line will appear that says: Give feedback or report this profile. Click or select this line and follow the on-screen instructions Facebook provides for reporting a fake account.

In some jurisdictions, it would be illegal to make a fake Facebook profile of a real, existing person when you are not that person, as there is a risk of impersonating the other person in a way that might exploit them or harm or damage their reputation. There would be two main exceptions to this: one is where the person has authorized you to act on their behalf (such as a celebrity or politician asking their personal assistant to run the page) or where it is a parody page (and it’s obviously such to anyone reading it). Do be aware that it violates the terms and conditions of Facebook to develop a fake profile. And, any use of a fake profile to harm people, such as for false advertising, luring people to meet you, obtaining money illegally, etc. will usually breach the laws of your country. Speak to a media/communications lawyer in your state or country if you’re unsure about how to proceed within the boundaries of the law.

It is not possible to trace a Facebook IP address without having a judge-ordered legal reason for requiring Facebook to provide this information via its server logs. IP addresses do not show on user’s profiles or on any other of their pages, so it’s not something any user is meant to access. If you interacted with this person outside of Facebook, such as through emails, messaging services, etc., then you could possibly obtain their IP address that way but we’re guessing you are probably wanting to access the IP address of someone you’re not able to contact any other way, so that’s likely to not be helpful. If it’s someone who is causing you problems, block them and contact Facebook via their reporting facility and if you feel threatened, contact the police.

Yes, unfortunately, they can create a fake account to send you a friend request.

Continue investigating the account for more information. While many people include photos on their Facebook profiles, not everyone does, so a lack of pictures alone doesn't necessarily mean it's fake.

You should report the account as fraudulent so that Facebook can investigate and potentially deactivate the page.

Yes, some people create fake accounts for non-malicious reasons, such as privacy concerns or exploring different personas. If you suspect an account might be fake but don't see harmful behavior, it's wise to trust your instincts and be cautious.

If you know the person in real life, ask them directly which account is real. If not, add both accounts and observe which one posts updates that seem more like the person you know. You could also message both accounts with questions only the real person would know the answers to; the inability to answer might indicate a fake account.

If you don't recognize the person behind the fake profile, you should report it to the police. If it's a relative or friend and you feel uncomfortable, you should ask them to remove the photograph.

If neither you nor your father knows the woman, it's safest to assume she might be a scammer and avoid engaging further.

If the account holder has set their privacy settings to 'Only Me' for their cellphone number, it will not be visible to anyone else. Therefore, unless they have made this information public, you won't be able to access it.

Not necessarily. The person could have taken that information from the same website you're looking at in order to make a fake account. I'm not saying that definitely happened, just that you should proceed with caution.

You can look for clues left on the fake account itself, such as public check-ins, tagged photos, linked social media profiles, or any publicly visible contact information.

You can verify the authenticity of a public figure's account by looking for a blue checkmark next to their name, which indicates a verified account.

Talk to them about your concerns with the fake profile. Show them why you think it's fake, and why they should be cautious. Usually, it isn't too difficult to spot a bot on Facebook, but if someone is catfishing your friends, be safe!

There are all kinds of sinister things they could be trying to do. I strongly suggest you don't do it, and it might even be a good idea to report this person to Facebook support.

You can suggest a live video call, or ask them to immediately send you a specific, unique photo, such as one of them holding a particular object or making a distinct gesture.

The report goes to a support team who reviews the complaint and will suspend the account if they determine it to indeed be fake. However, with the vast number of fake accounts and ensuing complaints, it can take quite a while before anything happens (if ever).