Embodiments include a method, system and computer program product for performing the detection of genuine social media profiles. In some embodiments, a request is received for a target user to join the social network. The request can be used to analyze one or more categories associated with a user profile information of at least one of a requesting user or the target user, and a category score can be calculated for one or more categories. A total score can be calculated from the one or more category scores, and a notification can be provided to the target user indicating the total score.