Problem guide · Last reviewed 12 October 2026
Fake profiles and impersonation
A fake account using your name or photos can be upsetting and, if it’s messaging people you know, urgent. Platforms take impersonation seriously, and their own report forms are the fastest route.
The short version
Report the account to the platform, and tell people it isn’t you. The platform decides. The free check gives you the plan for your situation and your country, with a letter you can edit.
Start this plan About two minutes · Free · Nothing you type is sent to us
Who decides
The platform decides whether the account comes down.
Time
About 15 minutes. Platforms usually reply within days.
Screenshot the profile before you report it. Once it’s gone, you can’t prove what it said.
The plan, in outline
Screenshot the profile and its link
- The profile page and its web address
- Any messages it sent people
- Your own real account, if you have one
Report it through the platform’s impersonation form
Use the platform’s own form. It may ask you to confirm who you are. Only share ID through the platform’s form, never with someone who contacts you about it.
Facebook: report an impersonation account (opens in a new tab)
Tell your contacts it isn’t you
Post a short note from your real account: “There’s a fake account using my name and photos. Please don’t accept requests or reply to it. I’ve reported it.”
Check the report status
Most platforms show report updates in your support inbox or notifications.
If the answer is no
- If it’s being used to scam people or misuse your identity, report it to ReportCyber. IDCARE offers free identity support. ReportCyber (scams and identity misuse) (opens in a new tab)
- If the account is seriously harassing or threatening you, eSafety may be able to help once you’ve reported it to the platform. eSafety: make a report (opens in a new tab)
- Ask a few friends to report the account too, but only if it’s genuinely fake. Don’t organise mass-reporting of real accounts.
- Report it again with any new evidence, such as new messages it has sent.
Official links last checked 12 October 2026. We haven’t been able to check the “Facebook: report an impersonation account” link ourselves. If it doesn’t open the right page, search that site’s help pages instead.