Reverse image search

What reverse image search is and why it reveals scams

In a reverse image search, the search is done with an image instead of a normal search term. You upload an image to the service or paste its address, and the search engine looks for where the same or nearly the same image appears online. The search is based on the image's visual fingerprint, so it finds the image even when it has been cropped, edited or resized.

Scams are revealed because scammers rarely use their own images. They copy images from genuine sellers, image banks or other people's profiles. When the same image is found on several websites with different names or different prices, it is almost certainly a scam.

How to do a reverse image search

The check takes only a moment:

• Save the suspicious image on your device or copy its address.
• Open one of the services above.
• Upload the image, paste its address or drag the image into the search field.
• Go through the results and see where the image appears and under what name.

On a mobile it works most easily with Google Lens: press and hold the image in the Chrome browser and select search by image. Crop the image carefully before the search. If there is a person in front of a building in the image, crop the face and the background separately and search for both. This way the results become more precise.

Which service suits what

The services use different indexes and different recognition technology, so it is worth using at least two.

• Google Lens is the best general search. It has the broadest index and recognises products, objects and places well. Start here.
• Yandex is best for face recognition. If you want to make sure the person in a profile picture is genuine, start with Yandex. It often finds the same face image on other profiles or in image banks.
• TinEye is best for tracing the original source. It shows when an image first appeared online and also finds edited versions.
• Bing Visual Search works well with product images and sometimes finds things that others do not.

What kinds of scams are revealed with a reverse image search

• Fake profiles and dating scams: if the same face image is found on several profiles with different names or on an image bank website, the person is not who they claim to be.
• Fake online shops: if an online shop's product image is found on a genuine retailer's or manufacturer's page, the shop has copied the image and is not trustworthy.
• Fake listings on marketplaces: the seller uses images taken from a genuine listing or from the manufacturer of a product that they do not actually have.
• Images used in the wrong context: an old image or an image related to a different event is presented as new or as something other than it is.

Tips for a reliable check

• Use several services, because an image missed by one search engine may be found by another.
• Crop the image to the essential part before searching.
• Be suspicious if the same image is found with a different name, a different price or from a different country.
• If a realistic image is not found in any search engine, it may be AI-generated. This is not a sure sign, but treat the result with caution.
• An image file may retain information about the time and place of the photo. Social media usually removes these, but in an image received as an attachment to an email or message they may be preserved.

What to do if the image is found elsewhere

If the same image is found on another website or in another person's name, do not continue the deal or conversation. Take screenshots of the findings as evidence and report the suspicious listing or profile to the platform in question. If you have already lost money, contact your bank immediately and file a police report.