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Impersonation: fake accounts that borrow trust

Tactic 1 of 6 · badge: Impersonator · by Trusterity

The cheapest way to be trusted is to look like someone who already is. Impersonation is the first step of most social media scams.

How it works

Look-alike handles: one letter swapped (l→1, o→0), an extra dot, or words like “news”, “support” or “official” added.
Bought badges: on many platforms a verification tick can now be paid for. It looks like a stamp of approval but often only means a subscription.
Copied looks: logos, colours and real posts reposted word for word, to build a believable history.

Read the handle letter by letter, and compare it with the one linked from the organisation's official website.
Check when the account was created and how many posts it has. A brand-new “official” account is a red flag.
Never follow a link from a post to log in or pay. Open the official app or type the address yourself.

Voice and video can be faked too. If “family” calls asking for money, ask for your family safe word. Make one in two minutes →

Use this tactic yourself in a 10-minute game — and see how it fools people.