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Defend Your Data: Use these tips to identify fake social media accounts

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Creating a fake social media account for online abuse and harassment is so easy that Facebook has acknowledged that 140 million accounts aren’t real people. During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Information Technology Services and the Office of Equity Assurance are offering tips to help you #BeCyberSmart and spot the bots. 

  1. Examine the profile pic. Fake accounts often use avatars and symbols instead of photos. Run the profile picture through search engines like Google Image Search to see if it’s linked to some other account.

  2. Look at the followers. Review the number and type of followers a person has. If the followers aren’t authentic, the account probably isn’t, either. Fake accounts also pay people to engage with them, so a lot of emojis or off-topic comments could indicate the followers’ comments were purchased.

  3. Consider the content. Fake accounts often spread false information and fill their feeds with stock photos, memes or other recycled images. Posts with no written content or one-sided and extreme views could be signs of a fake account.

  4. Look for verification symbols. Accounts claiming to be celebrities or influencers may be owned by imposters. Verified accounts have a blue or green icon and may even say “Verified Account.”

If you think you have followed a fake account, unfollow it or remove it from your friends list. Block the account to revoke its access to your information and report the account to the social media network. 

Each week in October, we will offer tips to Defend Your Data. For real-time outage updates and other important announcements, follow @WVUITServices on Twitter or “like” WVU Information Technology on Facebook.