# How Do I Report a Fake Instagram Account as a Business or Brand? > A fake account is pretending to be your business on Instagram? How to report it as a brand, including the counterfeit form, trademark reports and evidence. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/report-fake-instagram-account-business - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-29 - Topics: Instagram, Impersonation, Business - Related service: Impersonation removal: https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/impersonation-removal ## Short answer Report a fake Instagram account pretending to be your business from the profile (Report, Pretending to be someone, a business), then follow up with the impersonation form. If it sells fakes of your products, use the counterfeit report form. For trademark misuse, use the trademark form or Brand Rights Protection. Keep screenshots and links as evidence. ## Summary - Start with the in-app report. - Use the counterfeit form for fake products. - Use trademark forms for logo or name misuse. - Evidence speeds review. - Warn customers on your official channels. Fake brand accounts can steal customers. Here's which route fits. Last checked: 29 October 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide. ## Which route should I use? | The fake account... | Route | | --- | --- | | Pretends to be your business | In-app report, impersonation form | | Sells counterfeits of your products | Counterfeit form | | Uses your trademark or logo | Trademark form or Brand Rights Protection | | Copies your photos | Copyright form | > Warning: **One wrong step can cost you the account.** One wrong step can cost you the account, so know what you are doing before you start. If you are not sure, do not submit an appeal yet. Ask AwareXone for a free expert review first, then act. ## How do I use the counterfeit form? 1. Open help.instagram.com/contact/instagramcounterfeitform. 2. Confirm you're the rights owner or agent. 3. Add your trademark registration details. 4. Link the posts or account. 5. Submit and keep the confirmation. ## What evidence helps? - Profile URL and screenshots. - Trademark certificate. - Customer messages showing confusion or scams. - Your official handle and website. Related guides: [How Do I Protect a Celebrity or VIP Account From Impersonation on Instagram?](https://www.awarexone.com/research/protect-celebrity-account-impersonation), [What Is Meta Brand Rights Protection and How Do I Apply?](https://www.awarexone.com/research/meta-brand-rights-protection), [Someone Is Impersonating Me With a WhatsApp Username: How Do I Report It?](https://www.awarexone.com/research/whatsapp-username-impersonation-report). ## What common mistakes should I avoid? - Only reporting through the app once. - Using the wrong form. - Engaging with the fake account publicly. - Not warning customers. ## How do I keep the account safe while I sort this out? - Never share a login code, password or backup code with anyone, including people who say they work for Meta, the police or a recovery service. - Make sure the email address and phone number on the account are ones you still control, and remove any you do not recognise. - Turn on two-factor authentication where the platform offers it, ideally with an authenticator app, and keep your backup codes somewhere offline. - Log in only from the official app or by typing the address yourself, not from links in messages, comments or ads. - Keep screenshots of every notice, email and step you take, with dates, in case you need them for a review or a report. - Make one careful attempt at each official step rather than many rushed ones, because repeated failed attempts can trigger extra checks. ## When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help Ask for help before you appeal if the account matters to your income, your business or your memories, if you have already had one appeal rejected, or if you cannot tell whether the problem is a bug, a restriction or a hack. That is where most avoidable losses happen. AwareXone has solved 1,300+ cases and works only through official platform processes. Support is available 24 hours, every day. We never ask for your password, login codes or backup codes, and we never name our clients. [Request a free case review](https://www.awarexone.com/contact?interest=account-recovery-case) or [message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/601137634679). Malaysian cases are priced in MYR; other markets are quoted in USD after review. AwareXone is independent and not affiliated with Meta, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or Threads. Recovery work is best-effort and the platform makes the final decision. ### Can I report without a trademark? Yes, through impersonation; trademark forms need rights. ### How long does removal take? Instagram does not publish a fixed time. ### The fake came back. What now? Report again and log patterns. ### Can you help? Yes, after a free review. ### Can AwareXone check my case before I appeal? Yes. AwareXone offers a free case review. Send us what you see on screen and what you have already tried, and an expert will tell you whether to appeal, wait or take another route. We never ask for your password or codes. ## Official sources - [Official: Intellectual Property (read 29 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/535503073130320) - [Official: About Brand Rights Protection across Meta Technologies (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/828925381043253) - [Official: Report an account that's impersonating you on Instagram (read 29 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/370054663112398) --- 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.