How To Use Google Reverse Image Search To Spot Fake News, Scams, And Other Online Fraud

Scams exist! Luckily, there’s Google reverse image search. It’s the easiest way to spot fake news, scams, and even people who stole your photos. Here’s how to use it on your phone and browser. 

Scammers are getting increasingly creative. They’re even using sophisticated tools and strategies in their attempt to steal something from you. This includes your money, personal details, etc. 

Scams can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender, and income level. This means all of us are vulnerable. So, what can we do to protect ourselves against these criminals? The good news is, we can do something about it. Thanks to Google reverse image search. 

Photos live a life of duplicity online. Scammers know this, and they’re taking advantage of the situation. They would steal your photos from your social media and use them for their illegal activities. Sometimes, they would use someone else’s identity to extort something from you. 

With that being said, there’s a search engine tool that allows you to spot scams, false news and even lets you find out who’s stealing your photos. Running the reverse image search will help you spot fake news, scams, and fake accounts that are using your stolen photos. 

How to do a reverse image search using your browser 

You can use Safari, Firefox, and Chrome browsers to do this. 

Option 1: 

Find and click on the image and hold down. Then, you need to drag the image to the Google Images search field using another window. 

Option 2

Using a screenshot. Using the image you took as a screenshot, drag the screenshot into the search field. You can even upload the file from the Google Images search bar. 

Option 3

Using your mouse, right-click on the image and choose open image in another window. You need to copy and paste the URL into the Google Images search field. 

Option 4

For Google Chrome users, you can right-click on the image directly and select Search Google for the image. 

The results will show you where the photo appeared all over the internet, along with different postings. This is essential especially when the photo is used for selling a product or service. This will also allow you to see duplicates with real estate listings that might have been posted by the same person or different people. 

How to run Google Reverse Image Search using your smartphone 

Before anything else, using a computer’s web browser is the easiest and quickest way to run a reverse image search. Running it on your smartphone doesn’t really give you the most accurate result. However, these are some of the steps you can try. 

1. Using the Google Chrome browser on your mobile phone, hold down on the image and tap on Search Google for this image. 

2. By holding down the photo with your mobile browser, you can choose the copy URL option. Place the photo’s URL on the Google Images search bar. 

You can even use the Google app to upload or take photos of the images. Unfortunately, this method isn’t the most reliable. Likewise, we suggest using your computer’s browser when you run a Google reverse image search. 

Why do you need to do a reverse image search? 

First things first. A reverse image search will let you spot scams and frauds. It also allows you to see who a certain photo is associated with. This is especially important whether you’re buying online or having doubts about a product or service. 

Next, you can see who’s using your own photos. There are far too many reasons why you need to do this. One of the most important reasons is, there might be someone using your personal information or your photo on dating apps like Tinder or other platforms like Pinterest. 

Since they can put a claim as theirs, you can end people who are trying to use your photos for their personal gains. This makes sense when you do a reverse image search now and then. 

What to do in case there are scams, fake news, or misleading posts? 

When you prove there is such an occurrence, you can report misleading posts, fake news, and scam immediately. But take note that the steps when reporting these issues vary depending on the website used. 

You can even let others know when someone is trying to take advantage of them. With a Google reverse image search, you’ll have the right information to back your claims up.