Australian phone number search
Is this person real? How to spot a fake profile
By the StoryCheck team · 7 min read · Published
A real person leaves consistent traces: photos that belong to them, a name that fits their number and profiles, and a willingness to video call or meet somewhere public. To check whether someone you met online is real, reverse search their photos, ask for a live video call early, compare the details they have given you, and run their phone number or email through a private lookup. No single check settles it, but a fake profile usually fails several at once.
What is catfishing, and how common is it?
eSafety describes catfishing as setting up a fake online identity to trick people, often to scam them out of money, blackmail them or harm them in some other way. Not every catfish wants money. Some want attention, some want intimate images to use as leverage, and some are simply lying about their age, job or relationship status.
$28.6m
Reported lost to romance scams
through Scamwatch in 2025, up 21.8% on 2024
1,330
Australians who reported a loss
to romance scams in 2025
$139.9m
Romance scam losses across all agencies
combined data, Targeting Scams report 2025
80%+
Of the money stolen
came after contact online, through social media, dating platforms or forums
Those figures come from Scamwatch and the National Anti-Scam Centre, and they only count people who reported. Most victims were first contacted online, which is why the checks below start with the profile itself.
What are the signs of a fake profile?
| What you notice | Why it matters | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Photos look professional, with few candid shots | Scamwatch lists too-polished photos as a common sign of a fake profile | Reverse search every photo |
| Few personal details, and few or no linked social accounts | Real people leave years of ordinary traces | Search their name and any username |
| Always a reason they cannot video call or meet | The face may not belong to them | Ask for a live video call early |
| Wants to move to WhatsApp or another messaging app quickly | It takes you away from the dating app's reporting tools | Stay on the app until you have checked |
| Strong feelings very quickly | Emotional investment is what makes the later request work | Notice the pace, not just the words |
| An emergency, a fee or an investment tip | Money is the point of most fake profiles | Send nothing to someone you have not met |
| Asks you to keep the relationship secret | Secrecy stops friends from spotting the pattern | Tell someone you trust |
How do you check if someone is real, step by step?
- 1
Reverse search every photo
Use Google Lens or TinEye, the tools eSafety points to, or the StoryCheck photo search. Photos that appear under a different name, on a model's page or on a stock site are the classic giveaway. No match proves nothing either way: Scamwatch warns that scammers now use AI to create photo albums of people who do not exist.
- 2
Search their name with the word scam
Scamwatch suggests exactly this. Try it with their name, their claimed job and the platform you met on, because scam scripts get reused and victims often post the names and photos they were sent.
- 3
Ask for a live video call
Most genuine matches are happy to, and endless excuses are an answer in themselves. Scamwatch also warns that scammers can use AI to create fake video and audio, so a single call is a strong check rather than a certificate.
- 4
Look for the app's verification badge
A badge means the person's face was checked against their photos, or against an ID on Bumble. It does not confirm their name, their intentions or that they are safe to meet.
- 5
Check their number or email
A phone lookup shows the line type, a possible name, public profiles linked to the number and whether the WhatsApp photo matches what you were shown. An email lookup shows breach history, which tells you whether an address has existed for years or was created last month.
- 6
Take the Online Relationship Health Check
If money, secrecy or an investment has come up, Scamwatch's Online Relationship Health Check asks 20 questions that highlight romance scam warning signs. It was developed by the National Anti-Scam Centre's romance scam taskforce.
What do dating app verification badges prove?
| App | The check | What it shows | What it does not show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinder | Face Check, a video selfie that has been mandatory for new users in Australia since 16 September 2025. Matching photos earn a Photo Verified badge. | A live person who matches their profile photos | Their name or intentions |
| Hinge | Selfie Verification, an optional video selfie compared with the profile photos | The same face in the video and the photos | Hinge says it does not guarantee a user's identity or safety |
| Bumble | Optional ID verification with a government ID, available in Australia since March 2025. You can ask a match to verify. | A face that matches a government ID | That they are single, honest or safe |
| Any app, no badge | None | Nothing either way | Ask them to verify, or run the checks yourself |
The Online Dating Industry Code, enforced since 1 April 2025, also requires the apps that signed it, including Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, to offer prominent reporting tools, act on reports of harm and ban serious offenders across all of the company's apps. If a profile turns out to be fake, report it in the app as well as unmatching, so it can be dealt with before it reaches the next person.
What can a phone number or email confirm?
Consistent with a real person
- An Australian mobile with a history of use
- A possible name that matches what they told you
- A WhatsApp photo that matches their dating photos
- Public profiles that go back years, with friends who comment
- An email address that has existed for years
Worth a closer look
- A VoIP or disposable line with no history
- A name that does not match, or no trace at all
- A WhatsApp photo of someone else, or one found under another name
- Profiles created recently, with few connections
- An email address created a few weeks ago
None of these proves anything on its own. Numbers change hands and plenty of genuine people keep a low profile. But a new internet number, a mismatched name and borrowed photos together make a pattern worth respecting. The check is private, the person is never notified, and StoryCheck never searches inside dating apps or reads messages.
What should you do if they are not who they say?
- Stop sending money, gift cards, crypto or images, whatever story comes next.
- Report the profile in the dating app, then unmatch and block. Report it to Scamwatch as well.
- If money has already gone, ring your bank straight away, because speed changes what can be recovered. IDCARE can help on 1800 595 160 if you shared ID documents.
- If someone threatens to share intimate images of you, do not pay: eSafety says blackmailers usually give up when they realise you will not. Save the evidence, report the account to the platform, and report to eSafety, which can help get images removed.
- Tell someone you trust. Romance scams depend on secrecy, and a second opinion is often what breaks the spell. Romance scam warning signs shows how the money request usually arrives.
Common questions
How can I tell if someone is catfishing me?
Look for the pattern: photos that appear elsewhere under another name, excuses to avoid video calls and meeting, a quick push to a messaging app and fast declarations of feelings. Reverse search their photos and ask for a live video call early. If money comes up, treat it as a scam until you have proof otherwise.
Does a verified badge mean the person is real?
It means their face was matched to their profile photos, and with Bumble's ID check, to a government ID. It does not confirm their name, their intentions or that they are safe. Treat a badge as one good sign, not the whole answer.
Can a reverse image search prove someone is fake?
It can show that a photo belongs to someone else, which is strong evidence. It cannot prove someone is real, because a new or AI-generated photo has no matches anywhere. Combine it with a video call and a check of their number or email.
Can StoryCheck tell me if someone is a scammer?
No, and no service honestly can. A lookup gives you facts such as the line type, a possible name, linked public profiles and scam signals, which you weigh against what you have been told. The judgment stays with you.
Will they know I checked them?
No. A StoryCheck lookup sends nothing to the phone number or email address, and the person is never notified. Reverse image searches through Google Lens or TinEye do not notify anyone either.
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