A catfish account uses your photos and sometimes your name to talk to people, sell fake “VIP” access or scam your fans. Report the account and the photos separately: one gets the profile removed, the other the stolen content.
- Use the platform’s impersonation form for the account.
- Use a copyright report for the photos and videos it posted.
- Instagram’s impersonation form asks for a photo of you holding your ID.
- X lets you report impersonation without an X account.
Before you report
- Save the profile link and screenshots of the profile and posts.
- Collect links to your real accounts, to show which is genuine.
- Warn your fans from your real accounts if the fake is messaging them.
Instagram’s impersonation form can only be filed by the person being impersonated or their authorized representative. It asks for your details, the fake account’s username and a photo of you holding your ID, which Meta says it deletes within 30 days. The photos themselves go through the copyright report. Full details in our Instagram guide.
X (Twitter)
X’s impersonation form is for you or your representative, and you don’t need an X account to use it. X may suspend the account or ask it to change. Parody accounts are allowed only if they say so in both the name and the bio. Details in our X guide.
TikTok, Reddit and others
Most platforms have an impersonation option in the report menu on the profile. Our removal guides list the official route for each.
Stop the next one
- Use the same handle everywhere, so fans can tell real from fake.
- Ask platforms for verification where it is offered.
- Put “only official accounts” and your link page in every bio.
- Run the free Impersonation Checker now and then.
