A Fake Profile Detection Model Using Multistage Stacked Ensemble Classification

Abstract

Fake profile identification on social media platforms is essential for preserving a reliable online community. Previous studies have primarily used conventional classifiers for fake account identification on social networking sites, neglecting feature selection and class balancing to enhance performance. This study introduces a novel multistage stacked ensemble classification model to enhance fake profile detection accuracy, especially in imbalanced datasets. The model comprises three phases: feature selection, base learning, and meta-learning for classification. The novelty of the work lies in utilizing chi-squared feature-class association-based feature selection, combining stacked ensemble and cost-sensitive learning. The research findings indicate that the proposed model significantly enhances fake profile detection efficiency. Employing cost-sensitive learning enhances accuracy on the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter spam datasets with 95%, 98.20%, and 81% precision, outperforming conventional and advanced classifiers. It is demonstrated that the proposed model has the potential to enhance the security and reliability of online social networks, compared with existing models.