Over the past decade, Instagram has become a vibrant community, now boasting over a billion monthly active users. However, with this incredible growth comes a darker side: the rise of fake accounts. If you’re wondering how to spot fake Instagram accounts, you’re not alone. A report from 2019 revealed that there were about 95 million fake accounts on the platform, making up around 9.5% of all users. That means, for every ten accounts you see, one of them isn’t real.
You’ve likely encountered those strange comments or direct messages that scream “scam” the moment you see them. But here’s the thing: these fake accounts are getting trickier, often adopting a more human-like tone that can be quite convincing.
These deceitful profiles are usually created by scammers with the aim of spreading misinformation, phishing for personal information, or even engaging in cyberbullying. The good news is that, as an Instagram user, you have the tools to recognize these fake accounts and help put a stop to them. In this article, we’ll dive into some simple ways you can identify and report these malicious profiles.
