Twitter users probably find themselves wondering regularly such thoughts as: am I really following Lady Gaga, or just someone who says they are Lady Gaga? With Twitter and Google+, you can tell the genuine article by a tick mark behind their name. That means their identity has been confirmed by the network. On Twitter, it's a white tick mark in a blue circle. On Google+ it's a dark gray tick in a light gray circle.
But that doesn't automatically mean feeds without a tick mark are frauds, because it's not a designation users can request. "Generally, we check in with people and websites who, by our judgement, would benefit from this kind of verification," says Google+. Twitter also verifies "some reliable sources."
Another way to tell if an account is legitimate is to check how linked it is. Twitter recommends that its users make a link from their website to their Twitter account. Users of Google+, Facebook and other sites can use the same method to confirm their identity for followers and fans.