How to spot a fake or scam profile

A fake profile is one where the person behind it isn't who the profile shows. The photos belong to someone else, the name is made up, or the whole life described is invented. Some fakes are run by scammers after money; some by people hiding a relationship; some by people who just enjoy the attention. You don't need to know which. The same checks catch all three.

The good news is that fakes are built to survive a glance, not a look. Spend two minutes on the checks below and most of them fall apart.

The two-minute check

Run this on anyone before you get invested. It isn't an accusation; it's what careful people do.

1. Look for the ID-checked badge. On Just Singles it means the member matched a photo ID to a live selfie. No badge isn't proof of anything, but a badge is a strong sign. The ID check, explained covers what it proves.
2. Reverse-search one or two photos. The US Federal Trade Commission suggests a reverse image search of a love interest's photos. If the same face turns up under a different name, you have your answer.
3. Read the profile for specifics. Real people mention real things: a town, a job you can picture, a football team, a dog with a silly name. Fakes are vague or impossibly polished.
4. Ask a simple, specific question about something in their profile, and see whether the answer fits.
5. Suggest a short video call within the first week or two of messaging. Most real people say yes, or suggest a time.

Photo signs

Every photo on Just Singles is reviewed before it goes live, which keeps out images that break the rules. The review can't tell whether the photos belong to the person using them; our page on how photos are reviewed explains the difference.

Profile signs

• Too perfect. Widowed doctor, loves children and long walks, financially secure, looking for "a woman of honour". Real profiles have edges.
• Too vague. "Easy-going, honest, love to laugh." Nothing you could check, nothing anyone could disagree with.
• Job far away. Oil rig, military posting, overseas contract, medical charity. The FBI describes scammers who claim to be working abroad as a common pattern, because it explains why they can never meet.
• Odd language that doesn't match where they say they grew up. Spelling mistakes alone mean nothing; a native speaker who writes like a translation tool might.
• Wants you off the site fast, often with an email address or WhatsApp number in the first message.

Message signs

Behaviour is the most reliable giveaway, because a scammer can borrow photos but has to work to a timetable. Report Fraud, publishing its 2025 romance fraud figures, warned people to be cautious of someone who forms a relationship very quickly or expresses strong emotions early on, and to be wary of excuses for avoiding in-person meetings or live video calls.

Watch for:

• Intensity early. "I've never felt like this", "you're my soulmate", within days.
• Secrecy. Asking you not to tell friends or family about them.
• Copy-and-paste replies that don't quite answer what you asked.
• Excuses that never end: broken camera, no signal, a sick relative, a deployment.
• Money, in any form. A crisis, a fee, an investment tip, gift cards, crypto, or asking you to receive and pass on money. This is the point of the whole exercise.

The rule is simple, and the FTC puts it plainly: don't send money or gifts to anyone you haven't met in person.

A quick checklist

Score any profile you're unsure about. One tick means nothing. Three or more means slow down and check.

• No clear, recent photo of their face
• Photos look professional, or all from one shoot
• A job that keeps them far away
• Pushes to move off the site early
• Strong feelings within days
• Won't video call, always with a reason
• Story changes, or details don't match
• Any mention of money, investing or a crisis

Fakes that aren't after money

Not every fake is a scammer. Some are people who are married or attached and use borrowed photos to avoid being recognised. The signs overlap: no clear face, no video, no evenings. Our guide on how to tell if someone is really single covers that pattern.

Others are bored, lonely or curious and never intended to meet. They waste your time rather than your money. A polite suggestion to meet for a coffee within a few weeks sorts them out quickly.

What to do when something's off

1. Stop sharing. No more personal details, photos or information about where you live or work.
2. Don't send money or images, whatever the story.
3. Report the profile from inside the members area and say what you noticed ("photos appear under another name on a reverse search"; "asked me for money for a visa"). Specifics help.
4. Block them.
5. If you've sent money, call your bank straight away, then report it: Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Police Scotland on 101, or the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US. Our romance scams guide has the full steps.

If you got as far as believing it, that's not a failing. Fakes are built by people who do this all day, and the warmest, most trusting people are exactly who they look for.

How Just Singles makes fakes harder

No site can stop every fake, and you should be wary of any that claims to. What helps is a set of tools that make faking more work than it's worth: every photo reviewed before it goes live, an optional ID check with a badge you can see, and report and block on every profile. Our safety page has everything else in one place.