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Messenger friend, or scam?

A message request, a warm hello, a life far away. Upload their profile picture and we’ll see whether that face lives on public profiles under another name, Facebook included.

Sound familiar?

  • The admirer from a group

    1. Message: We’re in the same gardening group, your posts always make me smile.
    2. Message: I lost my wife and I’m raising my daughter alone. Can I tell you more?
    3. Why it’s a sign: Warmth first, a sad story next, a money problem last. Check the face before act three.

  • Your friend, on a brand-new account

    1. Message: Hey, it’s me! My old account got hacked, this is the new one.
    2. Message: Quick favour: can you send me the code you’re about to get?
    3. Why it’s a sign: The photo really is theirs, lifted from the old profile. Call your friend on a number you already have.

  • A parcel stuck at customs

    1. Message: I sent you a little surprise, it’s at customs now.
    2. Message: They want a release fee and I can’t pay it from here.
    3. Why it’s a sign: A gift you have to pay to receive was never sent. Stop there, and check the face that promised it.

Your inbox stays closed.

We compare the photo with public profiles on 20 platforms, Facebook included, and never open a single chat.

  1. Your photo

    Open their profile, save the profile picture at full size and crop it to one clear face.

  2. Our legwork

    Messenger isn’t one of our sources, so we look for that face on 20 public platforms outside it.

  3. Your call

    Each possible match links to its public page with a similarity score. You compare; we never contact anyone.

Same face, different Facebook name?

Messenger chats are never searched. Facebook is one of our sources, though, so the photo you were sent may turn up on a public Facebook profile under another name.

  • A public Facebook profile with the same face and another name
  • Photos taken from a soldier’s, doctor’s or model’s public page
  • The same face on Instagram or LinkedIn with a different life story
  • One face behind several accounts writing to strangers
A similar face is a reason to look closer, not proof. And an empty list clears no one.

Sample: Facebook, Lena Demo, 90% face match

  1. 1Opens on Facebook
  2. 2Similarity score, closest first
  3. 3Another name, same face

Found something?

  1. Compare the pages yourself
  2. Call your friend on a number you already have
  3. Send no money, codes or gift cards
  4. Report the account to Facebook

Red flags in the chat.

Already sent money?

Call your bank straight away and ask them to stop or recall the payment; then keep the chat and report the account.

Search the photo, not their life.

Check only an adult who’s fine with it, using a photo they sent you; never anyone who might be under 18, and never go digging for a name, workplace or address.

What you may search

Your own face, an adult who clearly consented, or someone you are legally authorised to investigate.

Prohibited uses

No minors or images you have no right to use, and never to stalk, harass, profile, or decide on jobs or housing.

Every search is logged. Accounts that break these rules are closed without refunds.

Questions, answered.

Do you search Messenger chats?

No. Messenger chats, message requests and group chats are never searched. We compare the photo you were sent with public profiles on 20 platforms, Facebook among them.

My friend’s new account uses their real photos. Will a search help?

Not much: the photo really is theirs, so it points back to their real profile. Ask your friend on a number or app you already use, and report the new account to Facebook as impersonation.

The photo is on someone else’s profile. Now what?

A similar face isn’t proof, but the same photo on someone else’s profile is a strong hint that you’re talking to a fake. Send no money, codes or photos, then block and report the account in Messenger.

Someone on Messenger wants money or they’ll share my photos. What now?

Don’t pay and don’t send anything else; paying rarely makes it stop. Stop replying but keep the chat, report the account to Facebook and the police, and talk to someone you trust.

How much does a search cost?

One coin is one search. Coin packs start at $1.99, and coins never expire. Searching often? Pro unlocks every result for $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $19.99 a year, billed in US dollars.

Before you accept that request.

Add their profile picture; if the face lives elsewhere under another name, block and report before the story gets any longer.

Also worth a look.