Detection of Fake Accounts in Social Media

Abstract

Social media is becoming increasingly used as a source of information, including events during warfare. The fake accounts of the social media are often used for a variety of cyber-attacks, information-psychological operations, and social opinion manipulating during warfare. The analysis of online social media research methods are carried out, the main metrics and attributes of fake accounts in Facebook are investigated. Each metric is assigned to the appropriate categories for the convenience of their analysis and gets a certain number of points depending on conditions from 0 to 3, which indicate how much every of the metrics influenced on conclusion about the fakeness of the account. The levels of influence have the following meanings: 0 – no influence, 1 – weak influence, 2 – significant influence, 3 – critical influence. For example, if the histogram feature reaches level 3, this means that the parameter characterizing this feature has a critical impact on account fakeness. Otherwise, if the column is at 0 or 1 level, this means that the parameter is inherent in the real account. Thus, based on the level of each of the parameters, we conclude on the fakeness or reality of a certain account. The following metrics are analyzed: likes, friends, posts and statuses, personal information about the user and the photos, considering their possible parameters and influence on the status of the account. Each metric is assigned to the appropriate categories for the convenience of their analysis. A decision-making system based on a supported vector machine is developed and has 9 inputs and single output. A series of experimental research was conducted where account analyzing as well as parameters extracting and selection are realized on Facebook. The classifier accuracy of the fake accounts detection is 97% with the special prepared dataset of the real and fake account parameters.