# Phony Social Media Accounts The 'Fakebook: The Rise of Bogus Users in Facebook' Infographic By Jennifer Gosnell | Published 2012-08-08 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fakebook-the-rise-of-bogus-users-in-facebook References: [visual.ly](http://visual.ly/fakebook-all-new-facebook) 'Fakebook: The Rise of Bogus Users in [Facebook](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tinysoko)' infographic explains the history and rise of [fake accounts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scam-ai) on the popular social media platform. Most people are on, or at least know someone on, Facebook. Facebook profiles are a way to connect with friends you once knew, family you don't get to see often and others you see everyday. As the most popular social media site, it hosts tons of clients ready for the taking -- which is exactly why spammers and [sneaky scammers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/antifraud-solution) look to create these bogus accounts. However, this only accounts for approximately 5 percent of the 955 million profiles on Facebook currently. But that does mean that 83 million accounts are sketchy or looking to hook you. By banning over 20,000 profiles a day, Facebook is on top of the problem, but with a problem so large it's difficult to really get a grasp. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.2/10 - Popularity: 45% | Activity: 74% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Internet](https://www.trendhunter.com/internet) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Rise of Fake Accounts:** Opportunity for social media platforms to develop innovative solutions to detect and eliminate fake accounts. - **Spamming and Scamming on Social Media:** Potential for businesses to offer advanced security measures to protect users from spam and scams on social media platforms. - **Growing Concerns of Privacy and Security:** Demand for privacy-focused technologies and services to address concerns related to fake accounts and potential data breaches on social media platforms. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Social Media:** Opportunity for social media platforms to enhance user experience by implementing robust security measures and algorithms to detect and prevent fake accounts. - **Cybersecurity:** Increasing need for cybersecurity companies to offer advanced solutions and services that protect users from spam and scams on social media platforms. - **Privacy Software:** Emerging market for privacy software companies to develop tools and technologies that safeguard user data on social media platforms. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Creative Online Social Networks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bf-island.md) - [Anti-AI-Generate Dating Profiles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aigenerate-dating-profiles.md) - [Social Media Account Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tinysoko.md) - [Fake Message Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/phone-gags.md) - [Connection Platform Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/facebook-debuts-at-stagecoach.md) - [Secondary Social Media Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flipside.md) - [Faux AI Screenshots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fake-ai.md) - [Dating App Video Verifications](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selfie-verification.md) - [User-First Social Media Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/user-first-social-media.md)