Category: Fraud

Social Media Search vs. Social Media Investigation: What’s the Difference?

In the world of digital intelligence, the terms social media search and social media investigation are often used interchangeably. But make no mistake—they are not the same. Understanding the difference is crucial if you’re looking to uncover actionable information for a legal case, insurance claim, background check, or workplace inquiry.

At eChatter, we offer both services, and our clients often ask: “What’s the difference?” This blog breaks down the key distinctions between a basic search and a full investigation so you can choose the right approach for your needs.

What is a Social Media Search?

A social media search is typically the initial step in locating a person’s online presence. It’s a surface-level scan of publicly available information across social media platforms such as:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter/X
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Snapchat (when content is public)

This search aims to identify whether a subject has an online presence, what platforms they use, and some general details like profile names, photos, and bio information. It may also include:

  • Profile creation dates
  • Recent posts or visible activity
  • Basic connections or followers

Use Case: A social media search is ideal when you’re trying to confirm identity or determine if deeper investigation is warranted.

What is a Social Media Investigation?

A social media investigation goes far beyond the basics. It is a comprehensive, analytical deep dive into a subject’s digital activity, using both manual review and AI-powered tools to uncover patterns, behaviors, and inconsistencies. These investigations can include:

  • In-depth analysis of posts, photos, and comments
  • Geolocation data pulled from images and check-ins
  • Associations with other individuals or groups
  • Timeline building for specific dates or events (e.g., after an injury)
  • AI-enhanced facial recognition and image matching
  • Archived or deleted content (when available through legal means)
  • Behavioral or sentiment analysis

Use Case: A social media investigation is used in legal claims, fraud detection, workplace misconduct, background screening, and civil or criminal litigation. The output often includes a documented report with screenshots, metadata, and analysis suitable for courtroom or internal use.

Key Differences at a Glance

FeatureSocial Media SearchSocial Media Investigation
PurposeLocate basic profiles and contentUncover detailed, case-relevant information
DepthSurface-level scanComprehensive review and analysis
Tools UsedManual searches, open webAdvanced AI, geolocation, facial recognition
OutputList of profiles, general infoDetailed report with screenshots, timelines, associations
Recommended ForPreliminary review or ID confirmationLegal evidence, fraud investigations, litigation

Which One Do You Need?

If you’re simply looking to find out whether someone has a digital footprint, a social media search may be enough. But if you’re trying to gather evidence, verify claims, or identify behavioral patterns, a full social media investigation is the way to go.

At eChatter, we specialize in both services. Our AI-powered tools and trained analysts ensure that no relevant detail is missed—especially in high-stakes cases.

Need help choosing the right level of investigation?

Contact us today for a free consultation, and we’ll help you determine whether a search or full investigation best suits your needs.

eChatter is a digital intelligence company providing OSINT and social media analysis to law firms, insurers, investigators, and businesses across the U.S.

Communicating Nonverbal Clues Through Digital Media

Body language can play an important role in investigations, as it can provide valuable clues and insights into a person’s thoughts, emotions, and intentions. Private investigators can use body language in several ways to gather information and conduct investigations.

Body Language Examples

  1. Detecting deception: Private investigators may use body language to detect signs of deception or dishonesty. For example, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, or nervousness may indicate that a person is lying or withholding information.
  2. Assessing emotions: Private investigators may use body language to assess a person’s emotional state. For example, facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture can provide clues about a person’s mood and level of comfort in a particular situation.
  3. Observing behavior: Private investigators may use body language to observe a person’s behavior and activities. For example, observing a person’s movements and gestures can provide insights into their routines, habits, and activities.
  4. Building rapport: Private investigators may use body language to build rapport and establish trust with a person. For example, using appropriate eye contact, posture, and gestures can help a private investigator establish a connection and create a comfortable environment for an interview.
  5. Gathering evidence: Private investigators may use body language to gather evidence for a case. For example, observing a person’s behavior and movements in public places can provide evidence of infidelity, fraud, or other illegal activities.

So we wondered. Can the same rules be applied when reviewing a subject’s Digital Media? Can a Facebook or Instagram video be enough to use some of the same techniques as in person examples to provide clues into behavior?

The Trump Deposition

Have you heard of The Behavior Panel? Scott Rouse, Mark Bowden, Chase Hughes, and Greg Hartley are the world’s top body language and behavior experts. Together as The Behavior Panel they analyze body language and human behavior in videos of public interest. They are a non-partisan team, looking to educate and entertain you with their interest and expertise in communication, body language, deception detection, interrogation, and resistance to interrogation. You can find them on YouTube.

They recently analyzed the online video of Donald Trump’s recorded Deposition. This is a great example just how much can be taken from an online video of a person answering questions. If you get a chance, take a look at the video on the Behavior Panels’ podcast. They point out several items of interest. The shrugging of shoulders that Trump does from time to time may convey a sense of being sorry for something is just one example they explore.

Not only can some of these techniques be used in digital media, it can be used in Social Media as well.

Social Media Body Language

Technically, body language refers to the nonverbal signals that we convey through our physical movements and gestures, which are typically seen in person. However, in social media videos, you can still convey nonverbal cues through your facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture.

For example, facial expressions can show enthusiasm or sadness, change the tone of your voice will convey different emotions, and gestures may be used to emphasize certain points. Voice inflections can be a sign of stress or anxiety.

Studying a social media post’s background can be very telling as well. For example, a cluttered or messy background may communicate disorganization or lack of attention to detail, while a professional or clean background may communicate professionalism and attention to detail.

Social media posts can provide valuable clues in an investigation, as they can reveal a person’s thoughts, emotions, activities, and connections with others.

Clues in a Social Media Post

  1. Location: Social media posts may contain information about a person’s location, such as check-ins or geotags, which can be used to verify alibis or track movements.
  2. Relationships: Social media posts may reveal a person’s relationships with others, such as friends, family, or acquaintances, which can be used to identify potential suspects or witnesses.
  3. Activities: Social media posts may provide information about a person’s activities, such as hobbies, interests, or daily routines, which can be used to establish patterns of behavior or gather evidence of illegal activities.
  4. Emotions: Social media posts may reveal a person’s emotions, such as anger, sadness, or happiness, which can be used to assess their mental state and motivations.
  5. Communications: Social media posts may contain messages, comments, or other communications with others, which can be used to identify potential witnesses or suspects, and to gather evidence of criminal activities.

Overall, social media posts can provide valuable clues and insights into a person’s thoughts, emotions, activities, and connections with others, which can be used to support an investigation. However, it’s important to note that social media posts should be used in conjunction with other investigative techniques and evidence-gathering methods, and that proper legal and ethical guidelines should be followed when accessing and using social media data.

Fake Profiles & Online Impersonation

When watching my local news the other evening, I heard of a case that really surprised me. A Town Commissioner of a small town in North Carolina, disagreed with his fellow board members over a specific topic. So much so, that he decided to create a fake Facebook profile and use it to harrass and argue with residents. Later, he admitted using a Charlotte area businessman’s real name & real profile picture. The surprising part of this is that we expect this from scammers, but not someone who would be sitting on a board of a city or town. It seems that these days, anything is possible. Being proactive is a must.

Online Impersonation Tricks

  1. Facebook Marketplace: Fake ads on the site have become a real problem. Some of the ads look like they are from legitimate businesses such as Home Depot, Lowes, etc.. They make the post look very real, using lots of pictures. The Better Business Bureau says the fake ads are common and they get thousands of complaints each year. “Impersonation is one of the key factors of what scammers love to do,” Sarah Wetzel of the BBB said. “They love to impersonate those well-known companies because that way they already have a foot in the door with the consumers.”
Source: Digital Information World

2. Rental Scams: Scammers ( who operate anywhere in the world ) can advertise a fake rental online. Next, they add a sense of urgency to attempt to get a deposit on the property. They will use excuses as to why they can not meet you in person. They also make sure to tell you that several people are looking at the property. Nationally, over 230 rental scams have been reported this year, up from the same time last year. Victims report losing an average of $550.

Better Business Bureau offers these tips:

  • Do an online search for the landlord’s email and phone number. If the same ad is listed in other cities, that’s a red flag.
  • If you can’t see the property in person, try to find someone you trust to go and confirm the unit is what’s being advertised online.
  • Don’t fall for deals that are too good to be true. If a unit is well below market rate or promising extra amenities than normal, it could be a red flag.
  • Be wary of required payments through cash transfer apps. Peer to peer apps are meant to be used with people you know.

Use the Better Business Bureau’s scam tracker as a tool to both report and prevent scam.

3. Catfishing: When someone creates a fake identity online for the purpose of starting a relationship. They then use this as a way to gain interest and confidence so they can scam the person out of money. Social Catfish is a software company that works to help people who believe they have been the victim of catfishing. It is one of the many software platforms we use at eChatter when conducting online research. They also have a great reverse image tool within the platform.

Impersonation of a Business

This is sometimes called Domain Spoofing. When done correctly, it can damage a business’ reputation while scamming consumers who fall for their pitch. All while impersonating the business. Two of the most common ways is cybersquatting and typosquatting.

  • Cybersquatting: Scammers use already established business websites and copy them to look just like the real website. They then sell counterfeit products.
  • Typosquatting: Scammers register a domain name similar to that of the legitimate business. They purposely use typo errors to change it but at first glance, people take it as the legitimate company’s website. This is sometimes used to redirect someone to a competitor’s website or try to collect ad revenue.

This just scratches the surface of the many ways scammers use the web and social media. It is a subject we will continue to write about in the future, so check back often for updates.