Is this person real? How to check someone you met online
By the StoryCheck team · 6 min read · Published
To check whether someone you met online is real, test three things: whether their photos belong to them (a reverse image search with Google Lens or TinEye), whether they will appear live on a video call, and whether their details, such as their name, job, town and phone number, fit together. One odd answer proves nothing. A pattern of excuses, especially one that ends in a request for money, is the classic sign of a fake profile, and it is exactly what Tinder's own UK safety advice warns about.
What are the signs of a fake profile?
| Sign | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Will not video call | A real person can appear live; someone using borrowed photos cannot | Suggest a short call early, and keep asking politely |
| Wants to move off the app straight away | Tinder notes that people with bad intentions often push to text, messaging apps or email immediately, away from its safety checks | Keep chatting in the app until you have checked them |
| A few photos, all polished | Stolen photos are usually the best ones someone else posted | Run a reverse image search on each of them |
| Claims to be from the UK but is stuck abroad | A familiar set-up for a later request for help getting home | Treat any travel or emergency story as a warning |
| Pushes for a serious relationship before meeting | Trust built at speed is easier to cash in | Slow things down and watch how they react |
| Any request for money or an investment | The whole point of most fake profiles | Never send money to someone you have not met |
| Details that do not fit | A Manchester nurse texting from a foreign VoIP number, or a job that keeps changing | Check the number and search the name |
How do you check whether their photos are theirs?
- 1
Save each photo
Screenshot their profile pictures, including any photo they send you in a chat, and crop out the app's buttons so only the picture remains.
- 2
Search them in Google Lens, TinEye or Bing
Upload each picture. Look for the same image under a different name, on a stock photo site, or on a model's or influencer's account.
- 3
Compare their WhatsApp photo
If you have their number, the WhatsApp profile photo can be a different, more casual picture. It should plausibly be the same person as on the dating profile.
- 4
Read an empty result correctly
No matches is reassuring but not proof, because a scammer can use photos that were never public. That is why the video call matters.
Inside a StoryCheck report you can add a photo, and the reverse image search looks for exact and lightly edited copies of it online, without facial recognition.
Why does a video call settle most doubts?
Because it is the one test that someone using another person's photos cannot easily pass. Tinder's UK safety advice describes a phone or video call as a useful screening tool before meeting, and WhatsApp suggests confirming an unknown contact's identity with a voice or video call. Suggest a short, unplanned call early on. Someone genuine may be shy about it but will usually find a time; someone whose camera is always broken, whose connection always drops or whose shifts never allow it is telling you something. Some apps help too: Tinder's Photo Verification, for instance, compares a short video selfie with the profile photos to show that the person is the one pictured.
What can their phone number tell you?
Once you have swapped numbers, the number becomes a second, independent check. A private number lookup shows whether it is a UK mobile or a VoIP or virtual line, the network, whether it is active on WhatsApp with the profile photo when visible, public profiles openly linked to it and, when one exists, a possible name with a confidence level. The person is never notified. Someone who says they live in Bristol and texts from a UK mobile, with a WhatsApp photo that matches their dating pictures and a public profile in the right city, looks consistent. A virtual number with no history and a WhatsApp photo that turns up elsewhere under another name does not.
WhatsApp's own clues, from the first-contact safety card to the business label, are covered in who is behind a WhatsApp number.
What should you do if you think it is a fake profile?
- Stop sending anything: money, gift cards, photos or personal details.
- Report the profile in the app, from their profile page or the chat, so it can be reviewed.
- If you have sent money, ring your bank on 159 straight away, then report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or to Police Scotland on 101 if you live in Scotland.
- If someone threatens to share intimate images of you, that threat is itself a crime in England and Wales. The Revenge Porn Helpline (0345 6000 459) supports adults in the UK, and the police are on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
- For how romance fraud usually unfolds, from the first message to the first request, read our guide to romance scam signs.
Is it fair to check someone out?
Checking that someone is who they say they are, before you trust them with your time, your address or your money, is ordinary caution, and the lookup is private: the person is never notified. Keep it to what you need. You are confirming an identity, not building a file on someone, and results must not be used for decisions about credit, employment, insurance or letting a property. If everything checks out, take that at face value and enjoy getting to know them.
Common questions
How can I tell if someone is catfishing me?
Look for a pattern rather than a single sign: photos that appear elsewhere under another name, an excuse whenever a video call comes up, pressure to move off the app, a story that shifts, and eventually a request for money. A reverse image search and a short video call resolve most cases.
Can a reverse image search prove someone is fake?
It can show that a photo already appears online under another name, which is strong evidence the profile is not genuine. It cannot prove someone is real, because a scammer may use pictures that were never public, which is why a live video call is the better test.
What if they refuse to video call?
Take it seriously. Tinder's safety advice warns that someone who will not meet in person or talk on a phone or video call may not be who they say they are. Do not send money, photos or personal details until you have seen them live.
Where do I report a fake profile or romance scam in the UK?
Report the profile in the app first. If money has gone, ring your bank on 159 and report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or to Police Scotland on 101 if you live in Scotland.
Related guides
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