Spotting fake photos before you go

The visual tells

Stolen photos tend to look too perfect and too inconsistent at once. Watch for images that are all studio-glossy with no ordinary snapshots among them, sets where the person subtly looks like different people, watermarks from other sites peeking through, or a face conveniently always turned away or cropped.

A genuine set usually has range: good photos and casual ones, the same recognisable person across all of them, and small imperfect details that a stock model shoot never has.

The 60-second check

Run a couple of the photos through a reverse-image search. If the same pictures turn up on modelling sites, social accounts under other names, or dozens of listings in different cities, you have your answer. This one habit prevents most bad trips.

Ask for a quick, specific verification photo — a plain selfie holding up a certain number of fingers, or with today's context. Someone real can do this in a minute. Someone using stolen photos will stall, refuse, or send another polished 'portfolio' shot instead.

The conversation tells

Bait-and-switch operators often rush. They dodge simple verification, deflect specific questions, and push to lock you in fast — because the longer you look, the more likely you are to notice. Genuine people are usually relaxed about a reasonable check; nobody honest is offended by a quick selfie request.

What protects you structurally

Directories that record consent and check images make stolen-photo listings harder to run, and watermarked images are harder to lift and reuse elsewhere. But no badge replaces your own two-minute check. Verify where you can, and always do the reverse-image search yourself.