How Reverse Image Searches can help if you're being Scammed

Today, manipulated photos are used to spread misinformation, shaping public opinion for hidden agendas. (Click here to read my related article on fake news in this series.)

Criminal organizations run targeted scams against specific groups, aiming to defraud them. Often, scammers use photos of themselves to build trust. Sadly, I know people who were devastated after falling victim.

Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, crafting strategies to build rapport with their victims. You can learn more about a specific scam called “pig butchering” from John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight episode that aired in February 2024 (link: https://youtu.be/pLPpl2ISKTg?si=lkyKTCp7CL2WyIER). Additionally, a YouTube search for “romance scams, fraudsters” will reveal hours of valuable information. The key takeaway: people of all ages and backgrounds can fall prey to these schemes, losing thousands. In some cases, life savings are lost, or victims go into debt.

Even without financial devastation, scams leave emotional scars. Guilt, shame, anger, and a diminished ability to trust others are common aftereffects.

The article GTL - Analysis of Reverse Image Search Engines is an analysis of different Reverse Image Search Engines. The test data is primarily intended to address this topic and for this reason only photos of real and AI-generated people was used.

Knowing what is available and how to make effective use of these tools can help you identify potential scams in online relationships, As a rule you should add reverse image searches to your toolbox to help you verify if the person you’re communicating with on social media is real. Use multiple reverse image search engines to ensure you are hitting as many databases.

Be extra cautious if: 

  • You’ve never met the person you’re in an online relationship with. 
  • They never want to meet up.
  • The relationship started as a mistaken message. 
  • The situation seems too good to be true, or highly unlikely.
  • The person moves the discussion to the topic of finances very quickly.
  • The person professes love or you being their soul mate very soon into the exchange.
  • Their lifestyle appears to be too lavish.
  • They want to move the conversation off the social media platform the exchange started on.



The links below provide very good additional information on this topic:

Source: http://www.rld.nm.gov/securities-division



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