How to know if a WhatsApp profile is fake

Perhaps you have come across a commercial bot, a troll, or someone who is in charge of spamming WhatsApp. And, over time, this messaging app can also become a direct route for scammers and victims. Or simply a direct communication channel for hoaxes, false information and fake news. If you are suspicious of a profile, the best thing you can do is check all these keys to make sure it is not fake. Do not get cheese on WhatsApp thanks to these passwords and checks

Watch out for the profile picture

It is one of the main keys to know if the user is false. It is not a definitive key and it may not appear, but there are resources that you should know so that you are not fooled with this element in WhatsApp.

The first thing, of course, is to attend to see if there is a photo or not It may happen that you are not mutually saved as contacts in both agendas and, for privacy reasons, the photos are not shown. Saving a contact in your address book does not do any harm or pose a danger per se, so it doesn't hurt. You can also save it with a name that invites you to be suspicious until you verify its identity. Something like "suspicious" or "do not trust". And let's see if that shows the profile picture or not.

If the profile photo does not appear, you should be wary Few people avoid putting a photo on their profile. Even if it's not his or her own. Although, if the photo is not profile, that is, of his person, you should also be suspicious about the reliability of the profile.Nobody who normally uses WhatsApp uses photos with motivating phrases, landscapes and so on... They are usually their own photos. Or their pets, or their relatives.

Well, if a photo appears and we suspect it, we always have the resource of reverse search on Google It's about a function that allows us to search through a photo, finding similar results on the Internet, social networks and other web pages. Very useful to know if the photo is stolen from another profile, for example, and it is a hoax. For it:

1. We just have to take a screenshot of the WhatsApp profile photo.
2. Then we go to the Internet browser and search for Google Images
3. Let's go to the three points on the top right (Google Chrome) and choose computer view
4. Now we can click on the camera icon, choose upload file and load the capture with the profile picture
5. Click on search and look at the results

The results are more accurate if we have previously cropped the capture so that only the image can be seen. And, if the same photo is among these results, we just have to click on it to see the source. If it turns out to be from a social network of a person on the other side of the planet, we will already have all the necessary clues to distrust that WhatsApp profile that has spoken to us. And, if there are no similar results, we can always apply the rest of the formulas in this article.

Watch out for messages

Obviously when a stranger writes to us on WhatsApp we pay attention to what he tells us. But here the important thing is to recognize patterns or formulas typical of false profiles. And there are several that will give you the clue:

• Make a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes: one of the keys to scams on the Internet is that, on many occasions, are perpetrated by users from other countries. They usually use tools such as Google Translate to translate from their language to Spanish what they want to say, making mistakes and incorrect or unnatural verbal forms. If you receive messages with strange grammar, the best thing you can do is be wary.
• Responds very quickly and doesn't follow the conversation: It is possible that this is a profile governed by a bot or program. They can be used to spam or spread scams. Generally, the conversations with these bots are activated when we write a message and, since the responses are preconfigured, they are usually triggered instantly. Or without an argument or logical thread on some occasions. So the conversations can be weird. It will seem that it guides you to where the profile wants, and it is most likely that they will end up sharing a link or content, which is none other than their reason for writing to you.
• Beware of links: in WhatsApp there are few ways to infect your mobile or make you fall for a scam. Generally, it is the links to external pages where the danger begins. So be wary if a stranger encourages you to click on a link. You can always pay attention to the address that appears in the message. Or even click to view the page. But it is best to never click on a link sent to you by a stranger. For security.

Attention to the telephone number and type of WhatsApp account

One of the drawbacks of WhatsApp is that it works with phone numbers. And it's personal and sensitive data that can be used for harassment, spam and other forms of harassment. However, the positive part is that it also allows us to know where the messages from a profile that we do not know come from. And it is that, every time a person that we do not have in our agenda starts a conversation with us, we receive the WhatsApp notification and see their phone number.In addition, we can report it as Spam, add it as a user or simply skip the message and profile.

Well, it never hurts to do an Internet search for that phone number if we suspect the profile Hopefully we'll find your Facebook account or with any reference on the Internet if it is associated with any public detail. In this way we can know if the profile is false or not. Of course, not everyone reflects the telephone number on the Internet, but there are usually web pages and forums that register spam numbers and that can give us this clue.

In addition, it is interesting to attend to the type of WhatsApp account. For example, it is possible to find accounts that are WhatsApp Business. This does not legitimize them to spam or harass other users. But sometimes it helps to reassure knowing that there is a registered number and entity behind a professional account.Even so, do not trust if it complies with the rest of the keys After all, it can be a scam disguised as a professional business.

Always use common sense and report when you are clear

To avoid scams and bad situations, the main key is usually common sense. If you do not expect a message from a stranger, or if they ask you for things, or if you are suspicious after doing the rest of the checks on duty, avoid any kind of contact You will save yourself much trouble.

Also, if you are sure that a WhatsApp profile is fake, the best thing you can do is report it. You can do it from the three points of the conversation, clicking on More and then choosing the option Report It is the best formula to avoid being ripped off and to give a clue to WhatsApp about the type of profile it is.