Finding out who this man is from his online photograph

[PoliticalSatay]

Hi MN
Really hoping someone can help with this.
A close friend of mine has been having an online friendship / flirtation with a man for around three years. They speak to each other through a forum but message privately and speak on the phone regularly.

My friend has lots of photographs of this man throughout the years he has sent her, we do not know if the man she is speaking to is the man in the photographs or not and would like to find out who he is.
How can we search for his image online to check who he is?
Have tried Google Image Search but it doesn't bring anything up, has anyone used this successfully and can they give me any tips please? It will make a big difference to my friend if we can find out more about the man in the photographs.
Tia xx

In 3 years they've never once had a video chat? I think that gives you your answer

Absolutely this.

How have you searched for the image? Has she searched online for his name? Has he told her where he works?

FaceTime would be the obvious answer.

You can go down the scary AI facial recognition hole and try website called Pim Eyes. There are 3 free attempts.

If by Google image search you mean you or she have put his name in Google and selected the images tab then do a Google lens search with the photo open on your phone as that will match the actual photo to anything published online and you'll be able to see if the person who is contacting your friend has cat fished her using someone else's photo.

At least she’s spoken to him, that’s definitely something!

Not if you've ever watched Catfish 😬

Thanks for this. Yes I have tried this but not sure how to add in perimeters like location.. do you know?

You shouldnt need to narrow the search down, if the picture exists online the search should find it. Better that you don't narrow the search down at all for the beat chance of getting a result

If he's lifted the photo from the web it will come up in a Google lens search

Let me guess, he's a retired US army doctor who looks like Mitt Romney

Why doesn't she just insist on video chat? 😳

This sort of cat fishing was fairly common around 10 years ago, but not now we all have smart phones.

Why hasn’t she asked for a FaceTime with him?

People have even been scammed via video chat. Hope you find out that he's genuine!

If they've never video chatted, I guarantee you that he is absolutely not the man in the photographs.

To be honest, even if he IS the man in the photos (which he isn't) and they've been chatting for three whole years without any attempt to take things further, then this isn't ever going to be a relationship anyway.

See utube Catfish OP.
It’s eye opening (and quite shocking how many women have lost their hearts.. and money)

Thanks everyone.
I have always been fairly sure that the guy my friend is speaking to is NOT the guy in the photographs he has sent over. The guy in the photos is very hot indeed! But he has sent my friend so many photographs over a long period of time (eg when the guy was 20 until now where the guy looks about 50) that the guy she is speaking to must know the guy in the photos somehow, or has found a stranger's phone, not sure but all a bit strange.
Regarding a voice call, they have never had one but they talk a fair bit on the phone and also talk through clubhouse which is an online discussion forum (voice discussion as opposed to written discussion such as Reddit).
My friend has recently asked me to investigate this online and has sent me some of the photographs of the guy.
When I upload a photograph of the chap into Google Image Search there are no search results, nothing comes up. Nothing comes up at all with the name he has given my friend, either.
I'm at a loss as to what to do next! Would love to help my friend if I can.
I think the guy my friend is speaking to is the seedy uncle of the hot guy in the photographs! That is my theory that I have shared with my friend. Would be good to prove things either way.
xx

I could look into Pim Eyes. Has anyone else used this before?

The 'hot guy' my friend speaks to has never asked for money but I do think he is controlling her emotionally by playing her if that makes sense.

Is he based in the UK?
It would be fairly unusual to have zero digital footprint whatsoever.
What industry does he work in?
Have you tried searching using his name, or just surname with all the different snippets of information she knows? Eg location, employer, etc.

Can she ask to send him a birthday card to get address?

I'm still not convinced from your responses OP that you have done a Google lens search, as opposed to an online images search, for any of the photos this guy has sent your friend. If you have and cannot find any of the images online then it's highly likely the photos are AI images and not genuine.

It's highly, highly unlikely someone using apps, etc to chat doesn't have an online presence. Therefore he isn't who the photos purport to be. Your friend must have suspicions or she wouldn't have asked you. Be prepared to find she has sent him money or done something stupid online herself at his request, but is too embarrassed to have told you yet.

Definitely a google lens search.

Yes re AI I have recently wondered this.

How can I find out if the photos of him have been AI generated. Thanks.

Try facecheck.id