How to Recognize Internet Trolls and Deal With Them

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Gaming Creator Alex Norimaki explains how to identify even subtle signs of trolling

Co-authored by Alex Norimaki and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: March 23, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Identifying a Troll
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• Dealing With Trolls
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• Video
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• Tips
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• Warnings

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It can be really frustrating if you’re trying to have a discussion online and someone derails it with rude or false comments. Internet trolls try to cause trouble on social media sites, comment sections, and forums by posting offensive messages or spreading disinformation just to make people upset. It can be a challenge figuring out who you can trust online, but luckily, there are some things to look out for and ways to avoid trolls! This wikiHow article teaches you how to spot trolls, featuring exclusive tips from computer and tech specialist Luigi Oppido.

Pro Tips for Spotting Trolls

Gaming Creator Alex Norimaki says trolls can be hard to spot because you can't interpret tone through text. Trolls are often contrarian and argumentative. They might look for ways to put a negative spin on things you say, or laugh at things that aren't intended to be funny. The troll's goal is to upset you.

Steps

Section 1 of 2:

Identifying a Troll

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   They post inflammatory or offensive comments. Trolls often post just to get a rise out of someone. Read through the comments or posts made from the account to see if they’re attacking or degrading other people. Make note of how consistently they use profanity, insults, or insensitive words in their posts. If the comments seem like they’re bullying someone or prejudiced, they’re likely a troll.

   • Trolls are believed to have “negative social potency,” which means they enjoy saying harmful things to other people.
   • Trolls often leave comments that may be considered racist, misogynistic, or hateful towards specific groups or demographics.
   • Trolls often post with a mocking tone, posting about other people or responding to people who argue against their posts. Trolls love to use the laughing/crying emoji when arguing and responding to someone.
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   They make outrageous or questionable claims. Trolls will often make outrageous statements that most reasonable people would not agree with. They often post information that is untrue or misleading. They often engage in unfounded conspiracy theories. Check the validity of what the person wrote and if the claim is possible. Read through the person’s post and stop to reflect on whether you think the claim is possible. If they linked to an article or website in their post, go directly to the source to check if it’s fake news. If you’re still questioning the information, do your own research online to see if it’s true. If it sounds too over-the-top or sensational, it probably is.

   • For example, a troll might post something like,”[Celebrity name] has been dead for years and was replaced by a clone that is being controlled by the world’s elites,” or “[Politician] is part of a Satanic cult that engages in human sacrifice.” These are outrageous claims that most reasonable people would know are not true. Any information found to back up claims like this is speculative at best.
   • Be careful when doing internet research. Make sure you stick to reputable news sources. Check sources to make sure they actually say what the person said it says, and that the information is confirmed and is not speculation.
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   They argue in bad faith. Instead of arguing the point someone makes or defending the merits of the claims they make, trolls will often use ad-hominem insults as well as strawman arguments and other logical fallacies. They may ask erroneous questions that they themselves could easily look up as a way to confuse the point.

   • Ad-hominem attack: An ad-hominem attack is when a person resorts to insults and name-calling instead of arguing the validity of their post. For example, they may say something like “You’re a stupid liberal, so who cares what you think” instead of defending their post and arguing its merits.
   • Strawman Arguments: Strawman arguments are when a person argues against a position that the person they are arguing with didn’t make. For example, a troll may post something derogatory about a specific group of people. Someone else may reply and point out that their statement is not true and say something like, “All people deserve to be treated with respect.” The troll may reply with “Oh, so you think violent criminals deserve to be treated with respect?” The troll is arguing against a position the person did not make and is trying to mischaracterize their position as a way of belittling the person and their position.
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   They use anonymous or throwaway accounts. Trolls avoid using their real names and information online. If the trolls are on social media sites, check if they go by a common first name that’s hard to track, such as John or Joe. They may also use a jokey or anonymous username so you don’t get any idea about who they are. Then, look at their bio or “About Me” page for any identifiable information if it’s available. If you aren’t able to find anything, then they are probably a troll.

   • If you can see an email address, make sure it seems professional or legitimate rather than made-up. For example, they could use a fake email like joe@youarealoser.com just to troll you even more.
   • A lot of trolls will use images they’ve found of real people as profile pictures to make their pages look more legitimate. They might even use pictures of attractive women to seem believable. Today, more and more trolls are using AI-generated profile pictures. Sometimes you can find out if a profile picture is fake by reverse Google searching the image.
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   They engage in DARVO. DARVO stands for deny, attack, reverse victim, and offender. It basically means that when they are called out on their bad behaviour, they deny they did anything wrong, attack the person calling them out, and then claim that they are the actual victim for being called. This is a tactic used by both online trolls and in-person abusers. It’s a way of deflecting accountability.
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   They mostly post memes and short-form media. It’s an unfortunate fact of nature that the human brain responds better to images and quick sound bites rather than well-thought-out arguments that are well-written and researched. This is why trolls like to post memes and short-form content. They’re quick and easy to make and have the potential to rile up the most people, and also have more potential to go viral.
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   Their account might be new. Find the date when the account joined to see if it was recent. Go to the account’s page and see if there’s a date listed for when it was created. If the account was made within the past month and doesn’t have a lot of followers, it’s possible that they’ve created the profile just so they could troll others. Take any information they say with a grain of salt since it might not be factual.

   • Many trolls have to create new accounts since their old profiles might be blocked or banned from the site they’re posting to.
   • In many cases, they may not even be a real person. They may be working for a troll farm, or they may even be an AI bot.
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   They won’t let a topic go. According to Oppido, you may notice that they keep replying to the same thread or they argue with a lot of different people over a similar topic. See if the person persistently argues over the same subject. Scroll through all of the posts that the account has made and read through them. Check if anyone else has replied with answers or solutions, and if the account still responded negatively. If they continue being contrarian despite being given a clear answer, they’re a troll just looking to make people upset.

   • Trolls make work for a troll farm, or they may be bots. In either case, they may be hired or designed to spread misinformation about a specific subject. If you notice that all their posts are about the same subject or similar subjects over and over again, this could be a sign that they are a professional troll.
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   They constantly post. Trolls never seem to take a break from commenting on posts. Look through the person’s profile history to see how frequently they’ve posted. Since most trolls are online for most of the day, they usually will write posts and share information multiple times throughout the day. If you see they shared a handful of posts within an hour, they could be a troll. If the posts are spaced out by a few hours or days, the account is more likely to be legitimate.
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Section 2 of 2:

Dealing With Trolls

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   Tell a parent or an adult. Oppido stresses that if you're a minor experiencing trolling or online bullying, the first thing you should do is tell a parent. Let them know what is happening and on what platform it is happening. An adult can help you find the resources to deal with the problem.
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   Ignore the troll. Oppido notes that most people want attention for their posts. Since trolls only post to get reactions from other people, just scroll past the comments or posts without getting involved. Don’t reply, even if you think you have a clever response. At best, you may damage their ego, which may cause them to keep coming for you.
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   Block the account. Blocking keeps you from seeing the troll's posts. If the troll is being really annoying or causing trouble, Oppido recommends using the “Block” feature on the site you’re using to restrict what you see from them, and so they won't be able to respond to you. Other people will still be able to see their posts, but at least they won’t bother you anymore.

   • If your child is experiencing cyberbullying and you are not familiar with the platform it is happening on, Oppido recommends speaking to someone at a computer shop for advice, or finding someone else who understands the platform. They can help you adjust the settings of your child’s account and block the perpetrator.
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   Report the troll. Reach out to administrators if the posts are abusive or offensive. Look for a “Report” button on the account's profile or posts they made and click on it. If the website asks why you want to report them, select an option that says something like “trolling” or “harassment and cyber-bullying” so the site administrator knows what to look for. If you feel personally threatened, such as if the troll somehow got a hold of your personal information, contact the police as well and let them know about the situation.

   • If the website doesn’t have a report feature, look for a Contact Us page or email address so you can reach out to the site owner and let them know what’s happening to you.
   • If you're feeling stressed out by a troll, Oppido recommends taking a break from the social media platform or website.
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Tips

• According to Oppido, if someone is messaging you over and over again, poking fun at you, or criticising you over and over again over something specific, and they refuse to stop, this is cyberbullying.
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• Think twice about posting if it comes across as hurtful so you don’t become a troll.
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• If you ever feel unsafe because of a troll, report the troll to the website or the police.
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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• Engaging with a troll gives them exactly what they want - attention. Don’t engage.
• Never react to a troll. That just gives them ammunition to keep being a troll.

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Warnings

• If you're noticing behavior changes in your child when using electronic devices, it's possible that they're a victim of a troll or a cyberbully. Try to be aware and discuss the situation.
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