Instagram treats an account that pretends to be you as a violation, and it offers separate routes for account holders and for people who are not on Instagram. This guide follows the steps described in Instagram's Help Center at the time of writing; menus change, so if a label differs slightly, look for the closest option.
Before you report#
- Screenshot the fake profile, its username, bio and the photos of you it uses.
- Copy the profile URL.
- Have a government ID ready in case the form asks you to confirm your identity.
- Report only one impersonating account per submission.
- Do not contact the impersonator or comment on their posts.
If you have an Instagram account#
- Open the profile
Tap the username of the fake account from their Feed or Story post, or find the profile directly.
- Open Options
Tap or click Options next to their username (the three dots).
- Choose Report
Select Report, then Report Account.
- Select the reason
Choose It's pretending to be someone else and follow the on-screen instructions, indicating that it is pretending to be you.
If you do not have an account or cannot log in#
Instagram provides an impersonation form for people without an account. You may be asked to confirm your identity by attaching a picture of your ID or a photo of yourself holding your ID. Only share ID through Instagram's official Help Center form, never through messages from someone who claims to be Instagram support. The form is available at Instagram Help: Report an Impersonation Account.
What happens next#
Instagram reviews the report and may remove the account or take other action. It says your report stays anonymous unless the issue involves intellectual property infringement, which matters if you also file a copyright claim. There is no guaranteed timeline, so keep a record of the date and what you submitted.
If the photos are yours: add a copyright report#
If you took the photos the impersonator is using, you can additionally use Instagram's copyright reporting form, which is designed for copyright owners and handled separately from impersonation. A copyright report is not anonymous toward the uploader in the same way, and it only applies to images you own. See removing photos posted without consent.
If Instagram does not act#
- Submit the report again with clearer evidence, for example a link to your real profile.
- Ask trusted friends to report the account using the same reason.
- Report the same photos on other platforms where the impersonator may be active; see fake profile using your photos.
- If the profile is asking people for money or threatening anyone, report it to the police and tell your contacts.
- In the EU or UK, you can also send a data-erasure request to the controller of the service under GDPR Article 17; the right has exceptions and is not guaranteed.
Check where else your photos appear#
Impersonators rarely use just one platform. Use reverse image search (Google Lens, Bing, TinEye) for exact copies, or our similarity search to look for other public pictures that may show your face. Before unlocking you see only the number of matches; the full report with links and a removal roadmap unlocks with 1 credit (packs from $9.90 / €9.90). It requires your explicit consent and may only be used with your own photo or with the authorization of the person pictured. It cannot tell you who runs a fake account, and must never be used with images of minors.
Check whether your photos appear outside Instagram too.
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