All of us know that our world crossed the milestone of 8 billion people last year. But do you know how many of these use WhatsApp? We’re sure you wouldn’t be expecting it, but it’s 2 billion! Yes, we’re not kidding. It means that active WhatsApp users constitute 25% of the global population. Furthermore, of all the countries that use this application, India ranks first in terms of the highest monthly active users, which is 390 million.
We understand that these stats can be overwhelming, but you shouldn’t get distracted by them. The point that we’re here to make is that out of all these active users; you can’t expect every single one to be genuine, can you? Because that’d be madness.
As surprising as it might seem, fake accounts are a part of every social media ecosystem, and WhatsApp is no exception to it. There are many scammers, con artists, and hackers out there trying to lure innocent customers into sharing private banking details or making transactions.
WhatsApp has put various policies and guidelines in place to protect its users from such mishaps, but like always, some of them do manage to find a workaround and trick other genuine users.
As a woke WhatsApp user, it’s essential that you realize the threat that such fake accounts pose to the platform’s security and that of its users.
In this blog, we’ll discuss all about fake WhatsApp accounts and how to steer clear of them on the platform. Ready to get started? Let’s go!
Fake WhatsApp accounts: What are they all about?
What’s the first thing you need to create a WhatsApp account? That’s right, the phone number. But since all phone numbers in the country are now directly linked to the person’s Aadhar, how can people still create fake accounts?
Well, first and foremost, there isn’t any set limit to how many numbers an individual can own using a single identity proof. This means that anyone can buy a secondary phone number and use it covertly to create a fake account on WhatsApp. If someone complains about them, they might get caught, but they’re willing to take the risk.
Moreover, with the introduction of burner phone apps, the possibility of making fake accounts has blown up, unlike anything before. Some examples of these apps include Burner, Hushed, CoverMe, Sideline, and more.
Now that you know all about the existence of fake accounts on WhatsApp, let’s move on to figure out how to recognize them.
Using WhatsApp Fake Account Checker
Since it’s action time, we want to clarify a couple of things first. Unfortunately, WhatsApp doesn’t currently have any feature on its platform where you can insert a suspicious phone number and verify if it’s fake or genuine.
Because of that, you might need to go looking elsewhere for help. For those who are willing to use tools beyond the ones WhatsApp offers, we can save you the trouble of looking.
WhatsApp Fake Account Checker is a handy third-party tool that can do this job for you. This online tool doesn’t require you to download any application to your device. You can simply find and use it from your browser.
All you need to do is enter WhatsApp Fake Account Checker in the address bar of your browser and hit Enter. You’ll find the tool as the first search result; tap on its web address to go to its page. Once here, you’ll notice an empty box with Enter Phone Number written inside it, and a blue Fake Check button displayed below.
In the box, enter the WhatsApp number that you think is a fake account; don’t forget to attach your country code (+91 for India).
Having done that, click on the Fake Check button, and you’ll find this message appearing at the bottom:
Wait, it is tracking…
Give it a couple more minutes, after which you’ll see either of these results:
It is a real account.
It might be a fake account!
We don’t have to decode what either of these results means; they’re pretty much self-explanatory. How does it feel to finally have an answer?
The signs of a fake account on WhatsApp
While we strongly believe that the tool above should help resolve your issue, there are some primary signs that can tell you that within WhatsApp as well. Yes, we know what we’re talking about.
While the platform hasn’t launched a genuineness checker for accounts, asking yourself these questions can verify your suspicion, too.
Are they using a foreign phone number?
A common scheme many scammers use is of posing as a foreign college authority or job distributor. They lure innocent youngsters into their traps by showing them false promises of degrees and high-paying jobs.
And in order to do this, they first acquire a burner phone number based out of the UK or the US. Therefore, if someone you don’t know texts you from abroad and talks all high and lofty, take it as a sign that something is fishy.
What personal details can you find on their profile?
People with genuine profiles always add their names to their account; they also upload a picture as their DP and write a little about them in the About section, so that people can easily recognize them.
On the contrary, a fake account owner would never want you to identify them. This is why they avoid adding a DP, a name, or any other information in their About section.
This is another cue to feel suspicious about such accounts.
Have you tried calling them from a different phone?
If the aforementioned criteria were already met in your case, here’s what you can do to gain some clarity:
Try calling them from a different phone number and see if they pick up. If it is a fake account, chances are that they won’t. And in case they do, pose as a different person and see if they stick to their identity – that they used while talking to you – or not.
Fake account checker tools for other platforms
If you’re an active WhatsApp user, it’s likely that you might have a presence on at least two other social platforms. Have you ever had a suspicion about the authenticity of a profile on any of these?
Well, if you did, we’d hate for you to search about how to check those yet again on the internet. How about we give you a solution to that right here? That way, you wouldn’t Listed below are several other tools designed for this very task. Check them out:
FakeCheck
FakeCheck is a fake follower-checking tool designed specifically for Instagram. It’s no secret that the platform is a hub of the entire GenZ and, thus, the businesses that target them.
In an attempt to gain authority of their potential customers, some businesses often employ unethical practices. One of these practices is buying fake followers.
If, as an Instagrammer, you think someone you follow, or a popular small business around your town, could be involved in such a malpractice, this tool is your key to finding out for sure!
FakeCheck has an integrated social engagement checker which can track the activities of Instagram accounts and judge whether they’re genuine or fake based on them.
GRIN
Instagram isn’t the only place where people fancy creating fake accounts or being followed by them; YouTube and TikTok are crowded with such wannabe influencers as well.
Could you be following one of these influencers? GRIN can help you figure that out! This credibility tool has a Chrome extension that displays the credibility score of a particular influencer when you enter their username.
Moreover, GRIN also offers an influencer lookalike tool that could totally come in handy if you’re a marketer planning an infleuncer campaign in the near future.
Summing it up
It’s time to wrap things up. Our discussion today revolved around the growing crowd of fake accounts on social media platforms. Besides all its benefits, social media has opened the netizens up to the possibility of getting defrauded.
This is why it’s the responsibility of all users to behave cautiously on these platforms, especially while interacting with strangers. If you have a feeling that someone you’re talking to has a fake WhatsApp account, the tool we’ve talked about above will help confirm your theory.
Are there any other platforms where you believe fake account owners might be approaching you? Tell us in the comments section below!
Also Read:
