Separate account and person

Two profiles may use the same name. Keep them as two records first.

Check each match

There are two made-up profiles called Deniz Kaya. The same photo may be copied. Compare names, dates, work history and public links. Keep facts that disagree. There is no fixed rule such as ‘three matches are enough’.

Name only the visible link

A follow is a visible account link. It does not prove friendship or control. Regular posts may come from automation, a schedule or a team. An old phone number may now belong to someone else. Do not try logins or password resets.

Identity check. Name and spelling. Date and place. Source links. Mismatch — These branches are research questions, not proven links between people.CSINT Research · Ahmet Göker

Same terms in both languages

Keep these words

Identity resolution: Checking whether records refer to one person.
Alias: Another name used by someone.
PII: Personal data that can identify someone.
SOCMINT: Using social media data to study a research question.
Timeline: Putting records in time order.

A small example

Let’s do it together

Profile A says it worked at a company in 2024. Profile B says it was a student in another town in 2024.

Save the profiles separately as A and B.
Compare dates and sources. Note the disagreement.
Leave it as a possible match if evidence is weak. Do not keep unneeded personal data.

Close the notes. Think first.

Your turn

An account posts every hour. Is it a malicious bot?

Read the explanation

This is not enough. It may use scheduled posts or a team. Automation and harmful intent are separate claims.

Reading record

Only on this browser. These marks are not test results.

Sources

I used my study notes and wrote new practice examples. The source PDF is not distributed here.

About the sources and rights