Ask Dave Taylor
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • YouTube Videos
  • Top Categories
  • Subscribe via Email
  • Ask A Question
  • Meet Dave
  • Home
  • Twitter Help
  • How do you identify scam or bogus Twitter accounts?

How do you identify scam or bogus Twitter accounts?

January 16, 2020 / Dave Taylor / Twitter Help / 1 Comment

I use Twitter a lot and sometimes the responses I get lead to that Twitter user reaching out to DM me. But I’m sure some are fake! How can I tell which Twitter users are legit and which are scammers or bogus?

If someone’s actively using Twitter, they’re already a bit suspect. No, just kidding, I’m a big fan of Twitter and have used it since the beginning! Heck, I even wrote a book about Twitter called Twitter Power (along with my friend Joel Comm). Anyway, it’s definitely changed over the years from being a humble, quiet little place where you could group chat with dozens of friends to a massive powerhouse that the President of the United States uses as a primary communications channel and spies use to manipulate foreign nationals. Along the way, it’s also lured in thousands of scammers, spammers, hustlers, criminals and worse.

Heck, now we have to worry about ‘bots, fake accounts that aren’t even associated with a human being but instead are focused on disseminating inaccurate information to manipulate people. How do you spot those??

First off, know that Twitter is focused on shutting down overtly bogus accounts and analyzes accounts on a daily basis. Follow the news and stories like this one from NPR about Twitter closing thousands of manipulative accounts is pretty commonplace. But it’s still a smart Twitter user who learns some basics of evaluating accounts to see if they’re legit.

Let’s start with my own – @DaveTaylor – to demonstrate some of the concepts. Here’s my profile:

DaveTaylor twitter profile info

At a glance you can ascertain a couple of things that suggest it’s legit: There’s a profile photo and there’s an account photo too. As we’ll see momentarily, lots of scam accounts don’t ever bother to upload a profile pic! Also look at the additional profile info shown: location, linked web site and birthday. If there’s no profile info, it’s more possible that it’s a fake account.

Look at that joined date too: November, 2007. I told ya I’d been on for a while! If you see that the account joined days or weeks earlier, well, it might be a post and go account used for a specific disinformation or scam campaign.

More subtly, there’s also a really important ratio you can calculate of following : followers. This is probably the easiest way to quickly ascertain the legitimacy of an account or Twitter user. Anyone with something interesting to say is going to have a ratio like mine: small number:big number.

For example, find a Tweet from The White House @WhiteHouse and tap on it or let the cursor hover over the account ID. You’ll see some basic stats:

the whitehouse twitter account info

This is a huge following : follower ratio, as you would expect from the real account. 19.9million!

Amusingly, one of the 19 accounts that WhiteHouse follows is Norad Tracks Santa. Now you know.

Compare those numbers to the following account:

bogus twitter account example

Following 12 people, zero followers, no profile photo, an account ID that only a computer program could love. This is undoubtedly a ‘bot or other bogus account.

Sometimes it’s a slightly gray area too:

probably bogus twitter account

Just about everything is equally questionable, but they have 10 followers. Except that can be other ‘bots following each other to get rid of that ‘zero’ flag for users (and programs). Key is that ratio: 305:10 is far off from little:big as discussed earlier.

So what about this one?

fake or real twitter account?

This might be legit; they do have a profile photo and they’ve taken the time to add at least a snippet of bio information. But that ratio again: 16.6K : 16.6K. This is likely someone using what’s known as a followbot, a program that follows tons of people on your behalf, gives them a few days to follow back, then jettisons those who don’t reciprocate. Eventually, Miskwahya might well stop following the people who followed her back too, giving her that desirable small:big ratio. (that’s why it’s not a foolproof way to know an account is legit)

Note that these manipulation utilities are a violation of Twitter’s terms of service, so please don’t be tempted to use followbots, unfollow non-reciprocating accounts automatically, etc. Just post good stuff.

Another way you can assess a Twitter account is illustrated by my friend Heidi’s account profile info:

heiditown twitter account profile info

Her following : follower ratio is pretty close to 1:1 but look at the join date and, on the very top, the number of tweets. Impressive: 59,800+ tweets in 11 years. That’s an active account over the long term and she’s definitely not a scammer or ‘bot.

If she was, you could also click or tap on the “•••” button and get this menu:

twitter profile block menu

Lots of control over her interaction with you! You can mute her, block her, report her to Twitter security, even disable retweets. Not so critical with Heidi, but with those clearly bogus Twitter accounts? If they’ve been responding to every one of your posts, being able to mute or block them might be a blessing.

Anyway, that gets you the basics of how to look at a Twitter account and ascertain if it’s legit or likely bogus or a ‘bot. Be skeptical and be careful out there!

Pro Tip: I’ve been writing about Twitter since I first logged in. Please check out my extensive list of Twitter help pages for lots more info, and do follow @DaveTaylor when you’re next on Twitter too. Thanks!

About the Author: Dave Taylor has been involved with the online world since the early days of the Internet. Author of over 20 technical books, he runs the popular AskDaveTaylor.com tech help site. You can also find his gadget reviews on YouTube and chat with him on Twitter as @DaveTaylor.

Let’s Stay In Touch!

Never miss a single article, review or tutorial here on AskDaveTaylor, sign up for my fun weekly newsletter!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz
Please choose a color:
Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!
evaluate twitter, evaluate twitter account, followbot, twitter analysis, twitter bot, twitter profile, twitter scam, twitter scammer

One comment on “How do you identify scam or bogus Twitter accounts?”

  1. mary brumley says:
    January 22, 2020 at 11:22 pm

    Well, handsome Dave Taylor, you must be a mountain man and intelligent to boot! Thanks for what you do for folk.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • Monitor Dangerously Loud Noise with an Apple Watch?
  • Guide to Adding Fingerprint Login to a Windows PC
  • How Can I Use Generative AI to Write Better Email in Gmail?
  • How Can I Hide Recent Apps and Docs on my Mac System?
  • Guide to Pairing Bluetooth Headphones with a Chromebook

On Our YouTube Channel

Monster DNA MAX Wireless Speaker -- DEMO & REVIEW

Eufy Security 5-in-1 Smartlock Deadbolt -- INSTALL, DEMO & REVIEW

Categories

  • AdSense, AdWords, and PPC Help (106)
  • Amazon, eBay, and Online Shopping Help (166)
  • Android Help (234)
  • Apple iPad Help (150)
  • Apple Watch Help (54)
  • Articles, Tutorials, and Reviews (346)
  • Auto Tech Help (19)
  • Business Advice (200)
  • ChromeOS Help (38)
  • Computer & Internet Basics (789)
  • d) None of the Above (166)
  • Facebook Help (384)
  • Google, Chrome & Gmail Help (191)
  • HTML & Web Page Design (248)
  • Instagram Help (49)
  • iPhone & iOS Help (630)
  • iPod & MP3 Player Help (173)
  • Kindle & Nook Help (100)
  • LinkedIn Help (90)
  • Linux Help (178)
  • Linux Shell Script Programming (90)
  • Mac & MacOS Help (919)
  • Most Popular (16)
  • Outlook & Office 365 Help (35)
  • PayPal Help (68)
  • Pinterest Help (54)
  • Reddit Help (20)
  • SEO & Marketing (82)
  • Spam, Scams & Security (98)
  • Trade Show News & Updates (23)
  • Twitter Help (224)
  • Video Game Tips (66)
  • Web Site Traffic Tips (62)
  • Windows PC Help (963)
  • Wordpress Help (206)
  • Writing and Publishing (72)
  • YouTube Help (47)
  • YouTube Video Reviews (159)
  • Zoom, Skype & Video Chat Help (64)

Archives

Social Connections:

Ask Dave Taylor


Follow Me on Pinterest
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Instagram


AskDaveTaylor on Facebook



microsoft insider mvp


This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to our terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. Our lawyer says "Thanks for your cooperation."
© 2023 by Dave Taylor. "Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.
Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - Accessibility Policy