TikTok is a platform that has opened various doors for creators—it replaces creators with TikTokers to make it better. Among these, they can create, connect, and grow. That being said, the problem is the appearance of fake accounts (users) on the platform.
The situation becomes even more serious when hackers resort to fake accounts, eventually leading to your being defrauded and other users being exposed to scams. It could be challenging, but these accounts are not invisible because they protect their real identity using various methods, although it is not impossible.
Method 1: Check Profile Content
Ordinary accounts occasionally write texts based on their daily experiences and skills, usually referring to their life. However, non-original posts are the trademarks of fakes who like to steal them from real users. Posts like these are the most obvious alarm that the account in question is fake: so whenever you see them, be sure.
Method 2: Check Whether It Promotes Spam
Usually, the website is email harvesting that generates misleading information about jobs, coupons, crypt-fraud links, and SP6-free subscription scams (e.g., Netflix giveaways). In any of these scenarios, a fake account is likely.
Method 3: Check Followers
Fake accounts are characterized by various patterns of conduct. They are mostly characterized by a huge number of people, while others follow them in a small to almost zero number. One way to tell if a person is fake is to check if they follow business accounts and stores from which they have copied videos, photos, or other personal information.
Method 4: Check Other Social Media Handles
People usually have accounts on distinct social media platforms nowadays. However, if the username you are checking belongs to an account, it may also exist on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
Try typing it in the search bars of different platforms to see if any results match. If no matching accounts are found, the TikTok account may be fake. If you find no matching accounts, the TikTok account may be fake.
Method 5: Reverse Image Search
Reverse image searches are one way to determine whether a TikTok account is fake.
- Take the example of their profile picture.
- Start a reverse image search on Google.
- If the search shows a person with an entirely different name who is neither the impersonator nor the fake account holder, it proves that the account is a fake one.
Method 6: Use a TikTok Account Information Finder
Most user ID lookup tools can provide information on the account’s owner, followers, and more.
- Visit the Highsocial site.
- Write down the username of the fake account on the search bar.
- Click on the CHECK option.
- Wait for the search result to come out.
By the time you finish checking, a report on the TikTok account owner will be available for your viewing.
How to Trace the Location of a Fake TikTok Account
Using the Grabify program, you can spot and follow the IP address of the fake TikTok account. The steps are as follows:
- Go to the Grabify website and place the URL of the TikTok account in the “Enter a URL or tracking code” field.
- Choose one of the new options which were made available via the Terms of Use.
- Paste and use the New URL.
- Now send the tracking link to your subject through TikTok messages.
- Once they tap on the URL, they will be redirected to Grabify’s website.
- Update the Grabify page; you will see their IP and location.
Why It’s Important to Identify the Owner of a Fake TikTok Account
The detection of a fake TikTok account owner is actually an important thing for the following purposes:
- To secure yourself and people in general from money-making frauds.
- To bring down the speeding up of fake stories.
- Report the account for termination or abusive behavior and then fulfill the consequences if necessary.
- End threats from cyberbullies and promoters of harassment.
How to Protect Yourself from Fake TikTok Accounts
Here are some useful tips for you to protect yourself from being deceived by fake TikTok accounts:
- Be wary about joining users: Check if the name is official or fake, if it is a very unlikely name chosen for the user, or if it doesn’t have information or followers.
- Enable private settings: Make your account private so that only your followers can see it. Therefore, those who gave you permission will only see your content.
- Remember not to input confidential data: Don’t put your location or phone number in your bio, nor mention any sensitive information.
- Pretend you do not even see any suspicious links: Once you spot links in the comments section by accounts whose names are foreign to you, do not click the links, as they could direct you to sites with malware or spyware.
Taking advantage of the aforesaid tips and staying cautious while using TikTok are among the ways you can optimally secure yourself and other TikTok users from phishing scams.
