False postings and fake user accounts are two of the most serious issues on Instagram. If you’ve spent any time on Instagram, you’ve almost certainly come across a bogus account or post. However, you may not have recognized any of the Instagram posts or profiles as fraudulent.
The focus placed on the number of followers an account has is the main cause for fraudulent Instagram accounts. And then there’s the onerous task of organically gaining those following. Individuals who purchase high-follower-count false accounts are simply searching for a quicker way to keep up with the competition without putting in the effort.
They don’t stop there, either. These phony Instagram users then go on to make phony posts. Making up stories or, more generally, claiming to be someone they are not is a common occurrence. There are numerous reasons why someone would create bogus Instagram profiles and postings. In some situations, they’re attempting to dupe their followers into purchasing non-existent goods.
However, one of the growing challenges we’ve noticed is when these fake Instagram accounts, complete with fake posts and even fake stories, are utilized to deceive unwary brands. What do you mean by that? By making these firms believe that these bogus accounts are run by real Instagram influencers who can help them market their products and services.
Whatever motivates people to create a fake Instagram post or even a fake Instagram account, it’s vital to know that they exist!
We’re not going to get into the reasons why these people engage in such shady behavior. That will be the subject of a future piece. Instead, we’ll show you how to spot a phony Instagram account and what to do if you come across one.
Fake Instagram Accounts’ Impact on Businesses and Brands
Companies and Brands who work with influencers invest on the influencer’s platform as well as the trust that their followers have in them. Many businesses are prepared to spend a lot of money to collaborate with influencers who are relevant to their brand. And who has a sizable following with the aim of attracting a broader audience and expanding their customer base.
This means that businesses that are duped by phony accounts with a huge number of followers are essentially conned and lose their money.
We want you to learn how to prevent being a victim of these con artists. So, to assist you spot fraudulent Instagram accounts and posts, here are a few pointers.
Four Ways to Spot Fake Instagram Accounts and Posts
1. Fake Bio:
Fake Instagram accounts will make their profile photo a photograph of a beautiful guy or woman, frequently in a state of undress, in order to imitate a real account and attract followers. They’re betting that by including this photo, folks who come across the account would find it more appealing and fascinating. However, if you look at their postings, you’ll notice that the person in the profile photo is nowhere to be found.
2. Fake posts:
A bogus account will not use the person in their profile photo in any other posts, as we’ve already indicated. If they list a career in their bio, it’s unlikely that the posts will be relevant to that field. Even with a cursory glance at their profile, these discrepancies should be obvious.
If you want to be even more certain that the account is phony, look at how often they post and when the majority of the posts are made.
People that create and build false accounts with the intention of selling them want to reach their aim as quickly as possible, thus they will frequently create the account and share multiple posts to make the account appear active.
3. Fake Followers:
This is one of the most reliable ways to tell if an Instagram account is bogus. When you compare the number of followers the account has to the number of articles and stories they’ve shared, you’ll see an extremely implausible scenario. It’s quite unlikely that a profile with only 10 posts would have grown to 10,000 followers organically.
A really high number in the following category is another issue to keep an eye out for. The following function on fake Instagram accounts is frequently set to approximately 7,500.
4. Instagram tools:
There are a slew of tools and Instagram apps dedicated to assessing whether an account is genuine or not. The majority of these apps are available for free or at a low cost in your phone’s app store. These apps rely on statistics and authentication technology to determine whether or not a user’s account is legitimate.
If you’re a business owner who wants to work with an influencer but isn’t sure if they have a genuine following, this is one of the greatest ways to find out.