What to Do If Someone Impersonates You on Instagram
Is someone copying my Instagram? This is a more common problem than you might think. Scammers sometimes impersonate legitimate Instagram accounts to trick friends and family or to trick unsuspecting strangers. If you come across an account impersonating you or someone you know, you can take action and request that the account be closed.
Scammers can impersonate someone to trick their friends and family into clicking malicious links, providing them with information, or sending them money. A fraudster could send a DM from a fictitious person’s account, for example, asking the target to check an image or link they posted on another site. In fact, the link could be a form that steals account information or tries to download malware automatically.
How to report an account posing as someone on Instagram
First, you must confirm that the account is indeed impersonating someone by comparing their profile picture and recent posts to see if they are mimicking the account you suspect is impersonating someone else. Then send a direct message to the person who you think is impersonating the account to confirm that the account does not belong to them. Do not send messages to an account posing as someone else. After making sure you spot an account posing as a different person, you must report the impostor directly to Instagram.
To do this, go back to the simulator profile and tap the three dots icon at the top of the screen.
Select Report User , which should be at the top of the list of displayed options. Clicking ” Complain ” will open a menu where you can report the account, stating the reason: “This is impersonating someone I know.” You will then be prompted to enter additional information, including who the account claims to be.
After the report is submitted, Instagram support will investigate the account. There is no guaranteed time frame for when the support team will return to you, which means it’s best to report your account as soon as possible.
Don’t have an Instagram account? You can still report impersonating accounts using the form posted on the Instagram Help Center. After you submit the report, Instagram will ask for identification in the form of a selfie and government ID.
As with the report sent via the app, there is no guarantee that Instagram support will contact you. However, when they do, it will be by email that you provided when filling out the form above.
What to do after you complain about your Instagram account
While you wait for Instagram support to review the report you submitted, you can alert your friends and family about the problematic account. If an account has impersonated someone else, it is important to contact the purpose of the account and let them know that they are impersonating someone else.
To limit the effectiveness of accounts by impersonating someone, avoid posting too much personal information on Instagram, including your address or phone number.