Yannick Schroth is a co-founder of TrustCamera, where he leads marketing, content and business development. TrustCamera builds a camera app that gives photos and videos a verification code at the moment they are taken, so anyone can check that a capture hasn't been altered since. The startup is part of the CyberLab accelerator in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Yannick holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in business and has worked in content marketing and search engine optimization for years. On the TrustCamera blog he writes about how to spot fake photos, AI images and deepfakes, how online marketplace scams work, and how you can show that your own photos are real.
How we write our articles
Every article answers a question people actually type into Google. We back numbers, rules and recommendations with primary sources such as the FTC, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) or the platforms' own help pages, and link them right in the text.
Anything we say about TrustCamera is checked against an internal fact sheet. Before publication, every article goes through an automated quality check and an editorial review. When a fact changes, we update the article and show the date of the update.
Articles by Yannick Schroth
Renting & housing
Airbnb Scams: How They Work and How to Avoid Them
Airbnb scams try to get you off the platform. Learn the red flags, how fake listings and phishing work, what AirCover and VrboCare cover, and what to do.
September 30, 2026 · 16 min read
Dating & profiles
Dating App Scams: Six Common Tricks and How to Spot Them
Dating app scams follow a few scripts: a move to WhatsApp, a code request, a fake verification link or a crypto tip. Spot them before you pay.
September 30, 2026 · 16 min read
Buying & selling online
Facebook Marketplace Scams: How They Work and Red Flags
Facebook Marketplace scams follow a few patterns: upfront payments, fake listings, fake payment emails and overpayment. Learn the red flags before you pay.
September 30, 2026 · 13 min read
Buying & selling online
Facebook Marketplace Seller Scams: 7 Tricks Fake Buyers Use
Facebook Marketplace seller scams explained: fake payment emails, the verification code scam, overpayment tricks and how to confirm a buyer really paid.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Buying & selling online
How to Report a Fake Website That Took Your Money
How to report a fake website that took your money: who to call first, what evidence to save and where to file so the site gets flagged for other shoppers.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Renting & housing
How to Report a Rental Scam: 6 Steps to Take Right Now
How to report a rental scam: stop payments, save the evidence and alert the listing site, police, FTC and IC3. Plus what to do if you sent your ID.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Fake photos & AI images
How to Reverse Image Search on iPhone, Android and Desktop
Reverse image search with Google Lens, Bing and TinEye on any device, step by step, plus how to read the results and spot stolen photos in listings.
September 30, 2026 · 13 min read
Fake photos & AI images
How to See Photo Metadata on iPhone, Android, PC and Mac
How to see photo metadata on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac, what the EXIF data reveals, how easily it's faked, and how to remove your location first.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Fake photos & AI images
How to Spot a Deepfake: Red Flags in Video, Voice and Calls
How to spot a deepfake: the red flags in fake videos and cloned voices, why detection apps miss so many, and the call-back habit that really protects you.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Dating & profiles
How to Spot a Fake Instagram Account (and Report It)
How to spot a fake Instagram account: the red flags, what About this account shows, what the blue badge means and how to report impostors and scammers.
September 30, 2026 · 16 min read
Buying & selling online
How to Spot Fake Reviews on Amazon, Google and Trustpilot
How to spot fake reviews on Amazon, Google Maps, Tripadvisor and Trustpilot: the red flags, what the FTC rule bans and how to report a suspicious review.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Fake photos & AI images
How to Tell If a Photo Is Photoshopped: 6 Free Checks
How to tell if a photo is photoshopped: check shadows, edges, metadata and AI edit labels to spot retouched listing and dating photos before you pay.
September 30, 2026 · 16 min read
Fake photos & AI images
How to Tell If a Photo Is Real: 7 Ways to Spot a Fake
Is that photo real or fake? Learn how to tell if a photo is real with 7 checks, from reverse image search to AI tell-tale signs, and what each can't prove.
September 30, 2026 · 12 min read
Buying & selling online
How to Tell if a Website Is Legit: Red Flags and Free Checks
How to tell if a website is legit before you pay: red flags of a fake online store, free tools to check any site and the payment methods that protect you.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Fake photos & AI images
How to Tell If an Image Is AI Generated: 6 Signs and 4 Tools
Can you tell if an image is AI generated? Often, but never for sure. Check visual errors, AI labels and provenance data, and know what to do when in doubt.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Dating & profiles
How to Tell If Someone Is Catfishing You: Signs and Checks
How to tell if someone is catfishing you: red flags in photos, profiles and chats, what a blue check really proves, and the checks that actually help.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Buying & selling online
How to Tell If Something Is Counterfeit: Signs and the Law
How to tell if something is counterfeit: check price, seller, labels and serial numbers, learn if buying fakes is illegal and how to get your money back.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Documenting evidence
How to Timestamp Photos on iPhone and Android (3 Ways)
How to timestamp photos on iPhone and Android: add a visible date stamp, see when a picture was taken and learn which timestamps others can actually check.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Documenting evidence
Move-In Inspection Checklist and Photo Tips for Renters
Move-in inspection checklist for every room, how to photograph the condition, what to sign and what some states require, so move-out goes smoothly.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Documenting evidence
Package Arrived Damaged? What to Do and Who Pays
Package arrived damaged? What to do at the door, which photos to take and how to get a refund or replacement from the seller, the carrier or a marketplace.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Buying & selling online
PayPal Friends and Family Scam: Is It Ever Safe to Use?
The PayPal friends and family scam explained: why these payments lack Purchase Protection, the lines scammers use, and what to do if you already paid.
September 30, 2026 · 12 min read
Documenting evidence
Photos as Evidence: What Courts Look For and What's Allowed
Photos as evidence: how courts authenticate pictures, what makes a photo convincing, where privacy laws draw the line and how to keep your originals.
September 30, 2026 · 16 min read
Documenting evidence
Rental Car Damage: What to Do and How to Avoid False Claims
Rental car damage, step by step: what to photograph at pickup and return, what happens if you damage the car and how to dispute a claim after return.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Renting & housing
Rental Scams: How They Work and How to Spot a Fake Listing
Rental scams follow a pattern: a landlord who can't meet, pressure to pay first and early requests for your SSN. How to spot them and vet any listing.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Dating & profiles
Romance Scams: Warning Signs and What to Do If You Paid
Romance scam red flags, how the love-to-money script and the crypto twist work, and what to do if you already paid, from your bank to the FBI's IC3.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Buying & selling online
Safest Way to Pay on Facebook Marketplace: Options Compared
Safest way to pay on Facebook Marketplace: cash, checkout, PayPal, Venmo or Zelle? What protects buyers and sellers, what it costs, and when to use each.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Buying & selling online
Scammed on Facebook Marketplace? What to Do Right Now
Scammed on Facebook Marketplace? Stop paying, call your bank or payment app, save the evidence and report it to give yourself the best shot at a refund.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Documenting evidence
Security Deposit Deductions: What's Allowed, How to Dispute
Security deposit deductions explained: what landlords may charge, state deadlines for itemized statements, and how to dispute charges that look unfair.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read
Dating & profiles
Sextortion: What to Do Right Now and How to Report It
Sextortion: what to do when someone threatens to share intimate images or sends a blackmail email, how to report it and where to get free help.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Buying & selling online
USPS Text Scam: Does USPS Text You, and How to Spot Fakes
A USPS text scam wants you to tap a link to fix a delivery or pay a small fee. Learn when USPS really texts you, how to check tracking and where to report.
September 30, 2026 · 11 min read
Buying & selling online
Vinted Scams: Is Vinted Legit and How to Stay Safe
Vinted scams explained: is Vinted legit, how Buyer Protection works, the red flags for buyers and sellers, and what to do if you've been scammed.
September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Dating & profiles
What to Do If You Get Catfished, and Is Catfishing Illegal?
What to do if you get catfished: cut contact, save evidence and report the profile. Plus when catfishing is illegal in the US and where to find support.
September 30, 2026 · 14 min read