.MKITOS

CTRL ALT ACT – Week 2: Dummy Accounts & Targeting Miscreant Profiles

Welcome to Week 2 of CTRL ALT ACT!

By now, your OSINT basics should be solid. Last week (Week 1) we took a hands-on approach to identifying miscreant accounts—probably using your personal profile. But let’s fix that.

🚫 Why You Shouldn’t Use Personal Accounts

Using your real account for OSINT puts you at risk:

• You may get flagged or doxxed
• It reveals your identity
• You might become the target

✅ Solution? Dummy Accounts

Most of us already have an anonymous account we use to “stalk” people online (don’t lie 😏). Now, you’ll do just that—but for ethical digital sleuthing, not petty revenge.

🔐 How to Create a Dummy OSINT Account

• Use a private search engine
  Recommended: Tor or DuckDuckGo (use private mode).
• Create a new email
  • No real info.
  • Fake identity, but realistic.
• Register on platforms
  • Think ahead: Where do you plan to do OSINT? Instagram? Telegram? Reddit?
• Make it look legit
  • Use a natural name, display picture, maybe 2–3 posts, but keep it all fake and private.

📺 Video Guide: How To Create Sock Puppet Accounts For OSINT

🎯 Targeting Miscreant Accounts: A Three-Tier System

Let’s break down the kinds of accounts we’ll investigate, in ascending order of risk:

• Fake news or misinformation pages/accounts
• Personal accounts spreading hate or harassment
• Pages/groups spreading hate, illegal content, or organizing networks

🧱 CATEGORY 1: Fake News Sharing Accounts (Beginner Friendly)

These are accounts/pages that share:

• Fake news
• Edited or outdated media labeled as current events
• Viral misinformation

Such content can cause panic or incite hate, even violence.

🛠️ How to Identify Fake News Content

• Search popular tags
  Try: #latestnews #viral #breaking #headlines
• Pick a random post
  Trust your instinct—something will feel off.
• Follow the hashtags
  See what other posts are under those tags.
• Check who posted it
  Blue tick ≠ credible. Influencers repost fake news all the time.
• Search the same story online
  Use trusted news sites.
• Use Google Dorks
  Example:
  "blast in Delhi" inurl:news after:2025-08-01 before:2025-08-07
  📘 Google Dorking Guide
• Reverse image search
  Use tools like Yandex Images, TinEye, or Google Lens.
• Check for AI-manipulated media
  Try: Deepware AI Scanner, WeVerify plugin
• Verify with 3+ sources
  Never rely on just one. OSINT is about triangulation.
• Document & Report
  Write a short report:
  What post?
  Why it’s fake?
  What you used to verify?
  Then, flag the post and, optionally, comment to inform others (respectfully).

👤 CATEGORY 2: Personal Accounts Spreading Hate

This is where your “stalker mode” comes in—but for the greater good. You're now going to profile individual harassers, especially those targeting vulnerable communities or individuals online.

🪜 How to Investigate

• Pick a target zone
  Visit a female public figure’s post. Sadly, hate is almost guaranteed.
• Collect abusive accounts
  • Screenshot 5–6 disturbing comments with timestamps.
  • Take the entire thread if needed.
• Profile them (Public accounts only)
  • Look at their bio, posts, tagged photos, captions, followers/following.
  • Build a psychological sketch: Who are they? What motivates them?
• Dig deeper
  • Look for photos showing a familiar place (metro, café, college).
  • Search for locations using reverse image search.
  • Check if friends tag them or call them by their name.
• Track their connections
  • See which colleges, clubs, pages, or influencers they follow.
  • You might uncover their real identity or network.
• Compile a case file
  • Username(s)
  • Real name (if found)
  • Phone/email (if public)
  • Harassing content
  • Behavioral patterns

🎥 Video Walkthrough: OSINT on Social media accounts

🧱 CATEGORY 3: Pages & Groups (High-Impact Networks)

These are central hubs for spreading hate, misinformation, illegal media, or even planning coordinated attacks.

They are less about individuals, more about systems.

❗ DO NOT join private groups/forums. Always stick to publicly available info.

🔍 How to Investigate Pages & Groups

1. Identify suspicious pages
   • Start from fake news posts or abusive content.
   • Check which pages or groups are posting/sharing it.
2. Find the admins/moderators
   • Many platforms list admins (Facebook, Reddit, Telegram channels).
   • Investigate them as individuals using Category 2 techniques.
   • Admins often manage multiple hate pages — follow the trail.
3. Analyze posting behavior
   • What content are they sharing?
   • How frequently? Is it coordinated?
   • Do they post in sync with certain events?
4. Track follower behavior
   • Who are the frequent likers/commenters/sharers?
   • Profile those accounts for network mapping.
   • Use slang, emojis, or hashtags to identify in-group behavior.
5. Trace reposts and sources
   • Is the content original?
     Use reverse search or metadata tools to trace the origin.
6. Identify the bigger picture
   • Do multiple pages cross-share content?
   • Are followers overlapping?
   • You may be uncovering an entire misinformation ecosystem.

🧰 Tools to Help

• Wayback Machine – track deleted or modified posts
• WhoPostedWhat.com – search by Facebook user
• PhantomBuster – collect public data
• Visualping – monitor content changes

🎯 Goals with Pages/Groups

• Identify page admins/mods and their network
• Map the ecosystem of reposts, followers, and hate clusters
• Collect hard evidence for reporting or awareness-building
• “These aren’t just meme pages. They’re active weapons of digital harm.”

📩 What To Do With Your Findings?

So, you’ve found the accounts and gathered evidence. Now what?

🚨 Reporting (Always Recommended for Beginners)

• Report to the platform with proof
• Submit to cybercrime portals

📍 For India: https://cybercrime.gov.in

You can even become a volunteer on the portal. Just be sure to read all terms and conditions.

🔮 Beyond Reporting...

We’ve shown you the roadmap—from dummy accounts to miscreant exposure to reporting. But where you go next is entirely your call.

Let’s just say...

Once you master OSINT fundamentals, you’ll start to notice deeper patterns. Some involve tech, some involve people—and some require... more imaginative methods. What you do with that power is up to you.

🧠 Final Note

• If you ignore it today, it’s going to remain the same tomorrow. So why not be the one who changes it?

Stay safe. Stay ethical. Stay sharp.
Happy hunting.

🚀 Ready for Week 3?

In the next module, we’ll explore how to uncover hidden and risky websites, spot fraudulent and dangerous sites, and learn techniques to safely investigate them.

Previous: Week 1: OSINT Basics Next: Week 3: Website Recon & Digital Footprints