How to Spot Fake Teams and Verify Real Founders in 2026

"Team is fully doxxed!" is common but often fake. Here's how to verify.

What is Doxxing in Crypto?

Definition: Public disclosure of team member identities.

In crypto context: Publishing names, faces, social media, and background of project founders.

Purpose: Build trust by making team accountable (harder to rug if identity known).

Why Fake Doxxing Exists

The Problem:

• Anonymous teams are suspicious
• Doxxing builds false trust
• Scammers impersonate real people
• Stolen photos are easy to find
• No verification authority

The Solution: Learn to verify.

Common Fake Doxxing Methods

Method 1: Stolen Photos

Red Flags:

• Team photos appear in Google Images
• Multiple team members with LinkedIn (but no history)
• Professional photos for new startup (too polished)
• Model/stock photo appearance

How to Check: 1. Right-click image 2. Select Search image with Google 3. If appears elsewhere = FAKE

Method 2: Fake LinkedIn Profiles

Red Flags:

• Recently created (less than 3 months old)
• No endorsements or recommendations
• Generic job descriptions
• Vague company histories
• Network only has 10-50 connections

How to Verify: 1. Check profile creation date 2. Review previous work history 3. Check for recommendations 4. Search name in Google for reputation 5. Cross-reference with company websites

Method 3: AI-Generated Identities

Red Flags:

• Perfect photos (too symmetrical)
• Weird AI artifacts (blurry backgrounds)
• Names that sound made-up
• Social media accounts with 0 activity
• Same writing style in all bios

How to Detect: 1. Use face recognition (reverse image search) 2. Check social media history 3. Look for consistent posting patterns 4. Verify through independent sources

Method 4: Impersonating Famous People

Red Flags:

• Famous entrepreneur "leading" unknown project
• Claims conflict with public record
• Unusual career transition
• No official announcement from real person

How to Verify: 1. Check official social media accounts 2. Search news for recent announcements 3. Contact team through official channels 4. Look for denial statements

Red Flags for Fake Teams

How to Verify Legitimate Teams

Step 1: LinkedIn Investigation

• Check profile creation date (older than 6 months)
• Review job history (4+ previous positions)
• Look at recommendations (more than 5)
• Search for publications or speaking
• Verify company affiliations

Step 2: Social Media Trail

Twitter:

• Account age (older than 1 year typically)
• Tweet history consistency
• Followers vs following ratio
• Verified badge (if available)
• Past project discussion

Other Socials:

• Instagram: posting history
• GitHub: code contributions
• Medium: technical writing
• YouTube: speaking appearances

Step 3: Company Verification

• Official website launch date
• Google Maps/business listing
• Previous projects (track record)
• Press mentions (news coverage)
• Team announcements (consistency)

Step 4: Cross-Reference

• Ask team for references
• Check past project token performance
• Verify claims in interviews
• Look for contradictions
• Call company directly

Case Studies

Example 1: FAKE Project

Name: "MegaBomb Token"

• Founder: "John Smith"
• LinkedIn: Created 2 weeks ago
• Photo: Appears in 100 Google Images
• Company: Founded yesterday
• Previous projects: None
• Communication: Telegram only
• Verdict: 100% SCAM

Example 2: LEGITIMATE Project

Name: mSOL by Marinade

• Team: Published real names and photos
• CEO Evgeny: Active on Twitter since 2019
• LinkedIn: 10+ year career history
• Company: Founded 2021, public records
• Previous projects: MariMint (2018)
• Communication: Twitter, Discord, official site
• Verification: Real team confirmed

Example 3: MIXED (Be Careful)

Name: "NewDefi Token"

• Founder: Real person (verified LinkedIn)
• Company: Just incorporated
• Track record: No previous projects
• Communication: Professional but limited
• Verdict: Real person, untested. Higher risk.

The SolanaBombs Approach

We filter for:

• Team identification (if doxxed)
• Active social media (Twitter/Telegram)
• Clear communication
• No obvious red flags

We DON'T filter for:

• Anonymous teams (some are legit)
• First-time founders (many succeed)
• New projects (often legitimate)

Your job: Verify yourself; we remove obvious scams.

Best Practices

DO:

• Check LinkedIn thoroughly
• Reverse image search profiles
• Read social media history
• Cross-reference multiple sources
• Look for contradictions
• Ask for verifiable contact
• Trust track record most

DON'T:

• Trust one source alone
• Assume verified badges are real
• Fall for fancy website
• Believe testimonials alone
• Trust new LinkedIn profiles
• Invest in unverified teams
• Skip verification

Tools for Verification

Image Tools:

• Google Reverse Image Search
• TinEye (reverse image search)
• Bing Visual Search

People Tools:

• LinkedIn (profile verification)
• Google Search (background check)
• Twitter Archive (post history)
• Wayback Machine (website history)

Blockchain Tools:

• Solscan (wallet history)
• Magic Eden (team activity)
• Degendata (team metrics)

The Bottom Line

Fake doxxing is common. Real verification is rare.

Spend 30 minutes verifying before investing thousands.

Key principle: If team won't verify, don't invest.

Legitimate projects have nothing to hide.