How to report a fake Instagram account that's pretending to be you
Someone made an Instagram account with your name or your photos. Instagram takes these reports from the person being copied, in the app or on a web form that works without logging in.
First, before you report
Don't message the fake. Don't comment, tag it or argue. It tips them off, they block you or change the name, and your proof goes with it.
- Copy the fake account's link, not just its name. Names change; the link is harder to hide.
- Take dated screenshots: the profile, a few posts, and any messages it sent people. Ask followers who got messages to screenshot them for you.
- Post from your real account: "This is my only account. If 'I' message you asking for money, it isn't me. Please report it."
Report it in the app
- Open the fake account's profile.
- Tap ⋯ (Options) next to the username.
- Tap Report, then Report Account.
- Tap It's pretending to be someone else, then Me.
- Follow the steps on the screen.
A friend can report it from their own app too: they pick "Someone I follow" instead of Me. More reports help. Instagram's steps: Report an account for impersonation.
No account, or the fake blocked you? Use the form
Instagram's impersonation form works without logging in. Pick "pretending to be me," add the fake's username or link, and attach a photo of your ID. Instagram says it keeps the ID private and deletes it within 30 days. One fake account per form; send another form for each one.
What to put in the report
- The fake account's link, and the link to your real account.
- What it copies: your name, your photo, your posts, your business name.
- What it's doing, in one line: "messaging my followers asking for deposits."
- The date you found it.
- A photo of your ID if the form asks, and only on Instagram's own form. Never send it to anyone who messages you, even someone who says they're from Instagram.
If it copied your posts or photos
If the fake reposted your photos, videos or posts, that's a copyright report, and only the owner (or someone you authorize) can file it. Instagram now sends these to Meta's shared form: Meta intellectual property form. Copyright reports aren't anonymous; the account owner may see your name.
What happens next
Impersonation reports are anonymous. Instagram doesn't give a time frame. You can follow the report in the app under Settings, then Help, then Support Requests, then Reports, and ask for a review if you disagree with the decision.
Still up after a week? Report it again with any new screenshots, and ask a few people who know you to report it too. If anyone sent the fake money, they can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov.
Fake on another app too?
Not sure where else it is? The free 10-minute self-check searches your name, look-alike handles and your headshot.
Don't want to do this every month? Copycat Watch looks for fakes of you each month, fills in the reports, and files again if the fake is still up on day 7 and day 14. The first check is free.
This page links each platform's own help pages so you can find them. Headed In LLC isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of them, and this isn't legal advice. Platforms change their menus; if a step doesn't match, the help page link has the current one.