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.
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.
Common impersonation patterns
How to file a removable report
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.
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.
Provide photo ID matching your name
For personal impersonation. For business impersonation, business registration or trademark documents work better than personal ID.
Include the fake account’s exact username
Not the display name — the @username. This is the only reliable identifier; display names change between submissions.
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.
We use official Meta, Instagram, and Facebook documentation as source material, then add operational context from anonymized Shilder case work.
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.
The recovery vocabulary that shows up in this kind of case — plain-language definitions, so you know exactly what state your account is in.
Account disabled
A reversible Meta enforcement action that blocks access to an Instagram or Facebook account while preserving its data, normally for a 30-day appeal window. Distinct from suspended, removed, and banned states.
Appeal
A formal request to Meta to reverse a moderation decision. The primary recovery mechanism for disabled, removed, or restricted accounts.
Community Guidelines (Instagram)
Instagram's content and behavior rules. Violations are the most common reason for account disables and content removal.
Escrow
A neutral third party holding payment between two transacting parties until release conditions are met. Foundational to safe recovery-service payment.
Identity verification
Meta's process of confirming a user is the legitimate owner of an account, typically via photo ID and a code-in-hand selfie.
Impersonation
Someone creating an account pretending to be you or your brand. A reportable violation of Meta's community policies on both Instagram and Facebook.
Recovery window
The time period after a disable or deletion during which account recovery is realistic. Closes after 30 days in most cases.
Verified badge
The blue checkmark indicating Meta has verified an account's authenticity. Affects recovery speed, impersonation protection, and reach.
Ready to get your account back?
Submit your case in under three minutes. Expert review starts the same day.