How to spot a fake account before you buy or send money

12 warning signs of a fake account

One sign alone proves nothing. Several together mean you should stop right away.

1. The username is almost right: an extra dot, underscore, number or doubled letter (shop.ama_ instead of shopama).
2. The account is new but claims years of history. On Instagram, “About this account” often shows when it joined and past username changes.
3. Few posts, all uploaded on the same day, often copied from the real account.
4. Comments are turned off or full of generic praise (“Received, thank you!”) from empty profiles.
5. Followers and engagement don’t match: lots of followers, almost no genuine reactions. The opposite is no guarantee either — followers can be bought.
6. The price is too good: a recent iPhone at half price, an urgent “clearance”, “last item”.
7. Pressure: “Offer ends in 1 hour”, “pay now to reserve”.
8. Payment only in advance, to a personal number, with no cash on delivery and no shop to visit.
9. The payment name doesn’t match: the name shown when you send mobile money belongs to someone else.
10. They message you first, privately, right after you commented on the real brand’s post.
11. They refuse a video call, a visit or any live proof.
12. A typed badge: a ✓ or ✅ in the name or bio is not a verification badge. Real platform badges are displayed by the app itself, next to the name.

Find the brand’s official link yourself

The most effective rule: never trust a link or number sent to you in a private message. Go back to the source yourself.

1. Find the brand’s main account on at least two different networks (for example Instagram and TikTok).
2. Look at the link in their bio. Serious brands often use a single link that gathers their real accounts, phone numbers and addresses.
3. Compare: is the WhatsApp number talking to you listed on that official link? Is the account selling to you listed there?
4. If the number or account appears nowhere on the official channels, treat it as suspicious.

On My Official Links, each brand has one address like my-official-links.online/name that gathers its WhatsApp numbers, phone numbers, emails and social accounts. When that page is certified (blue badge), every listed item has been checked by our team. To see exactly what that means, read My Official Links certification explained.

Use the free “Check an account” tool

Our Check an account tool is free and needs no sign-up. You can paste:

• a TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Telegram, Threads or Pinterest link;
• an @username;
• a phone or WhatsApp number (with or without country code);
• an email address;
• the address or name of a My Official Links page.

If the item was verified during a certification, you see “This account is official” with a signed certificate code (MOL-XXXX-XXXX). If nothing is found, the tool never says “fake”: the brand may simply not be with us yet. Every result is explained in how to use Check an account.

The most common scams

• Fake customer service: after you comment publicly, an account replies privately “Message us on WhatsApp” with a number that isn’t the brand’s.
• Fake giveaway: “You won! Just pay the delivery fee.”
• Cloned shop: same photos, same name, lower prices, payment in advance only.
• Impersonated influencer: a fake account of a public figure offers an “investment” that doubles your money.
• Hacked friend: a real friend’s hacked account asks for urgent help. Call the person on their usual number before paying. See WhatsApp impersonation scams.

Checklist before you send money

• I found this account or number myself on the brand’s official link.
• The name shown during the mobile money transfer matches the seller.
• I checked the number, account or email in Check an account.
• The account has a real history (age, varied posts, genuine comments).
• I am not paying under time pressure.
• For a large amount, I asked for cash on delivery, a video call or a visit.
• I kept screenshots of the conversation and the listing.

Already paid, or found a fake account?

1. Contact your mobile money provider or bank immediately with the transaction reference: the faster you act, the better the chance of freezing the funds.
2. Report the account to the platform from the profile menu (“Report”). Our guides on fake Instagram accounts, Facebook and TikTok walk you through it.
3. Warn the real brand so it can alert its customers.
4. If the fake account imitates a My Official Links page, report the impersonation to our team.
5. File a complaint with the relevant authorities in your country, with your screenshots and the payment reference.