Finding a fake account with your name and face is unsettling. The good news is that every major platform has a policy against impersonation and a process to remove it. What helps most is working through it in order.

Step 1: Make sure the real you is secure

Impersonation sometimes comes together with account takeover attempts, or is followed by the impersonator reporting your real account as the fake. Before anything else:

  • turn on two-factor authentication on your main accounts,
  • check that your recovery email and phone are correct,
  • change any password you have reused.

Step 2: Build an evidence file

Create one folder and keep everything in it:

  • links to every fake profile, with the platform name,
  • screenshots of each profile and its posts, with the date visible,
  • messages the impersonator sent, and who they were sent to,
  • links to your own real accounts,
  • a short timeline: when you noticed, what you reported, and the replies you got.

This file is what you will use for every report, and for any legal step later.

Step 3: Report on each platform

Each platform has its own route:

  • Instagram: report the account as pretending to be you. See our Instagram guide.
  • Facebook: report the profile or Page as pretending to be you. See our Facebook guide.
  • TikTok, X, YouTube and others: use the in-app report option for impersonation, or the platform’s Help Center form if you don’t have an account there.

Report from your own account where you can. Use the platform’s ID-based forms if asked; they exist so the platform can be sure the request comes from the real person.

Step 4: Tell people what is real

Post on your real accounts that there is an impersonator, give your one real username, and say you will never ask for money or codes in messages. This protects people while the reports are reviewed.

Don’t engage with the impersonator. Arguing in comments or DMs rarely helps and can give them more material. Report, document and move on.

Step 5: When to go further

Consider legal advice or a police report if the impersonation involves:

  • threats, stalking or sexual content,
  • someone using your identity to take money from others,
  • a persistent campaign across many accounts after removals.

Your evidence file will be the core of any such step. If photos you took are being used, a copyright takedown is another route that works independently of impersonation rules. See how DMCA takedowns work.

Our Impersonation & Harassment service helps you organise the evidence, file the right reports on each platform, and keep track of what has been removed.

Frequently asked questions

Is impersonating someone online illegal?

It depends on the country and on what the impersonator does. Platforms remove impersonation under their own rules regardless; fraud, threats or harassment may also be crimes where you live.

Should I contact the person running the fake account?

Generally no. Report, document and warn your audience instead. Engaging rarely gets an account removed and can make things worse.