Meta
Business PartnerVerified · 2026
Impersonation

Someone is pretending to be you. We get it taken down.

Fake accounts using your face, name, or brand are reportable — and most get removed in 24–72 hours when reported correctly with proof. Doing it wrong gets the report ignored.

100% refund if we can’t recover your account
Short answer
How do I get an Instagram impersonator removed?

Submit Instagram’s impersonation report at help.instagram.com/contact/636276399721841 with photo ID, the impersonator’s username, and clear screenshots showing they’re using your name, photos, or brand. Most legitimate impersonation reports resolve within 24 to 72 hours. Verified accounts get faster removals — typically within hours.

Written by Shilder Recovery TeamReviewed by Shilder Editorial ReviewLast reviewed 2026-05-15
What this looks like

Common impersonation patterns

An account using your real name and profile photo
A fake account using your business name to scam your customers
A username variant (e.g. extra dot, underscore, similar spelling) targeting your audience
Someone DM’ing your followers pretending to be you
Stolen photos used to build a follower base for a different identity
An ex-employee using your brand without authorization
What to do

How to file a removable report

01

Document the impersonation before reporting

Screenshot the profile, recent posts, and any messages they’ve sent to your audience. Capture the username clearly. Reviewers want evidence, not just a complaint.

02

Use the dedicated impersonation form

Not the general report-a-post option. Use help.instagram.com/contact/636276399721841 — it’s the form Meta’s impersonation team actually reviews.

03

Provide photo ID matching your name

For personal impersonation. For business impersonation, business registration or trademark documents work better than personal ID.

04

Include the fake account’s exact username

Not the display name — the @username. This is the only reliable identifier; display names change between submissions.

05

Wait — and don’t engage the impersonator

Engaging publicly can be used by the impersonator to claim you’re “feuding”, which complicates removal. Let the report process.

Stuck? Let us take it from here.

Expert review is free. You only pay if we accept the case — and we refund if recovery fails.

Start a case
Official sources referenced

We use official Meta, Instagram, and Facebook documentation as source material, then add operational context from anonymized Shilder case work.

Related questions

Questions about this case.

Most legitimate reports resolve within 24–72 hours. Verified accounts often see removal within hours. Cases requiring extra investigation (e.g. brand impersonation across multiple accounts) can take 5–14 days.

Yes — you receive a confirmation email when the report results in removal. Reports that don’t lead to action also get a notification, usually with the option to provide more information.

Instagram’s impersonation policy distinguishes between impersonation (intent to deceive) and parody/fan accounts (clearly labeled as such). Removable cases require clear deceptive intent.

Related

Ready to get your account back?

Submit your case in under three minutes. Expert review starts the same day.