Fake Instagram Account Impersonating You? How to Report It

A friend sends you a screenshot. An Instagram account with your name, your profile photo and a username one character off yours has just followed them, or asked them to lend money until tomorrow. You check your own account and nothing has changed. Someone has built a copy of you.

The short answer: this is impersonation, and Instagram has a dedicated route for it. Save the evidence, report the fake profile as "pretending to be someone else", or use Instagram's web form if you cannot report from an account, and tell your followers which account is really yours.

This guide covers both reporting routes step by step, the ID Instagram accepts, what to do when friends are being asked for money, and the mistakes that get reports closed without action.

Last checked: 29 September 2026.

#What Should You Do If Someone Made a Fake Instagram Account of You?

Screenshot the fake profile and copy its username. Then open it in the Instagram app, tap the options menu, choose "Report", "Report account", then "It's pretending to be someone else", and say it is pretending to be you. If you have no Instagram account or cannot log in, use Instagram's impersonation form, one fake account per report, with a photo of yourself holding your ID. Warn followers from your real account. If someone in Malaysia already paid the impostor, they should call the NSRC on 997. Instagram makes the final decision, and nobody outside Meta, including AwareXone, can remove the account for you.

#Is It Impersonation, a Hack or Something Else?

People use "fake account" for several different problems, and each has its own route. Instagram's Terms of Use say you may not impersonate someone you are not, and may not create an account for someone else without their express permission. Its impersonation reporting page adds a limit worth knowing: you can report an account for impersonating someone or something, but not simply for misrepresenting itself.

If your real account has also been taken over, run two tracks at once. Instagram's page on hacked accounts explains the recovery steps, starting with the "secure my account" link in any email from [email protected], and you can reach the flow directly at instagram.com/hacked.

#Save the Evidence Before You Report

A fake account can change its name, delete posts or go private once it senses a report. Capture it first. Our guide to collecting impersonation evidence goes into depth across platforms; for Instagram, this short list is enough:

• The fake account's exact username and display name, copied as text.
• Its profile link, from the options menu or the browser address bar.
• Full-screen screenshots of the profile, bio, posts and stories, with the date and time visible.
• Screenshots from friends who were contacted, including any bank account or e-wallet details the impostor gave.
• Your own real username and a screenshot of your profile, to show which account is genuine.

#How to Report the Fake Account in the Instagram App

If you have an Instagram account and can log in, this is the fastest route. Instagram's step-by-step instructions are:

1. Go to the fake profile, by tapping its username or searching for it.
2. Tap the options menu next to the username.
3. Tap "Report", then "Report account".
4. Tap "It's pretending to be someone else".
5. Choose who it is pretending to be (you) and follow the on-screen instructions.

The exact labels vary by app version, language and region, so look for the option closest to "pretending to be someone". Instagram's page on reporting a profile confirms that profiles can be reported for pretending to be someone else, and that your report is anonymous except for intellectual property reports. The fake account will not see who reported it.

#How to Report Without an Instagram Account or When You Cannot Log In

Instagram's page on reporting an account that is impersonating you says that if you do not have an Instagram account, you can contact Instagram through a form. The impersonation report form covers Instagram and Threads, and works from any browser. At the time of writing it asks you to:

1. Choose your situation: "Someone created an account pretending to be me or a friend", or "Someone created an account pretending to be someone I represent (ex: my child)".
2. Confirm "Yes, I am the person being impersonated" and state your relationship to that person (yourself).
3. Give your full name, your Instagram or Threads username if you have one, and the full name and username shown on the fake account.
4. Attach a photo of yourself holding your ID. The form asks for JPEG if possible.
5. Submit, then repeat for each further fake account. The form says to report only one impersonating account at a time.

The form says your ID is used only to confirm your identity, is not visible to anyone on Instagram, and is deleted within 30 days. If uploading from your phone keeps failing, the form suggests completing it from a computer.

#Which ID Does Instagram Accept From Malaysians?

Instagram's page on accepted ID types splits documents into two groups. One document from the first group is enough if it shows your full name and photo. The first group includes a passport, a driver's licence, a birth certificate and non-driver's government ID such as a national ID card, so MyKad fits here. If you have nothing with a photo from that group, send two documents from either group, with matching names and at least one showing your photo.

• Physically cover details Instagram does not need, such as your IC number, before you take the photo. Instagram says it does not accept images digitally edited to hide information.
• Send only what is asked. Instagram says extra documents may delay the review.
• Make sure your face and the ID are both clear in the same photo, in good light.
• Upload it only through Instagram's own form, reached by typing help.instagram.com yourself, never through a link someone sends you.

#What If a Friend or Your Child Is Being Impersonated?

The form says Instagram can only act on reports from the person being impersonated or their authorised representative, such as a parent or legal guardian. Friends can still flag the profile in the app, but the report that carries weight comes from you. The most useful thing a friend can do is send you the username and not engage with it.

For a child, choose the "someone I represent" option. The form accepts a photo of yourself holding your ID or of the child holding theirs. For a copy of a Facebook profile, the route is different; our guide to a fake Facebook profile using your photos covers Meta's separate impostor form.

#After You Report: Status, Review and Waiting

Instagram does not publish how long an impersonation review takes, and it does not promise a reply to every report. Its page on checking a report explains where to look if you reported from the app:

1. Open "More" or the menu, then "Settings".
2. Tap "Help", then "Support Requests", then "Reports".
3. Open the report to see whether action was taken and the decision.
4. Where offered, request a review of the decision.

Instagram notes that not every report appears in Support Requests, and that some decisions cannot be reviewed. If you used the web form, watch the email address you gave, including the spam folder. Instagram's Terms of Use also say it may change a username that impersonates another user, so a fake account can change rather than vanish.

Instagram's page on proactive impersonation checks says it also runs detection systems for impostors of public figures and creators. Creators on a paid Meta Verified plan get an impersonation protection benefit, though plans vary by region.

#Warn Your Followers From Your Real Account

While Instagram reviews the report, your followers are the people at risk. Post a story and pin a post from your real account, giving both usernames. A warning you can adapt, in three languages many Malaysian audiences read:

• English: "@fake_name is not my account. Please do not reply to it, send money or share any code. My only account is @real_name."
• Bahasa Malaysia: "Akaun @nama_palsu bukan akaun saya. Jangan balas mesejnya, jangan hantar wang atau sebarang kod. Akaun sebenar saya hanya @nama_sebenar."
• Chinese: "@假账号 不是我的账号。请不要回复，也不要转账或提供任何验证码。我唯一的账号是 @真账号。"

Do not post the impostor's suspected identity or phone number. Accusing the wrong person in public creates a second problem. Our guide to a hacked account messaging your friends has more on what to tell contacts when messages are already going out.

#If Someone Lost Money to the Fake Account in Malaysia

Once money has moved, this is fraud as well as a platform problem, and speed matters more than the Instagram report. The government's NSRC 997 page says to call the National Scam Response Centre on 997 within 24 hours of discovering the scam so authorities can try to block accounts and transactions, then contact the bank and lodge a police report. The line runs daily, 24 hours. The person who paid should make the call.

• Police: MCMC's complaint page lists cheating by personation under the Penal Code as a matter for PDRM, so bring your screenshots and the impostor's payment details.
• Incident reporting: CyberSecurity Malaysia's Cyber999 service takes security incident reports and helps Malaysian users escalate abuse reports. It does not remove Instagram accounts.

For a wider view of which Malaysian agency handles what, see our guide to reporting a hacked or misused account in Malaysia.

#Mistakes That Get Impersonation Reports Closed

• Reporting before saving evidence, then finding the account renamed with nothing to show.
• Asking ten friends to report instead of filing one report yourself.
• Choosing a general reason such as spam when the account is pretending to be you.
• Putting several fake usernames into one form.
• Blurring your ID with an editing app instead of covering details physically.
• A dark or cropped ID photo where your face or name cannot be read.
• Creating a decoy account to warn people. That breaks the same rule you are reporting.

#When a Case Review Makes Sense

Most impersonation cases need one accurate report and a warning to followers. Outside help is worth considering when copies keep returning under new names, when your customers are being asked to pay, when your real account was hacked too, or when reports go unanswered for weeks. SocialSafe by AwareXone, our recovery and digital identity service, reviews the case first and tells you honestly whether the official routes have more to give. We use only Instagram's own forms, and removal is always Instagram's decision. You can see how we handle impersonation removal, and our Trust Center sets out what we will never ask for, starting with your password and codes.

#Frequently Asked Questions