# Fake LinkedIn Profile Impersonating You: How to Report It > Someone copied your name, photo or job history on LinkedIn. Learn how to report the fake profile, what evidence to keep and what LinkedIn decides. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/linkedin-fake-profile-impersonating-me - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-20 - Topics: Impersonation, LinkedIn - Related service: Impersonation removal: https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/impersonation-removal ## Short answer Open the fake profile, select More, then Report or block, choose to report the entire account and pick the option saying the person is impersonating someone. Keep the profile URL and screenshots first. LinkedIn reviews the report under its own policies, does not reveal who reported it, and decides whether to act. ## Summary - Report the fake profile from its own page: More, Report or block, then choose the impersonation option. - LinkedIn says the reported member is not told who made the report. - Save the profile URL and screenshots before you report, because the profile may change or vanish. - If someone is inside your real account, use the compromised account form instead of an impersonation report. - Warn your contacts, never pay anyone who promises a removal, and let LinkedIn make the decision. A fake LinkedIn profile that uses your name, photo or career history is an impersonation problem, and LinkedIn has a specific report option for it. You report the profile from its own page, choose the impersonation reason, and LinkedIn reviews it against its Professional Community Policies. This guide explains the exact steps, what to save first, how to tell impersonation apart from a hacked account, and what you can and cannot control. Last checked: 20 October 2026 against LinkedIn Help. ## Is it impersonation, a fake account or a hacked account? Start by naming the problem correctly, because each one has a different route on LinkedIn. | What you see | What it usually is | Where to go | | --- | --- | --- | | A second profile with your name and photo that you did not create | Impersonation | Report the profile as impersonating someone | | A profile with a stock or celebrity photo and no real history, messaging people | A fake account that does not represent a real person | Report the profile as not a real person | | Your own profile shows posts, messages or email changes you did not make | A compromised account | LinkedIn's compromised account form | | A company page or profile using your brand name and logo | Brand impersonation, possibly a trademark issue | Impersonation report first, then see our [trademark report guide](https://www.awarexone.com/research/trademark-report-fake-brand-account) | LinkedIn describes a profile as possibly fake if it impersonates someone, does not represent a real person, or shows signs of deceptive behaviour ([LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1338436)). ## What should I save before I report? Collect evidence first. Once you report, the profile may be edited, hidden or removed, and you may want a record for colleagues, your employer or the police. - The full profile URL, copied from the address bar, not just the display name - Dated screenshots of the profile header, the About section and the experience list - Screenshots of any messages the profile sent to you or to people who forwarded them - A link to your own genuine profile, so the difference is clear - Names of contacts who were approached, kept privately in your own notes Our guide on [collecting evidence before you report](https://www.awarexone.com/research/collect-evidence-before-reporting-harassment) covers how to capture pages so the record is easy to read later. ## How do I report a fake LinkedIn profile impersonating me? LinkedIn Help lists these steps for reporting a fake profile ([LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1338436)): 1. Go to the fake profile and select the More button or icon on the profile. 2. Select Report / Block. 3. In the pop-up window, select Report [member's name] or entire account. 4. Select This person is impersonating someone. If the profile is not a real person at all, select This account is not a real person instead. 5. Select Submit report. Menu labels can change between the app and the desktop site. If you cannot see an option, open the profile on a desktop browser and look again under More. > Note: **What LinkedIn tells you.** LinkedIn says the reported member will not know who made the report, and that it will take action if the profile violates its policies. It does not promise a timeline or a particular outcome. ## What happens after I submit the report? LinkedIn reviews the report. According to its help page, it is against LinkedIn's Privacy Policy to share the identity of the person who flagged an item, and it will take action if the profile breaks its rules ([LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1338436)). For reported content more generally, LinkedIn says it may warn or suspend the author and that in some cases you will receive information about the outcome by email ([LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1344213)). That means two things in practice. You may not hear back at all, and the absence of a reply does not always mean nothing happened. Check the profile URL again after some time rather than filing many duplicate reports on the same day. ## What if my real account was taken over instead? If you cannot sign in, or you see changes to your own profile that you did not make, the problem is a compromised account, not impersonation. LinkedIn asks you to submit its form for unauthorised account access as soon as possible and to include your profile URL if you have it. LinkedIn says it will verify that the account is yours and then help you regain access ([LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1340402)). Once you are back in, LinkedIn recommends changing your password, turning on two-step verification, reviewing active sessions and signing out of sessions you do not recognise, and checking posts, follows and messages made while the account was compromised ([LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1340402)). Our article on a [LinkedIn account hacked with the email changed](https://www.awarexone.com/research/linkedin-hacked-email-changed) walks through that situation in more detail. ## How do I protect my contacts while the fake profile is live? Impersonators on LinkedIn often contact the real person's network with job offers, investment pitches or requests to move the conversation elsewhere. LinkedIn lists requests for money or sensitive information and pressure to move off the platform as signs of a fake profile ([LinkedIn Help](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1338436)). - Post a short note on your genuine profile saying a copy exists and that you will never ask for money or codes in messages. - Ask contacts who were approached to report the same profile using the impersonation option. - Tell your employer's security or HR team if the profile claims to work for them. - Do not reply to the fake profile or threaten it. That rarely helps and can create more screenshots for it to misuse. ## Common mistakes that slow things down - Reporting a single post instead of the whole account. Use the option to report the entire account. - Choosing a general spam reason when the profile is clearly copying you. Pick the impersonation option. - Reporting before saving the URL, then being unable to find the profile again. - Creating a second account of your own to argue with the impersonator. Keep to one genuine profile. - Using the compromised account form for a copy of your profile, or the other way round. ## Watch out for removal scams People dealing with impersonation are often approached by strangers who claim they can delete any profile quickly through contacts inside LinkedIn. Nobody outside LinkedIn controls its moderation decisions. Never share your password, one-time codes or backup codes, and be wary of anyone who asks for payment in crypto or gift cards. Our guide on [spotting fake recovery services](https://www.awarexone.com/research/account-recovery-scams-how-to-spot-fake-recovery-services) lists the warning signs. ## What are the realistic limits? LinkedIn decides whether a profile breaks its rules. A profile that shares your name but not your photo or history may not count as impersonation, because many people share names. Parody or commentary accounts may also be treated differently. If a report is declined, you can add clearer evidence, ask others who were targeted to report it, and, where the profile uses a registered brand, consider a trademark route. For a step by step approach across platforms, see our [impersonation and fake account removal guide](https://www.awarexone.com/research/impersonation-fake-account-removal-guide). AwareXone helps people and businesses prepare impersonation reports through official platform channels. We are independent and not affiliated with LinkedIn, the work is best-effort, and LinkedIn makes the final decision. You can read more about our [impersonation removal support](https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/impersonation-removal). ### Will the person behind the fake profile know I reported it? LinkedIn says reported members are not told who made the report, because sharing the identity of someone who flags an item is against its Privacy Policy. ### Can my friends report the fake profile for me? Yes. Anyone who sees the profile can use the Report / Block option and choose the impersonation reason. Reports from people who were contacted by the profile can add useful context. ### How long does LinkedIn take to remove a fake profile? LinkedIn does not publish a fixed timeline. It reviews the report and acts if the profile violates its policies, and in some cases it emails you about the outcome. ### Should I use the hacked account form for a fake profile? No. The compromised account form is for when someone has access to your real account. A separate profile copying you should be reported as impersonation from that profile's page. ### Can anyone remove a LinkedIn profile for me straight away? No. Only LinkedIn can remove a profile. Be careful with anyone who claims special access or asks for your login details. ## Official sources - [LinkedIn Help, Report fake profiles](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1338436) - [LinkedIn Help, Report a compromised account](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1340402) - [LinkedIn Help, Recognise and report spam, inappropriate and abusive content](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1344213) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.