Fake Proof Screenshots: How to Spot Them Before You Pay

How do you spot a fake proof screenshot?

Look for the detail that does not fit. An edited or reused screenshot usually has at least one: a username that is not in your records, a clock or date that does not match the submission, a crop that hides the part you asked for, an image you have already seen from another user, or a language and layout that do not match the user’s country and device. The most reliable check is not in the image at all: it is matching the proof against your own records.

This guide is for advertisers reviewing task completions on Sharklio. It covers what to look at, which signs matter most, how to ask for proof that is hard to fake, and how to reject in a way that holds up if the user disputes. Most users send honest proof, so the aim is to catch the few fakes without rejecting good work.

What you have to work with

Each task completion in your dashboard shows the proof together with a set of facts you can compare it against:

• An anonymous User ID that is always the same for the same user, so you can spot repeat users without knowing who they are.
• The source site, plus the user’s country, city or region when available, device, platform and browser.
• When the proof was submitted, and the completion time from start to submission.
• Tasks last 24h: how many completions this user sent on that publisher in the previous 24 hours.
• Whether the user clicked on the link, if your campaign has a starting link.

Users upload one screenshot per completion, and it is stored as a resized still image. Do not rely on file metadata; judge what is visible and compare it with the facts above.

Warning signs of edited or reused screenshots

The context matters as much as the image. A sign-up proved in 40 seconds, by a user who sent 30 tasks on that publisher that day, without clicking your starting link, deserves a closer look than the same screenshot after 12 minutes from a first-time user. None of these facts proves fraud on its own; together, they tell you where to look.

Ask for proof that is hard to fake

The best way to deal with fake screenshots is to make them useless. A screenshot can be edited; a value you look up in your own system cannot. Build the proof requirement around something you can check:

• A unique code shown only at the end of the flow, such as on the confirmation page, which the user sends as text.
• The username or email used to sign up, which you search for in your user list.
• A specific screen that only exists after the action, showing the account or player name.
• An order number for a purchase, or a player ID for a game.

The Screenshot + Text proof type lets you ask for one image and one value at the same time. If the task starts on a specific page, turn on Require that users click on a starting link first, so proof is only accepted from users who opened it. Proof requirements for every task type has copy-ready wording for each kind of task, so this guide does not repeat it.

Use your approval window to check, not to rush

Your approval window, from 30 minutes to 3 days, is the time you have to run these checks. A completion you do not decide in time is approved automatically and can no longer be rejected, so pick a window that leaves room to look things up in your own records. While a completion waits, its cost is set aside, not charged. Hourly and daily caps keep the queue at a size you can review carefully. Approval windows: how to choose one and review on time helps you set both.

Reject with a clear, checkable reason

When proof is fake or does not meet your requirement, reject it, and always say why. The reject form offers quick reasons you can pick, such as:

• “The username does not match the one in the proof.”
• “The screenshot does not show the step we asked for.”
• “You already sent this offer before.”
• “The proof is unreadable or cut off.”

You can also write your own. Point to a fact anyone can check, such as “The same screenshot was already submitted for another completion” or “No account with this username exists on our site.” Avoid accusations and vague words like “fake” or “invalid” on their own.

The user sees your reason and can dispute it within 72 hours, with an explanation and a new screenshot. You then have 72 hours to accept and pay or keep the rejection. If you keep it or do not answer, Sharklio staff decide, and their decision is final. A genuine user with a better screenshot should usually be accepted; a dispute that adds nothing checkable can be answered with the same facts. How to handle completion disputes covers each step.

Judge every completion against the proof requirement the user saw. Do not reject honest work because the screenshot is plain or low quality, and do not add requirements after the fact. Repeatedly rejecting valid completions breaks the campaign rules and can lead to the suspension of your account.

Report patterns to our team

One fake screenshot is a rejection. A pattern is worth telling us about: the same image under several User IDs, a run of identical proofs from one source, or proof that only fails once you check your own records. Write to [email protected] with the completion numbers and what you found. Our checks consider information from advertisers, and if our team later reverses an approved completion for fraud, its cost returns to your balance. Ad fraud and bot traffic lists other warning signs worth knowing.

A quick review checklist

1. Does the screenshot show the exact screen your proof requirement names?
2. Does the name, email or code match your own records?
3. Do the time, language, region and device fit the completion details?
4. Have you seen this image, or this background, before?
5. Do the completion time, tasks in the last 24 hours and the starting link click make sense?
6. If you reject, does your reason point to something anyone can check?

Frequently asked questions